D.S. RICE
THE UNIQUE IBN AL-BAWWAB
MANUSCRIPT
The text of the Qur'an was recorded' in the Prophet's lifetime, on a variety of writing materials. These inclu- ded such diverse materials as papyrus, parchment, leather, limestone slabs, shoulder blades, ribs, saddle- boards, &c. The Qur'an was first collected under the first caliph, Abu Bakr, and codified under the third caliph, 'Uthman. It was, in all likelihood, written on parchment on both occasions, although one source has it that papyrus was used on the first.
All the early Qur'ans which have so far come to light are on parchment, with the exception of a small frag- ment on papyrus which is attributed to the third Islamic century.
The earliest Qur'ans w\ich have reached us are written in variety of angular scripts commonly-but inappro- priately-described as Kufic. No complete Kufic Qur'an has, to my knowledge, survived and none is provided with a colophon. It is still a matter of controversy whether we possess any Qur'an which can be dated to the first century of the Muslim era. There are a number of coclices which bear "signatures" of the caliphs 'Uthman and 'Ali, but these have been shown to be later pious forgeries.
Thanks to the studies published in the course of the last fifty years, especially by B. Moritz, J. von Karaba- cek, G. Bergstrásser, O. Pretzl, A. Grohmann, N. Abbott,
and G. Levi della Vida much progress has been made
in the provisional dating of certain Kufic Qur'ans to the late first and to the second century of the Hijra. This was made possible only by the careful palaeographic analysis of extant specimens, by their comparison with dated inscriptions and by the elucidation of certain descriptive passages scattered in the works of Muslim writers. Among the latter the "Catalogue",
fihrist, of the famous tenth-century bibliophile and bookseller, Ibn an-Nadim, has provided valuable information for
'7 1
the identification and classification of the oldest scripts.
Some guidance for the dating of later Kufic Qur'ans can be derived from the waqf notices which are affixed to some of them. But these donors' notes enable us only to fix the terminus ante quem for a small number of manuscripts. In some instances the Qur'ans them- selves may be older than the extreme dates thus obtained.
The oldest waqf notice of this kind, known to me, belongs to the latter half of the third century and bears the name of Amajur, who was governor of the province of Filastin during the reign of the Abbasid caliph al- Mu'tamid. It cannot be late Íhan 264/866. One part of this Qur'an is in the Egyptian Library in Cairo and a sample page from it has been reproduced by B. Moritz.
Another part of the same manuscript was identified by the present writer in the Cambridge University Library.
The next three manuscripts with waq;f notices are in Cairo and are dated 267/880,268/881, 270/8834. A manuscript bearing another such notice dated 297 /909 is preserved in the Topkapu Sarayi Library. The Chester Beatty Library possesses a pair of Qur'an leaves with a waqf notice of the same year and a third manuscript of 2971909 is said to be in the National Museum, Damascus.
For the first half of the fourth century we also possess only a small number of Kufic Qur'ans with waqlfs and these are divided between the libraries of Paris, Istan- bul, and Cairo. They are dated 300/912-13,307/9I9, 308/920, 329 /950, 33' 1 /948-9 .
Towards the middle of the fourth century there appears a novel kind of script with marked diagonal characte- ristics in some letters and rvith bold triangular heads in others. This script, which is highly decorative, is often referred to as "semi-Kufic", "bent Kufic", or
"East-Persian Kufic". The earliest Qur'an written in
this hand is on paper-not on parchment. It is the work of "Ali ibn Shadhan ar-Razi al-Bayyi" and belongs to the University Library,Istanbul. Unlike the early Kufic Qur'ans written on parchment, it has a full colophon dated
3-61/972. Another volume of the same Qur'an manu-
script, in which the illuminated frontispiece has been preserved, is in the Chester Beatty Library (MS. K' 17l1)' the samu Library also possesses the earliest dated manu- script in this type of "semi-Kufic" script, Íhe Mawaqif of Niffari dated 344/955-6.
To sum up : We may possess a few Qur'ans of the second half of the first century and almost certainly some of the second. None of these have colophons nor are they accompanied by waqf notices which permit a somewhat closer classification of the Qur'ans datable in the third and fourth centuries.
Until the middle of the fourth century' Qur'ans were written on parchment in various types of angular scripts known collectively as Kufic. The earliest survi- ving .paper Qur'an is dated 36I/972 and is written in a
"semi-Kufic'; script. This Qur'an, and some undated Qur'ans which resemble it, represent a transitional pirare between the Kufic Qur'ans on parchmen (which precedecl them) and the paper Qur'ans in cursive icripts (which were to follow). The appearance of this new script certainly does not represent a stage in a trans- formation of 'oKufic" script into cursive script. It is by now a well estabtished fact that no such transformation ever took place. Cursive Arabic writing is at least as old as the lapidary "Kufic" style. Both styles followed parallel develópments, mutually influencing one another' The Qur'an script which gained general acceptance with the turn of the fourth century is the cursive style known as naskhi. The earliest surviving naskhi Qur'an is the Chester Beatty manuscript K. 16 which is OateA 391/1000-1. It is the work of 'Ali ibn Hilal,
t2
1 1
better known as Ibn al-Bawwab, who may rightly be called the most illustrious Arab calligrapher.
The Chester Beatty Qur'an, which is the subject of the p r e s e n t monograph, is also-as will be shown-the only extant work of Ibn al-Bawwab and the earliest fully illuminated Arabic manuscript to be discovered so far.
I am deeply grateful to Sir Chester Beatty for making the publication of this monograph possible. I am indebted to Messrs. Aziz Berker, Director-General of Libraries and Archives in Turkey ; Tahsin Ó2, then Director of the Topkapu Sarayi Museum ; Kemal Qi[, Director of the Topkapu Sarayi Library, Elif Naci, Director of the Tiirk ve Islam Eserleri Museum, and Fehmi Edhem Karatay, Director of the University Library, Istanbul, for the facilities granted to me during my visits to Turkey.
My thanks are also due to Professor E. Robertson, Director of the John Rylands Library, Manchester, M r . J . L e v e e n , K e e p e r o f O r i e n t a l P r i n t e d B o o k s a n d Manuscripts in the British Museunt, and Dr. A.F.L.
B e e s t o n , K e e p e r o f O r i e n t a l B o o k s a n d M a n u s c r i p t s i n t h e B o d l e i a n L i b r a r y , O x f o r d , f o r p e r m i s s i o n t o u s e manuscripts in their care.
I also wish to thank Professor A.J. Arberry, Dr. R.
E t t i n g h a u s e n , M r . G . M a k d i s i , P r o f e s s o r L . A . M a y e r , D r . S . M . S t e r n , a n d M r . J . V . S . W i l k i n s o n f o r r e a d i n g the manuscript in typescript and for valuable comments.
The photographs for the plates were in some cases taken under unfavourable conditions, and I am grateful to the collotypers for making the best of the material and in particular to Mr. WilÍied Merton for his personal supervision. I also wish to thank Mr. Charles Batey and his staff at the University Press, Oxford, for the beautifully and carefully set text.
D . S . R .
Little is known of the life of Abu-l-l'lasan 'Ali ibn Hilal' W e a r e i g n o r a n t o f w h e r e a n c l w h e n h e w a s b o r n , b u t h e l i v e c l m a i n l y a t B a g h d a d . H i s f a t h e r , H i l a l , h a d b e e n a d o o r k e e p e r ( b a w w a b ) a n d ' A l i became known as
" t h e Son of the Doorkeeper", I b n a l - B a w w a b , a n d s o m e - t i m e s a l s o a s l b n a s - S i t r i , w h i c h h a s t h e s a m e c o n n o - tation.
' A l i ibn Hilal began his career as a house-decorator (muzawwiq '(sawwara-'l-kurub) yusaww*ir ad-dur), then he illuminated books
and finally he took to calligraphy and i ' e x c e l l e d a l l t h o s e w h o h a < l p r e c e d e d h i m a n d c o n f o u n - d e d a l l t h o s e w h o c a m e a f t e r h i m ' l
H e a l s o u s e c l t o p r e a c h a t t h e M o s q u e o f a l - M a n s u r in B a g h d a d a n d w h e n t h e v i z i e r F a k h r a l - M u l k , A b u G h a l i b M u h a m m a d ib n K h a l a f a s s u m e d t h e g o v e r n o r - s h i p o f t h a t c i t y o n b e h a l f o f t h e B u w a y h i d s ( i n 401/
1 0 1 0 ) , h e m a c l e lb n a l - B a w w a b o n e o f h i s i n t i m a t e s ' A c c o i d i n g to ' A l i ibn Hilal's own statement h e w a s , fo r s o m e t i m i , i n c h a r g e o f t h e l i b r a r y o f t h e B u w a y h i d B a h a ' a d - c l a u l a i n S h i r a z . O Í ' I b n a l - B a w w a b ' s p e r s o n a l a p p e a r a n c e w e k n o w o n l y t h a t h e h a d a n u n u s u a l l y l o n g b e a r d .
