Western Asiatic Gold and Bead Pendant

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.

With inscription in Phoenician script [mem 'alep sin nun ayin nun samek = water, ox head, teeth, fish, eye, fish, tower]. 6.4 grams, 16 mm



From an important collection formed before 1988, London and Geneva.

Hemispherical in profile with thin sidewall and circumferential lines below the rim. 109 grams, 10.2 cm



From a 1990s German collection. Ex London, UK, gallery.