Western Asiatic Bronze Round Cup

Miniature paper Qur'an, each page with dense Nasta'liq text in black ink with a red double-border and green outer border; decorative title page with floral ornament and liquid gold; several pages of handwritten notes at the end; probably from North Africa. 55 grams, 86 x 86 mm



Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

Rebound as a hardback with full leather binding, gold block border to covers and central arabesque foliage panel; 56 laid-paper pages expertly conserved, usage wear to edges repaired and restored, with drypoint lineation; title page with header block of calligraphic thuluth script reserved against a polychrome field with decorative foliage scrolls and blocks of colour; four lines of black script below; second page with similar header block, six lines of text with black and red diacritics and floral embellishments; rest with typically nine lines of text with red and black diacritics, floral motifs with liquid gold pointing; marginal notes and concentric roundel motifs with rosette to the centre and tulip motif above; page 54 with two lines of footnotes. 954 grams, 30.4 x 38 cm



From an important family collection started in the late 1950s. Property of a West London, UK, gentleman. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12279-220401.

The text is a juz' (chapter or internal division) from the Qur'an, the Surah Maryam (of Mary) to the Surah Al-Anbya (of the Prophets), Books 19 to 21.

Rectangular in plan with frieze depicting a seated figure, two bovines in two registers, a facing female and facing male with a cross-headed shaft, two bovines in two registers, a standing figure; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 18.9 grams, 52 mm



Collected from 1970-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.