He ctieO in Baghclad in 413/1022 and was buried near t h e t o m b o f A h m a d i b n H a n b a l . T h i s d a t e , p r o v i d e d b y a c o n t e m p o r a r y a u t h o r i t y , H i l a l i b n M u h a s s i n a s - SaUi (4. 448/1056) is to be preferred to the variant 4 n / À 3 1 f b u n d i n a l a t e r s o u r c e . A n e l e g y , o f w h i c h s o m e v e r s e s a r e p r e s e r v e d , w a s r e c i t e d b y h i s g r a v e b y the poet al-Murtada.
' A l i ibn FIilal is said to have known the Qur'an by h e a r t a n c l is r e p o r t e c l t o h a v e c o p i e d it s i x t y - fo u r t i m e s '
1 ^ 75
O n l y o n e o Í ' t h e s e c o p i e s - t h e C h e s t e r B e a t t y M S . K . l 6 - h a s so far come to light.
H e c o m p o s e d a n e p i s t l e o n p e n m a n s h i p ( o f w h i c h t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o n l y i s p r e s e r v e d ) a n d a l s o a d i d a c t i c p o e m o n t h e s a m e s u b j e c t . T h e l a t t e r is a v a i l a b l e i n s e v e r a l m a n u s c r i p t s a n d h a s b e e n i n c l u d e d in I b n K h a l d u n ' s M u q a c l c l i m a . T h o u g h h i g h l y v a l u e d b y I b n K h a l d u n , i t c o n l a i n s o n l y v a g u e g e n e r a l i t i e s a n d p r o v i d e s n o i n f o r - m a t i o n a b o u t I b n a l - B a w w a b ' s p e r s o n a l m e t h o d o f w r i t i n g .
H i s g r e a t a c c o n r p l i s h m e n t , a n d t h e o n e f o r w h i c h h e h a s r e m a i n e d fa m o u s , w a s t o h a v e p e r f e c t e d t h e s t y l e o f w r i t i n g i n t r o d u c e d , n e a r l y a c e n t u r y e a r l i e r , b y t h e c e l e b r a t e d v i z i e r a n d c a l l i g r a p h e r I b n M u q l a d i e d i n 3 2 8 / 9 3 9 . ( l b n M u q l a w a s th r i c e v i z i e r o f t h e ' A b b a s i d c a l i p h s . tI e i n c u r r e d t h e d i s p l e a s u r e o f t h e c a l i p h a r - R a d i w h o o r d e r e d h i s h a n d to b e c u t o Í 1 . U n d a u n t e d b y t h e m u t i l a t i o n . I b n M u q l a t i e d a c a l a m u s to h i s f o r e a r m a n d c o n t i n u e d to w r i t e . )
I b n M L r c l l a a n d I b r - r a l - l J a r ' v w a b a r c o Í i c r - r c r c d i t c d w i t l - t t h e i n v e n t i o r t o Í ' r t c w s c r i l r t s - i n c l u r d i n g s o n r c . s t t c h a s the muhaqqaq and ra.vhani, which were in use well b e Í b r e t h e i r ti m e . N e i t h e r o f t h e m in v e n t e d n e w s c r i p t s , b u t I b n M u q l a d e v i s e d a n e w n r e t h o d ( t a r i q a ) of writing w h i c h w a s la t e r p e r f e c t e d b y I b n a l - t s a w w a b . l b n M u q l a m a y b e a p t l y d e s c r i b e d a s t h e a r c h i t e c t o f t h e k h a f i a l - m a n s u b , t h e p r o p o r t i o n e d s c r i p t . B y t h i s r n e t h o d , e v e r y le t t e r w a s b r o u g h t in r e l a t i o n ( n i . s h a ) w i t h t h e Í ' i r s t l e Í Í e r a l i l ' , a n d t h e a l p h a b e t w a s ri g o r o u s l y s y s t e m a t i z e d . A n a l l u s i o n to t h e g e o m e t r i c q u a l i t y o f h i s s c r i p t m a y b e l b u r r d i r r t h c s t r f i n g r c c o r d c d b r . ' a t e n t h - c e n t u r y w r i t e r : " l b n M u q l a i s a p r o p h e t i n t h e Í l e l d o f w r i t i n g . I t w a s p o u r e d u p o n h i s h a n d , e v e n a s i t w a s r e v e a l e d t o t h e b e e s to m a k e t h e i r h o n e y - c e l l s h e x a g o n a l . "
I n t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n t o h i s t r a n s l a t i o n o f a f i Í l e e n t h - c e n - t u r y t r e a t i s c o n c a l l i g r a p h - v , p u b l i s h e d in 1 9 2 0 , E .
R o b e r t s o n h a s g i v e n a n e x c e l l e n t s u m m a r y o f t h i s d e v e l o p m e n t : I b n M u q l a " i n v e n t e d a new process of m e a s u r e m e n t b y d o t s . T h e o r e t i c a l l y t h e d o t w a s Íb r m e d b y p l a c i n g t h e p o i n t o f t h e p e n o n p a p e r . S u f f i c i e n t d o w n w a r d m o v e m e n t a n d p r e s s u r e w a s t h e n g i v e n t o open the pen to its full extent, after which it was p e r m i t t e d t o c l o s e a s e v e n l y a n d r a p i d l y . T h i s p r o d u c e d a s q u a r e o r r h o m b u s . . . H a v i n g i n t r o d u c e d th e p o i n t a s a u n i t o f m e a s u r e ( f o r this purpose t h e p o i n t s w e r e r e g a r c l e c l a s b e i n g p l a c e d v e r t e x t o v e r t e x ) , Ib n M u q l a m a d e s t r a i g h t th c K u Í ' i c ' A l i f ' , which had bcen bcnt r o u n d t o t h e r i g h t w i t h a c u r v e s i m i l a r t o t h a t o f a h o c k e y - s t i c k , a n d a d o p t e d it a s h i s s t a n d a r d o f m e a s u - r e m e n t . . . I b n M u q l a ' s n e x t s t e p w a s t o m o d i l y t h e i n c l i v i d u a l l e t t e r s . t a k e n fr o m t h e K u f i c , a n d b r i n g t h e m i n t o a c c o r d w i t h g e o m e t r i c Í ï g u r e s . B y t h i s m e a n s th e y w e r e e a s i l y m e a s u r e d , a n d e a c h l e t t e r w a s b r o u g h t into relation ship (rri.sha) to thc 'A
lil'. lf the letter was so s h a p e d a s t o f o r m a c i r c l e , Ío r i n s t a n c e , a s i n t h e c a s e o f R a , N u n , & c . , t h e n t h e d i a m e t e r o f t h e c i r c l e w a s 'AliÍ. antl so on".
N a b i a A b b o t t r e a c h e d t h e s a m e c o n c l u s i o n s i n d e p e n - d e n t l y , s o m e y e a r s la t e r , a n d h a s a t t e m p t e d a r e c o n s - t r u c t i o n o f t h e a l p h a b e t o f t h e k h a t t a l - m a n s u b i n a c c o r - c l a n c e w i t h t h e i n s t r u c t i o n s g i v e n by lbn Muqla himself and partially prcserved in the works of 'Abcl ar-Rahman a n d Qalqashandi.
I t i s t h i s k h a r Í a l - m a n s u b w h i c h I b n a l - B a w w a b p e r f e c t e d . I t w o u l d b e c l i f f i c u l t t o b e t t e r E . R o b e r t s o n ' s e s t i m a t e o f h i s c o n t r i b u t i o n : ' I b n Muqla no doubt beautified w r i t i n g , b u t t h e b c a u t y la y i n g e o m e t r i c d e s i g n a n d i n m a t h e m a t i c a l a c c u r a c y o f r e p r o d u c t i o n . l l i s w a s th e a r t o f t h e m e c h a n i c a l d r a u g h t s m a n . L e s s t h a n a c e n t u r y later it fell to Ibn al-Bawwab to supply the artistic e l e m e n t t h a t w a s l a c k i n g i n t h e k h a t t a l - m a n s u b o f I b n M u q l a . I b n a l - B a w w a b w a s a n a r t i s t w i t h a n a r t i s t ' s
7 6 1 1
e y e f o r t h e r h y t h m a n d m o v e m e n t th a t f i n d e x p r e s s i o n i n f l o w i n g li n e a n d g r a c e f u l c u r v e . A s A r a b w r i t e r s s a y , h e " w o v e o n t h e l o o m " o f I b n M u q l a , b u t h e w o v e a m a s t e r p i e c e o f h i s o w n . ' T h u s
h e c o u l d t r u t h Í i r l l y b e d e s c r i b e d a s " t h e a u t h o r o f t h e e l e g a n t m a n s u b w r i t i n g "
w i t h o u t r e q u i r i n g t o b e c o n f u s e d w i t h I b n M u q l a o r without detracting in any way from the latter's fame as an originator". No manuscript from the hand of Ibn M u q l a s e e m s t o h a v e c o m e d o w n t o u s , b u t w e p o s s e s s i n t h e C h e s t e r B e a t t y M S . K . l 6 a n e n t i r e Qur'an written b y I b n a l - B a w w a b .
In a short risala preserved, in what appears to be a u n i q u e m a n u s c r i p t . i n B e r l i n ( W e 1 6 7 , fo l l . 4 3 - 5 0 ) , a n a n o n y m o u s a u t h o r r e p l i e s to a n u m b e r o f q u e s t i o n s o n t h e s u b j e c t o f c a l l i g r a p h y . T h e d a t e o Í - t h e e p i s t l e , l i k e t h e n a m e o f t h e a u t h o r , i s u n k n o w n , b u t t h e c l a r i t y a n d s i m p l i c i t y o f i t s s t y l e a r e s i g n s o f a n t i q u i t y . T h e a u t h o r f i r s t e x p l a i n s th a t t h e k h a t t a l - m a n s u b i s a p r o p o r t i o n e d w r i t i n g w l " r i c h g i v e s as much pleasure t o t h e e y e ( a n d f o r t h e s a m e r e a s o n s ) a s h a r m o n i o u s m u s i c a l c o m p o s i t i o n g i v e s to the ear. The great power o f a t t r a c t i o n p o s s e s s e d b y t h e k h a t t a l - m a r s i l ó is d u e , according to him, to the fact that its letters are propor- t i o n e d i n a n a t u r a l m a n n e r , a s t h e p a r t s o f p l a n t s a n d l i m b s o f a n i m a l s a r e p r o p o r t i o n e d . P e r f e c t s c r i p t , h e says, cannot be obtained by "drawing the straight letters with a rule (mastara) nor the round ones with a compass (birkar)". The art of calligraphy is a rare gift, hence there is only one great caliigrapher to a generation (fol.
4 8 r . ) .
" l b n al-Ilawwab", t h e s a m e a u t h o r g o e s o n , " l t r u r - r d t h a t p e o p l e b e l o r e h i m h a d t r i e d t o r c f o r n t t h c K u Í - i c s c r i p t ( i , s l a h a l - k u . Í i J a n d tl , a t th e v h a d s o l l e n e d ( l i t . moistencd) t h e w r i t i n g . "
I b n a l - B a w w a b o b s e r v e d th a t t h e B a n u M u q l a h a d improved the tauqi'at and the naskh scripts, but had
lailed to attain his own degree of perfection (both t h e v i z i e r Ib n M u q l a a n d h i s b r o t h e r w e r e c a l l i g r a p h e r s of great renown. The khatt al-mansub is generally a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e v i z i c r ) . H e c o m p l e t e d th e i r w o r k . H e a l s o f o u n d t h a t h i s m a s t e r I b n A s a d w a s w r i t i n g p o e t r y in a na.skhi h a n d w h i c h a p p r o x i m a t c d t o t h e m u h a q q a q , ' h e p e r f e c t e d t h i s t o o . I b n a l - B a w w a b w r o t e a calligraphic hand (harrara) of the gold script (qalam
acth-dhahab) and improved and embellished the style
of the hawashi script (washsha burd al-hawashi wa-zay- yanahu). Then he became proficient in the thuluth and in the riqascripts and in the khaJ'iJ'ar-riqa. He excelled in the ra.yhan script and ennobled it. [{e gave distinction to Qur'anic scripts (mayyaza qalam sl-matn wal masahif) and also wrote the Kufic (foll. 48 v.-49 r.) The anony- mous writer concludes that Ibn al-Bawwab eclipsed the preceding generations of calligraphers because of the uniqueness of his talent and his versatility in a great n u m b e r o f s c r i p t s . L a t e r i m i t a t o r s o n l y s u c c e e d e d i n mastering one or two scripts (fol. 49 v.).
" A l i ibn Hilal was the pupil of Muhammad as-Simsi- m a n i a n d o f M u h a m m a d i b n A s a d w h o , i n t u r n , w e r e p u p i l s of Ibn Muqla. According to one account, h e w a s taught calligraphy by Ibn Muqla's daughter. Ibn al- Bawwab himself has related how he successfully imita- t e d I b n M u q l a ' s h a n c l . W h e n h e w a s i n c h a r g e o f Baha'ad-daula's library in Shiraz, he found twenty-nine
parts (ajza') of a Qur'an written by Ibn Muqla. They were scattered among other manuscripts in the library and clespite a prolonged and careful search he failed to locate the thirtieth, and last part, of the set. lJet reproa- c h e d B a h a ' a c l - d a u l a Í o r h a v i n g a l l o w e d t h e p r e c i o u s m a n u s c r i p t t o b e t r e a t e d s o c a r e l e s s l y , a n d t h e p r i n c e instructed him to write the missing part (iuz') and to i m i t a t e Ib n M u q l a ' s h a n d . T h i s I b n a l - B a w w a b t t n d e r - t o o k t o a c c o m p l i s h a n d B a h a ' a d - d a u l a w a s to g i v e h i m
7 8 7 9
o n e h u n d r e d d i n a r s a n d a r o b e o Í ' h o n o u r i f h e f a i l e d to detect the forged.ia;."
Ibn al-Bawwab immediately wrote the missing part of t h e Qur'an, but nearly a year elapsed b e f o r e B a h a ' a d - d a u l a r e m e m b e r e d t h e i n c i d e n t . H e i n q u i r e d w h e t h e r Ibn al-Bawwab had fulfilled his promise and was shown the complete Qur'an manuscript in thirty parts. Baha' ad-daula carefully examined every iuz'but was unable to point out the one written by Ibn al-Bawwab. He kept the set and did not return it to the library but showed no haste in fulfilling his part of the bargain. Tired of waiting for his reward, Ibn al-Bawwab linally asked p e r m i s s i o n t o h e l p h i m s e l Í ' t o th e c u t s h e e t s o f C h i n e s e p a p e r which were kept in the library. This request w a s g r a n t e d and the proceeds kept him in paper-a very p r e c i o u s c o m m o d i t y in t h e t e n t h c e n t u r y - f o r a n u m b e r o f y e a r s .
The circumstantial account given by lbn al-Bawwab of h o w h e p r o d u c e d a p e r f e c t im i t a t i o n o f I b n M u q l a ' s writing deserves to be translate d in full. "l went to the l i b r a r y " , h e r e l a t e s , " a n d searched a m o n g t h e o l d p a p e r f o r a p a p e r re s e m b l i n g t h a t o f t h e Qur'an. There were several sorts of old Samarqand and China paper in the library ; very fine and admirable papers. I took what s u i t e d m e a n d w r o t e o u t t h e m i s s i n g .juz'! Then I i l l u m i n a t e d i t a n d g a v e th e g o l d a n a n t i q u e a p p e a r a n c e . T h e n I r e m o v e d th e b i n d i n g o f o n e o f t h e p a r t s a n d b o u n d th e p a r t w h i c h I h a d w r i t t e n in i t . F i n a l l y , l m a d e a n e w b i n d i n g f o r t h e g e n u i n e v o l u m e a n d m a d e i t a p p e a r o l d " . T h e a n e c d o t e s h o w s n o t o n l y t h a t l b n a l - B a w w a b c o u l d , i f h e w i s h e d , p r o d u c e a c o n v i n c i n g i m i t a t i o n o f I b n M u q l a ' s h a n d , b u t a l s o t h a t h e w a s a n i l l u m i n a t o r a n d b o o k b i n c l e r a s w e l l a s a c a l l i g r a p h e r . I b n a l - B a w w a b d o e s n o t s e e m t o h a v e e n j o y e d in h i s l i f e t i m e t h e g r e a t e s t e e m in w h i c h h i s w o r k w a s h e l d a f t e r h i s d e a t h . T h e g e o g r a p h e r a n d h i s t o r i a n Y a q u t
(d. A.D. 7229) records that he had seen a long petttton written by Ibn al-Bawwab, seeking help for a friend and payment of the paltry sum of two dinars which the a d d r e s s e e h a d p r o m i s e d . T h e i m p l i c a t i o n i s c l e a r : t h a t i f I b n a l - B a w w a b h a d b e e n w e a l t h y h e n e e d n o t h a v e b o t h e r e d to a s k f o r s u c h a s m a l l s u m o r , a l t e r n a t i v e l y , t h a t h e w o u l d h a v e d o n e s o i n a s h o r t n o t e , n o t i n a s e v e n t y - l i n e - l o n g p e t i t i o n . T h i s s a m e p e t i t i o n , a l w a y s according to Yaqut, was later sold for seventeen dinars, a s a c a l l i g r a p h i c s p e c i m e n , a n d a g a i n , o n a s e c o n d o c c a s i o n . f o r a s m u c h a s t w e n t y - f i v e d i n a r s .
E x a m p l e s o f I b n a l - B a w w a b ' s w r i t i n g b e c a m e r a r e a t an early date and connoisseurs paid high prices Íbr then-r.
A scribe callecl Muhammad ibn Ahmad al Barfati was s u c h a c o n n o i s s c u r . A t h i s d e a t h i n 6 2 5 / 1 2 2 7 , h e l e f t m o r c than twenty pieces (qir'a) in Ibn al-Bawwab's hand "more t h a n a n y s c r i b e o f t h a t t i m e h a d b e e n a b l e to a s s e m b l e " . Al-Barfati started his career as a schoolmaster and rose t o b e c o m e a c a l l i g r a p h e r ( m u h a r r i r ) . H e h a d a n a l m o s t r e l i g i o u s v e n e r a t i o n f o r I b n a l - B a w w a b a n d w a s w i l l i n g t o p a y e x o r b i t a n t p r i c e s f o r h i s w r i t i n g . Y a q u t , w h o k n e w a l - B a r f a t i p e r s o n a l l y a n d w h o h a d s e e n h i s c o l l e c - t i o n . h a s r e c o r d e d h o w t h i s e n t h u s i a s t i c c o l l e c t o r h a d c o m e b y o n e o f t h e s p e c i m e n s . " l heard", said al- B a r f a t i , " t h a t a certain man, a schoolmaster i n o n e o f the quaters of Baghdad, had many clippings Qazzaz) w h i c h h e h a d i n h e r i t e d fr o m h i s f a t h e r . It o c c u r r e d to m e t h a t h e m i g h t h a v e s o m e t h i n g in t h e Í ï n e s c r i p t s (at-khLttut al-mansuba). I called on him and said : "l s h o u l d l i k e y o u t o s h o w m e w h a t y o u r f a t h e r h a s l e f t y o u , as I might be interested t o a c q u i r e s o m e o f i t . " H e t o o k m e t o a n u p p e r r o o m a n d I s a t d o w n t o s e a r c h until I founcl a sheet (waraqa) in the hand of Ibn al- Bawwab in the riqa script... I added to this leaf some t h i n g s w h i c h I c l i c l n o t r e a l l y w a n t a n d s a i d : " H o w
m r , r c h f b r t h i s ? " 8 l
80
" S i r ! " he said. "ls there nothing in all this that would s u i t y o u ? "
" l am in a hurry", I replied, "perhaps I shall return to y o u on another occasion".
" W h a t you have selected", h e w c n t o n , " i s of no value.
T a k e i t a s a g i l t f r o m m e ! "
" T h i s I will not do", I retorted, and I gave him some piece of clipping (qurada) which was worth half a daniq ( t h e smallest c o i n ) a n d t h i s h e c o n s i d e r e d t o b e e x c e s - s iv e .
" Y o u have taken nothing tl-rat d e s e r v e s t h i s a m o u n t , S i r , t a k e s o m e t h i n g e l s e w i t h i t " , h e i n s i s t e d . B u t I r e p l i e d t h a t I r e q u i r e d n o t h i n g e i s e a n d t o o k m y l e a v e . W h e n I c l e s c e n c l e d t o t h e g r o u n d Íl o o r , I f e l t a s h a m e d a n d s a i d t o m y s e l f : " T h e r e i s n o d o u b t t h a t t h e m a n h a d n o i d e a o f t h e v a l u e o f w h a t h e w a s s e l l i n g m e ; b y G o d l i t w i l l n e v e r d o t o a c q u i r e Ib n a l - B a w w a b ' s w r i t i n g b y a n a c t o l - d i s h o n e s t y . " S o I r e t u r n e d to t h e m a n a n d s a i d t o h i m : " M y brother! This leal- is in the hand of Ibn a l - B a w w a b . "
" W h a t can I do if it is in the hand ol the 'Doorkeeper's S o n ' ? " h e r e p l i e c l .
"It is worth three imanti dinars ", I told him.
" P l e a s e c l o n o t j o k e " , w a s h i s r e p l y . " C o u l d it bc that y o u wish to return it or find it too expensive?"
" N o ! " I said, "bring a pair of scalesl" IJe brought them a n c l I w e i g h e d o u t t h r e e d i n a r s a n d s a i d : " D o you w i s h t o s e l l m e t h i s p a p e r fb r t h a t a m o u n t ? " H e a n s - w e r e d in t h e a Í ï i r m a t i v e a n c l I t o o k t h e p a p e r a n d w e n t o n m y w a y . '
I b n a l - B a w w a b ' s m e t h o d ( t a r i q c t ) o f w r i t i n g Í o u n d m a n y i m i t a t o r s i n c l u d i n g s o l r e w o n l e n . O n e w a s F a t i m a b i n t a l - l l a s a n i b n " A l i a l - ' A t t a r k n o w n a s B i n t a l - A q r a "
í d . 4 8 0 / 1 0 8 7 ) w h o w a s c o m t n i s s i o n e d t o m a k e a c o p y o f t h e A b b a s i d - B y z a n t i n e t r u c e a g r e e m e n t , a n d w h o a l s o w o r k e d fo r t h e S e l . j u q v i z i e r a l - K u n d u r i . [I c r t e a -
8 2 8 3
c h e r w a s N l u h a n t n r a d i b n ' A b d a l - M a l i k w h o h a d b e e n a p u p i l o Í ' l b n a l - B a w w a b .
A n o t h e r f a m o u s f o l l o w e r o f I b n a l - l l a w w a b ' s Í o r i q o w a s th e h i s t o r i a n o f A l e p p o K a m a l a d - d i n lb n a l - ' A c l i m ( d . 660/1262). I l e w a s a p r e c o c i o u s c h i l d a n d w h e n h e ieached the age of seven his teacher predicted that he would become a great calligrapher. [{is wealthy father, though not skilled at the craft hirnself, had a g o o d k n o w l e d g e o f t h e r u l e s a n d a f i n e c o l l e c t i o n o f s p e c i m e n s w h i c h i n c l u d e d s a m p l e s o f I b n a l - B a w w a b ' s w r i t i n g . T h e s e K a m a l a d - d i n c o p i e d . H e a l s o m e t a l - Barfati, the enthusiastic collector of Ibn al-Bawwab's c a l l i g r a p h y m e n t i o n e d a b o v e , w h e n t h e l a t t e r p a s s e d t h r o u g h A l e p p o . K a m a l a l - d i n is s a i d to h a v e a c q u i r e d a s h e e t in t h e m a s i e r ' s h a n d f o r w h i c h l - r e p a i d o n l y forty clirhans. He macle a copy of it which he gave t o a b o o k s e l l e r w h o s o l d i t f o r s i x t y d i r h a m s a s a g e n u i n e lb n a l - l l a w w a b s p e c i m e n . A u t o g r a p h n r a n u - i c r i p t s o f K a n r a l a c l - c l i n h a v c s t t r v i v e d t r n d , n r a k i n g d u e a l l o w a n c e f o r t h e i r b e i n g i n a n o r c l i n a r y b o o k h a n d , it i s e a s y t o s e e t h a t h e h a d b e e n s t r o n g l y in f l u e n c e d b y l b n a l - B a w w a b ' s e x a m p l e .
A n o t h e r i m i t a t o r , N Í u b a r a k i b n a l - M u b a r a k A b u T a l i b a l - I ( a r k h i (d . 5 8 5 / 1 1 8 9 ) , r e q u i r e s s p e c i a l m e n t i o n f o r h e i s s a i d t o h a v e e x c e l l e r J I b n a l - B a w w a b h i m s e l f . e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e t h u l u t h s c r i p t . [ ] e w a s a n l i s e r , a n d i n o r d e r t o p r e v e n t p e o p l e fr o m s e l l i n g h i s l e l t e r s , h e r n a d e a h a b i t o f i n t e n t i o n a l l y b r e a k i n g th e n i b o 1 ' h i s c a l a r n u s w h e n h e a t t e n d e d to h i s r o u l i n c c o r r c s p o n - c l e n c c . t h u s r e n d e r i n g t h e b u l k o Í ' h i s w r i t i n g v a l u e l e s s a s w o r k s o f a r t . S p e c i m e n s o f h i s w o r k w e r e a l r e a d y r a r e i n t h e t h i r t e e n t h c e n t u r y a n d t l o n e , a s Í a r a s I a n t aware, are extant t-tow.
A b u - l - F l a s a n ' A l a ad-clin 'Ali ibn Talha ar-Razi al- B a q a s h i a n ( b o r n i n B a g h d a d 5 1 5 / 1 1 2 1 , d i e d i n C a i r o 5 9 9 / 1 2 0 2 ) a l s o l o l l o w e d I b n a l - B a w w a b ' s m e t h o d a n d
was particularly famous Íbr his Qur'an scri;tt (qalam al- t n a s a h i / ) . O t h e r s w e r c a d - F - a d l i b n ' U m a r i b n M a n s u r i b n ' A l i b e t t e r k n o w n a s I b n a r - R a ' i d (d . 6 3 3 / 1 2 1 2 - 1 3 ) a n c l Y a q u t a r - R u m i o f M o s u l ( d . 6 1 8 / l2 2 l - 2 ) . T h e l a t t e r m u s t n o t b e c o n Í u s e d w i t h h i s i l l u s t r i o u s n a m e s a k e Yaqut ar-Rumi al-Musta'simi who lived under the last Abbasid caliph in Baghdad and died in 698/1298.
It is Yaqut al-Musta'simi whose fame finally eclipsed even that of Ibn Muqla and lbn al-Bawwab and who b e c a m e k n o w n a s " T h e
Q i b l a o f C a l l i g r a p h e r s " ; " T h e Sultan of Calligraphers' (qiblat al-kuttab, sultan al- kuttab).It is Yaqut's writing, thin and delicate and traced with an obliquely cut nib, that future generations of calligraphers strove to imitate. He is credited with having made 1,001 copies of the Qur'an-a figur,e which i s c e r t a i n l y f a n c i f u l . T h e r c e x i s t a n u m b e r o f m a n u - s c r i p t s a s c r i b e d t o Y a q u t i n v a r i o u s Ii b r a r i e s b u t n l a n y a r e p a l p a b l y s p u r i o u s .
For two centuries, however, beÍbre Yaqut's tariqa b e c a m e fa s h i o n a b l e , t h e m o s t c e l e b r a t e d m e t h o d o Í w r i t i n g w a s i n c o n t e s t a b l y t h a t o f I b n a l - B a w w a b , w h o h a d e m b e l l i s h e c l a n c l p e r f e c t e d t h e p r o p o r t i o n e d s c r i p t d e v i s e d b y I b n M u q l a .
T h e C h e s t e r t s e a t t y M S . K . 1 6 i s a s m a l l v o l u m e o l 2 8 6 f o l i o s m e a s u r i n g 1 7 . 5 x 1 3 . 5 c m . T h e w r i t t e n s u r f a c e m e a s u r e s 1 3 . 5 x 9 . 0 c m . a n d t h e r e a r e l 5 l i n e s t o e a c h p a g e . T h e Í l r s t s i x f o l i o s o f w h i t e , h i g h l y p o l i s h e c l p a p e r are a later addition. They contain a b i o g r a p h i c a l n o t e o n l b n a l - B a w w a b i n P e r s i a n , b o r - r o w e c l fr o m I b n K h a l l i k a n ' s b i o g r a p h i c a l d i c t i o n a r y . T h e Qur'an proper, together with its ornamental pages a n c l ta b l e s , w h i c h a r e c o n t e m p o r a r y , c o v e r s fo l l . 6 v ' - 84
8 5 2 8 6 r . T h e c o l o p h o n i n d i c a t e s th a t i t w a s w r i t t e n b y
' A l i ibn Hilal in Baghdad in the year 391/1000-1 ( f o l . 2 8 4 r . ) .
T h e p a p e r o Í - th e m a n u s c r i p t is o Í ' m e d i u m t h i c k n e s s a n c l f i r m . l n t h e c o u r s e o f t i r n e it h a s a c q u i r e d a m e l l o w b r o w n t i n t w h i c h i s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f m a n u s c r i p t s o Í ' t h a t p e r i o d . T h e d a r k b r o w n i n k h a s p r o d u c e d o h a l o s "
r o u n c l th e s c r i p t in t h e p l a c e s w h e r e i t h a s i n f i l t r a t e d a l o n g th e t i s s u e . T h e b i n d i n g is E u r o p e a n a n d m o d e r n . T h e b a c k o f t h e m a n u s c r i p t w a s c u t b y t h e b i n d e r a n d i t i s n o l o n g e r p o s s i b t e t o d e t e r m i n e h o w t h e c o d e x w a s o r i g i n a l l y m a d e u p . B e f o r e th e m a n u s c r i p t r e a c h e d t h e C h e s t e r B e a t t y L i b r a r y , it s m a r g i n s w e r e u n f o r t u n a - t e l y t r i m m e d . T h i s c a u s e c l t h e l o s s o l ' s o m e p a r t s o Í ' t h e m a r g i n a l o r n a m e n t s . O t h e r w i s e , h o w e v e r , t h i s v a l u a b l e m a n u s c r i p t h a s s u Í f e r e d p r a c t i c a l l y n o d a m a g e a t t r i b u t a b l e to f u n g i , n i l d e w , " Í b x i n g " , &c., and is r e m a r k a b l y w e l l p r e s e r v e d f o r i t s g r e a t a g e .
O n l y o n e o Í ' t h e p r e v i o u s o w n e r s o f t h e v o l u m c h a s recordecl his name ancl a date-Khushraqmkhan Gujrati, I 1 5 5 / 1 7 4 1 . Í l e d i d s o w i t h l i t t l e r e s p e c t f o r I b n a l - B a w w a b ' s b e a u t i f u l l y b a l a n c e d a n d d e l i c a t e l y o r n a - m e n t e d fi n a l p a g e (Í b l . 2 8 4 r . ) .
T h e Qur'an is written in a regular bold naskhi hand.
T h e l e t t e r s a r e c l o s e l y s e t a n d t h e i n t e r v a l s b e t w e e n t h e w o r c l s a n d l i n e s a r e r e d u c e d t o a m i n i m u m w i t h o u t any loss of clarity. Clarity and unostentatious virtuosity a r e in c l e e d t h e o u t s t a n d i n g Í e a t u r e s o f t h i s m a s t e r p i e c e . T h e s c r i p t h a s a l l t h e q u a l i t i e s w h i c h I b n a l - B a w w a b ' s contemporary, the fastidious Abu Hayyan at-Tauhidi ( d i e c l a f t e r A . D . 1 0 0 9 - 1 0 ) , e n u m e r a t e s a s t h e r e q u i s i t e s of fine writing. The letters are accurately arranged so that they look "as if they smiled and showed front teeth"' The letters ha, kha, .iim are well balanced against the o t h e r s s o t h a t " t h e y are like wicle open eye-balls'l T h e letters waw-, ./a, qa.Í', &c., are rounded in an elegant
Íashion ancl the letters 'ayn and ghayn have clearly clefinecl loops. l'he nun and ya in the words min, 'a[a, 'an, maÍa, ila are brought out "as iÍ- they are woven upon a single loom". The letters sad, dod, kaf, taand za a r c w e l l p r o p o r t i o n e d a n d i n p e r l e c t e q u i l i b r i u m w i t h t h e r e s t , F i n a l l y , th e l i n e s o 1 ' t h e s c r i p r t a r e m e t i c u l o u s l y s t r a i g h t in t h e b e g i n n i n g , m i d d l e , a n d e n d . T h i s i s particularly remarkable as therc are no traces of blind- t o o l e c l l i n e s in t h i s m a n u s c r i p t , s u c h a s w e r e d r a w n b y l a t e r c a l l i g r a p h e r s t o g u i d c t h e i r h a n d "
T t r e r e g u l a r i t y o f ' t h e l e t t e r s a n c l th e i r r e l a t i o n t o t h e a l i Í ' a r e r i s t r i k i n g c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h i s s c r i p t . It m a y p e r h a p s b e d e s c r i b e c l a s a n a s k h i s c r i p t in f l u e n c e d b y
" p r o p o r t i o n e d w r i t i n g " . D e s p i t e t h e r e g u l a l i t y o f t h e l e t t e r s th e r e i s n o t h i n g c l r i l y m e c h a n i c a l a b o u t t h e m a n d t h a t , s u r e l y , w a s t h e e s s e n c e o f i b n a l - B a w w a b ' s s t i m u l a - t i n g c o n t r i b u t i o n to t h e a r t o Í - c a l l i g r a p h y . I I e a c h i e v e c l a g r a c e f u l l y íl o w i n g s c r i p t w h i l e p r e s e r v i n g a s y s t e m a t i z e d a n d p r o p o r t i o n e d a l p h a b e t " l t l o o k s c a s y t o i m i t a l e a n d y e 1 d e l i c c i im i t a t i o n .
l b n a l - B a w w a b m a c i e n c u s e o Í " a r t i f i c i a l l y l e n g t h e n e d letters (ditarabiles) wirich are so common in Kufic Q u r ' a n s w i t h o n e e x c e p t i o n : t h e s l n i n t h e b a s m r t l a h a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f e a c h s a r a w h i c h h e s t r e t c h e d f o r o v e r l r a f Í a l i n c . l l i s k n u w t t th a l h c l h v o u r e d t' , r ' { t l Q n r t r ' s r , v h o s e n i b h a c l b e e n c u l a b s o l u l e l i , s t r a i g h t . Il y t h i s r l e a n s h e o b t a i n e d s t r o k e s o f u n v a r y i n g w i d t h , a q u a l i t y w h i c h i s w e l l i l h - r s t r a t e d b y i h e C h e s t c r B e a t t y Qur'an.
T w o c e n t u r i e s l a t e r . a n o l h e r Í a n r o u s c a l l i g r a p h e r "
Y a c l u t , c u t t h e n i b o f h i s c s l o n t u s o b l i q u e l y . A s a r e s u h h i s s c r i p t r v a s l h i n i n p l a c e s a n c i t h i c k e r i n others, and was cJeemecl to be more elegant. It certainl-v d i c l n o r p o s s e s s t h e a l m o s t la p i d a r y q u a " l i t y , t h e v i g o u r a n d m a t u r e c h a r m o í - Ib n a l - B a w w a b ' s h a n d .
ï ' h e t e x i o f t h e Qur'an, as might be expected towarcls t h e e n d o f t h e f o u r t h I s l a m i c c e n t u r y , i s w r i t l e n i n
B6 8 7
scriptio plena antl Í'ully vocalized. The vowels and c o n s o n a n t s a r e w r i t t e n t h r o u g h o u t i n t h e s a m e i n k . The unpointed letters (muhmala), ha, sad, 'ayn are n e a r l y a l w a y s d i s t i n g u i s h e d b y s m a l l le t t e r s w h i c h a r e w r i t t e n u n d e r t h e m : the sin and ra by an inverted c i r c u m Í l e x a b o v e t h e m .
O t h e r s c r i p t s a r e a l s o u s e d in t h i s c o d e x : ( i , t a t y p e o Í ' t h u l u t h f b r t h e í - i r s t t w o s t r r u h e a d i n g s ( f b l . 9 v.). and o n t h e Í - i r s t 1 w o d o u b l e p a g e s ( Í o l l . 6 v . - 8 r. ) l ( i i ) a g o l d r o u n c l s c r i p t l b r t h e r e m a i n i n g s u r a g e a d i n g s a n d t o i n d i c a t e t h e c l i v i s i o n o Í ' t h e te x t in t o th i r t y a r t d s í x Í y a i z a ' , (rlalan adlt-tthahab?) ; (iir) one variety of "semi-KuÍic"
i n t h e r o u n d e l s w h i c h m a r k e v e r l ' te n t h v e r s e a n d t h e . s a . j t l a s , ' ( i v ) a n o t h e r v a r i e t y o f " s e m i - K u f i c " Íor thc a l p h a b e t i n t h c t a b l e s o n Í b l l . 2 8 5 v . - 2 8 6 r . a n d , ( v ) a c o n t r a c t e d s c r i p t ( p c r h a ; t s r i t l a ) i n t h c o b l o n g n a r r o w c o m p a r t m e n t s o Í ' t h c s a m e ta b l e s .
N o i n t e r v a l s a r c l e Í l b e t w c c n th e i n c l i v i d u i i l v e r s e s . b t t t t h r e e d o t s , d i s p o s e d i n a t r i a n g l e , n t a r k th e e n d o í ' e a c h . S n r a l l s p a c e s a r c l e Í - t a l t e r e a c h f i l l h a n d e a c h t e n t h versc. The Íornter are marked by a gilt ltharni.sa-ntlark ; a Í ' i n a l i i a ( w l t o s c n u n r e r i c a l v a l u c c o r r e s p o n d s t o l - i v e ) , a n d e a c h t e n t h v c r s e b - v - a n ' a s h i r a - m a r k , a s r n a l i r o u n d e l e n c l o s i n g a K u l - i c l e t t e r w h o s e v a l u e c o r r e s - p o n d s to thc appropriate d e c i m a l ; .t,a lbr ten, ko./'['or t w e n t y , & c "
T h c r e a r e t w o c o r r c c t i o n s in t h e t e x t a n d b o t h a r e c c r t a i n l y c l u e t o t h e c a l l i g r a p h e r h i m s e l f . T h e Í ' i r s t o c c u r s o n Í o l " 4 0 i . i n s u r t t Il l . v e r s e 1 4 8 . I l e r e lb n a l - B : i w w a b m u s t h a v e m a c l e a m i s t a k e w h i c h h e d i d n o 1 n o t i c c b e Í b r e h e h a d t u r n e d t h e l e a f a n d s t a r t c c l t o w r i t e o n t h e v e r s o . T h e m i s t a k e i n a l i p r o b a b i l i t y c o n s i s - t e d o f t h e r c p c t i t i o n o f t h e v e r s e . I t w a s in l p o s s i b l e t o e r a s e t h e s c r i p t w i t h o u t d a m a g e t o t h c p a p e r . I l e t h e r e - Í b r c c h o s e to c o v e r th e r e d u n c l a n t l i n e s w i t h a n o p a c l u e o r n a m e n t a l b a n c l w h i c h e f ï c c t i v e l y c o n c e a l c d th e r n .
T h i s o r n a m e n t a l b a n d i s Í ' i l l e d w i t h a s c r o l l d e s i g n c o n s i s t i n g o Í ' f i v e l a r g e l e a v e s p a i n t e d i n g o l d o n a s e p i a - t i n t è c l , g i l t g r o u n d . I n t h e c o u r s e o f t i m e t h e p i g m e n t h a s w o r n t h i n i n s o m e p l a c e s a n d th e h i c l d e n i i n e s c u n n o w b e s e e n . T h i s o r n a m e n t a l b a n d i s d o u b t - l e s s t h e w o r k o f l b n a l - B a w w a b a n d i s i n k e e p i n g w i t h o t h e r g i l t o r n a m e n t a l b a n d s i n t h e s a m e m a n u s c r i p t ( s e e b e l o r i , p . 1 8 ) . H a v i n g m a c l e th i s o b l i t e r a t i o n th e è a l l i g r a p h e i l n s e r t e d a f e w w o r c l s in t h e n r a r g i n s o f Íhe iecto and t,erso of fol. 40, in order to con-rplete the t e x t o f v e r s e 1 4 8 .
T h e s e c o n c l c o r r e c t i o n is Í b u n d o n Í b l . 1 3 7 v . w h e r e Ibn al-Bawwab hacl omittecl the 100th versc ol- 'vttro X V l l a l t o g e t h e r . H e c o r r e c t e d t h e o m i s s i o n b y i n s e r - ting a rosètte in the space originally reserved fbr an
' o í h i r o - * u r k , then adding the missing verse in the margin, he Íiarnecl it in a tabula ansata. That this c o r r è c t i o n i s c o n t e m p o r a r y w i t h t h e i l l u m i n a t i o r - r o l - th e m a n u s c r i p t i s c l e a r . O n l y t h e i l l u n i i n a t o r c o u l d h a v e u s e c l th e s p a c e r c s e v e c l l b r t h e ' a s h i r a - m a t k Í b r t h e insertion oi' a rosette ancl a reference to the marginal a d d i t i o n .
T h e C h e s t e r B e a t t y Qur'an is clearly the work of one p e r s o n . T h e t e x t i s t h r o u g h o u t w r i t t e n i n t h e s a m e i i r m , r e g u l a r h a n c i a n c l u t t e r l y d e v o i d o Í ' p e d a n t r y a n d o s t e n t a t i o u s d i s p l a y . T h e s a m e a p p l i c s to t h e l a s t p a g e o f t h e t e x t w h i c h c o n t a i n s th e e u l o g y a n d c o l o p h o n ( f o l . 284 r.). That no attempt was madc to give special p r o m i n e n c e t o t h e n a m e o f t h e c a l l i g r a p h e r i s a s i g n o f t h e c o l o p h o n ' s a u t h e n t i c i t y . ( B y contrast, c x a g g e r a - t e c l e m p h a s i s o n t h e n a m e o f t h e c a l l i g r a p h e r a n d c o n s p i c u o u s , l a v i s h l y d e c o r a t e d c o l o p h o n s in s o m c m a n u s c r i p t s a t t r i b u t e d t o Y a q u t a l - M u s t a ' s i m i in d i c a t e t h a t t h e y a r e f o r g e r i e s . )
T h e e u l o g y in c l u c l e s a r e Í è r e n c e t o " T h e P u r e F a m i l y o í ' t h e P r o p h e t " ( ' i t r a l u h u a l - t a h i r u n ) a n r J i n d i c a t e s
8 8 8 9
t h a t I b n a l - B a w w a b s h a r c d t h e S h i ' i t e p e r s u a s i o n o f h i s p a t r o n s , t h e B u w a y h i c l s . S o d o e s t h e r e Í è r e n c e t o l A l i a s a m i r a l - m u ' m i n i n a n d t h e u s e o f t h e Í b r m u l a a s - s a l a m ' a l a y h i ( i n s t e a d of radiya allah'dnhu) in the v e r s e - c o u n t a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e m a n u s c r i p t . The text of the colophon proper reads :
" H a s written this-complete ( Q u r ' a n ) ' A l i i b n H i l ( a ) l i n M a d i n a t a s - S a l ( a ) m ( B a g h d a d ) i n t h c vear 391(1000-l) g i v i n g p r a i s e t o G o d , m a y H e b e e x a l t e d , f o r H i s b e n e - Íàctions, praying upon His Prophet, Muhammad, and upon his family and begging forgiveness for his own s i n s . "
The illumination of the Chester Beatty Qur'an is no less remarkable than its calligraphy and is, almost c e r t a i n l y , a l s o th e w o r k o f I b n a l - B a w w a b . ' A l i i b n H i l a l was skilled in both arts reference has already been made to an ornamental band in the text which can only have been inserted by lbn al-Bawwab, and to a maiginal correction which must also be his work' Further confirmation of his authorship of the illumina- tion can be derived from a curious detail in the marginal rlëcor. Each sura-heading in this codex is marked in the margin by a large coloured palmette with black and blue outlines. These contours are drawn with the calamus, not with the brush, as is the remainder of the palmettes. In two places (sura LXXY ' fol' 268 v' and sura LXXVI, fol. 269 r.)-obviously owing to an o v e r s i g h t - t h e i l l u m i n a t o r d i d n o t u s e b l u e p i g m e n t f o r t h é c o n t o u r s b u t t h e b r o w n i n k w h i c h h a d b e e n u s e d f o r t h e t e x t . S u c h a m i s t a k e c o u l d o c c u r o n l y i f i l l u m i n a t o r a n d c a l l i g r a p h e r w e r e o n e p e r s o n .
T h e i l l u m i n a t i o n s c a n b e d i v i d e d in t o t h r e e c a t e g o r i e s : ( i ) f u l l - p a g e o r n a m e n t s , ( i i ) m a r g i n a l o r n a m e n t s c o n s i s - iing of sura-palmettes, verse marks and sa.idas, and (iii) ornamental bands. in the first two suras, on the last page, and on fol. 40 r.
There are Íive pairs of fully decorated pages, three d o u b l e p a g e s a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e m a n u s c r i p t a n d two at the end. Two pairs oÍ'pages contain only orna- ments, the others both ornaments and script. The layout of the designs and their relation to each other show that they were planned as an ensemble and e x e c u t e d a c c o r d i n g t o a p r e - a r r a n g e d s c h e m e .
The manuscript opens with two decorative, rectangular p a n e l s ( f o l l . 6 v.-7 r.) which are divided into seven sections each. The grounds of these sections ztre tintcd in different colours. The central section in each panel has a black ground and the remaining six are alterna- t e l y b l u e o r c o v e r e d w i t h a n a l m o s t im p e r c e p t i b l e , f a i n t , c r i s s - c r o s s h a t c h i n g o f l i g h t s e p i a li n e s . T h e s c r i p t i s alternately gold (with thin black outlines; and reserved in white (with gold contours). Winding scrolls with delicate palmettes, half-palmettes, and leaves, fill the g r o u n d of each section behind the script. These scrolls (see an example p. 29) stern from the lower Í'rames ol the sections and are treated individually. They are co- l o u r e d b r o w n i n t h e c e n t r a l s e c t i o n s w h i c h h a v e b l a c k b a c k g r o u n d s , s e p i a a n d s e p i a , e d g e d in w h i t e , i n t h e o t h e r s . In a l l b u t t h e c e n t r a l s e c t i o n s , t h e o r n a m e n t i s l i g h t e n e d b y a p r o f u s i o n o f w h i t e d o t s , g r o u p e d in t h r e e s in t h e f o r m o f t r i a n g l e s , a n d d i s t r i b u t e d ir r e g u - larly over the backgrounds. Two palmetles in the r n a r g i n s - v e r y s i m i i a r t o t h o s e w h i c h a c c o m p a n y th e sura headings-are attached to the long siclcs of the g i 1 1 , interiaced, frames which enclose the full-page o r n a m e n t s .
T h e t e x t c o n v e y s t h e i n Í b r m a t i o n t h a l t h e Qur'an consists of I 14 suras, 6,236 ayas made up oï l1 ,460 w o r d s , o r 3 2 l , 2 5 0 l e t t e r s a n d i 5 6 , 0 5 i p o i n t s .
T h e d o u b l e p a g e s w h i c h f o l i o w ( f o l i . 7 v . - B r . ) a r e a l s o f u i l y d e c o r a t e d . T w o r e c t a n g u l a r f r a m e s a r e d i v i d e d by an interlacecl design into large anci small octagons
ancl other geometrical compartments. The large octa- g o n s h a v e g i l t b a c k g r o u n d s d e c o r a t e d w i t h i n c l i v i d u a l l y treated floral sprays and white-edged, gilt inscriptions.
T h e s m a l l o c t a g o n s e n c l o s e s i n g l e l o t u s f l o w e r s i n g r a d u a t e d ti n t s o f ' s e p i a , o n b l u e g r o u n d s l i g h t e n e d í i t h * h i t e d o t s . O b l o n g c o m p a r t m e n t s a r e d i s p o s e c l i n c r u c i f o r m f a s h i o n r o u n d t h e s m a l l o c t a g o n s . T h e o b l o n g c o m p a r t m e n t s e n c l o s e e l o n g a t e d Íl o r a l o r n a - m e n t s p a i n t e c l i n a r e d c l i s h . w t r i t e - e c l g e d s e p i a on gold g r o u n d s . T h e t e x t i n t h e l a r g e o c t a g o n s c o m p l e t e s t h e v e r s e c o u n t o n t h e p r e c e d i n g p a g e s : " A f t e r the coun- t i n g o Í ' t h e K u í à n s , o n t h e a u t h o r i t y o f ' A l i , the C o m m a n d e r o f t h e F a i t h f u l , G r e e t i n g s u p o n h i m a n d L l p o n o l l r P r o p h e t IV i u h a t n m a d l '
T'hc contrast in the layout of the first two pairs of l a r g e o r n a m e n t a l d e s i g n s is i m m e d i a t e l y ' a p p a r e n t . I n t h e f i r s t p a i l t h e d i v i s i o n o f t h e p a g e s i s o b t a i n e d b y h o r i z o n t a l s e c t i o n s : in the second pair the large o c t a g o n s a r e a l i g n e d p e r p e n d i c t t l a r l y a n d a r e s e p a r a t e c l b y a s p i n e - l i k e r o w o f s m a i i o c t a g o n s a n c i o b l o n g g e o m e t r i c a l compartments. I n t h e l l r s t p a i r o Í ' o r n a - m e n t s t h e e m p h a s i s is o n t h e c e n t r a l s e c t i o n s . T h e i r b a c k g r o u n d s a r e b l a c k a n d t h e i r s c r o l l s a n c i p a l m e t t e s d a r k b r o w n . I n t h e s e c o n d p a i r o f p a g e s , t h e e m p h a s i s i s o n t h e u p p e r a n d l o w e r r e g i s t e r o f o c t a g o n s w h o s e b a c k g r o u n d s a r e c o v e r e d w i t h a c l o s e , b l a c k , c r i s s - c r o s s h a t c h i r " r g w h i c h b r i n g s t h e f l o r a l s p r a y s a n d s c r i p t in t o r e l i e f . T h e c e n l r a l r e g i s t e r o f o c t a g o n s o n t h e s e p a g e s h a s a m a r k e d l y s u b d u e c i c o l o u r i n g ; both the back- g r o u n d and lettering a r e e x e c u t e c l i n g o l d . T h e c o n t r a s l n o t e c l in l h i s a r r a n g e m e n t i s n o i d u e t o a c c i d e n t b u 1 t o a p r e c l e t c r m i n e c i p l a n , as will be evident from the e x a m i n a t i o n o l t h e n e x t t w o p a i r s o f f u l l - p a g e il l u m i - n a l i o n s .
F o l l . 8 v . - 9 r . a r e p u r e l y o r n a m e n l a l a n c l c o n t a i n n o s c r i p t . T h e d e c o r a t e d s u r f a c e s a r e e n c l o s e d i n i n t e r l a c e c l
90 9 1
g o l c l e n f i a m e s , s t u d d e d w i t h t i n y d o t s o Í ' w h i t e , b r o w n , ancl sepia. The rectangles thus formed are divided into compartments by three pairs of intersecting circles of varying widths. The circles with the largest diameters are based on the long sides of the rectangles, the medium ones on the long axis, and the small ones on the transverse, short axis. Each circle has a central ring of black-hatchedchevrons on gold ground and two paper-coloured rings. The principal decorative device occupies a medallion on the horizonlal axis of the pages. lt consists of an exquisite arabesque, coloured crimson and white on gold ground (p. 31)' Other ornaments include lotus flowers pointing towards the centre and smaller lotus flowers, added, like barbs, to the central medallions. They are executed in gold and sepia on blue grounds. The remaining surfaces of the designs are covered by a carpet pattern of small hexa- g o n a l stars a n d Y - s h a p e d a n d o b l o n g e l e m e n t s (w h i t e , brown, blue, and gold). In the margins are, again, palmettes similar to those of the .rlra-headings.
The penclanr to this pair of ornamental pages is found in the double pages which follow at the end of the cortex (foll. 284 v.-285 r.). Instead of interlaced gilt strands, the frames of these ornaments imitate wicker- work. They are paper-coloured and drawn in black outlines to produce a plastic effect. The decorated rectangles enclosed in them are again divided by three pairs of circles of varying widths. These circles have central rings made up of overlapping petals and dia- monds (white. black. and crimson) and are bordered by gold and paper-coloured rings. In contrast with the opening pages the principal ornament is arranged not horizontally, but on the vertical axis. It is represented by an admirably balanced tree-shaped design, coloured a s o b e r , d e e p b r o w n o n a g r o u n d o f p a l e c r i s s - c r o s s s e p i a li n e s ( p . 3 2 ) . T h e r e a r e t w o o f t h e s e t o r c h - l i k e
" t r e e " ornaments per page ; one points upwards, the o t h e r d o w n . T w o l o t u s f l o w e r s in g r a d u a t e d s e p i a ti n t s o n b l u e g r o u n d s fi l l t h e s e g m e n t s c r e a t e d b y t h e i n t e r - s e c t i o n o f t h e l a r g e s t p a i r s o f c i r c l e s . T h e r e m a i n i n g surfaces are covered with a pattern made up of small hexajonal stars arranged to give a kaleidoscopic effect.
T h e s e a r e t i n t e d c r i m s o n in t h e s e g m e n t s o f t h e l a r g e s t c i r c l e s ; green and brown in the others. T w o e l a b o r a t e crown-shaped palmettes in the margins are perfectly
matched to suit the plastic character of the wicker- work frames and contrast with the two-dimensional p a l m e t t e s o [ t h e o p e n i n g P a g e s .
The last pair of framed pages (foll. 285 v.-286 r.) is divided into narrow horizontal sections completely filled with script. To the right, on each page, is a r e g i s t e r o f t h e A r a b i c a l p h a b e t in d a r k b l u e K u f i c s c i i p t e d g e d w i t h w h i t e , o n g o l d g r o u n d . T h e n f o l l o w fourteen narrow compartments alternately covered with the faint sepia criss-cross hatching and with faint grey floral scrolls and blue dots. The text, in a contrac- ied script (perhaps riqa), is written in gold and gives t h e c o u n t o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l l e t t e r s i n t h e Q u r ' a n : tam-atif appears as the twenty-eighth letter and the count ior yo, the last letter of the alphabet, is given in the marginal ornament on fol. 286 r.
T h e s e c o n d c a t e g o r y o f i l l u m i n a t i o n s in t h e C h e s t e r Beatty Qur'an consists of marginal decorations. There are. in the first place, I 14 large palmettes which accom- pany the sarz-headings. They are similar but no two àre iclentical. Great ingenuity, loving care, and perfect t a s t e a r e d i s p l a y e d in t h e i r e x e c u t i o n . T h e p i g m e n t s a r e d e l i c a t e l y a n d t h i n l y a p p l i e d w i t h a b r u s h a n d a r e l i m i t e d t o g o l c l , tw o s h a d e s o f s e p i a , a n d b l u e . T h e familiar groups of white dots arranged in triangles are usecl to break the monotony of the dark surfaces.
The palmettes consist of large .fleurons made up of i l
l l l
I
92 93
l o t u s Í l o w e r s a n d c o m b i n a t i o n s o f d i Í Í e r e n t l y s h a p e d l e a v e s . S o m e e n c l o s e ro u n d e l s o r o b l o n g m e d a l l i o n s which, in turn, are decorated with sprays and palmettes ( e . g . foll. 799 v., 276 r., i), and strings of Sasanian p e a r l s ( e . g . fo l l . 7 2 8 r. , 2 8 2 r . , i i ) . S o m e le a v e s a r e u s e d a s f o i l s f o r o t h e r f l o r a l d e s i g n s ( e . g . fo l l . 2 3 1 r . , 2 5 8 r . , 2 1 3 v . . 2 8 3 r . , i i ) . T h e l a r g e s t s i n g l e e l e m e n t s u s e d i n lhe sura-palmettes are the lotus flower and the peony ( f o l l . 2 8 1 v . , i , 2 8 2 r . . i i ) .
The great majority of these ornarnents are symme- trical ancl organized round a central corc with various foliate elements bending toward it, or away from it, in pairs. There are only a few instances of somewhat a s y m m e t r i c a l g r o u p i n g ( e . g . f o l l . 2 2 8 v . . 2 7 8 v . ) . T h e l e a v e s o f t h e s e o r n a m e n t s a r e n e a r l y a l w a y s e x e c u t c d i n g o l d , o c c a s i o n a l l y t i n t e d w i t h a s e p i a w a s h . A t t i m e s t h e y a r e t r e a t e d " r e a l i s t i c a l l y " w i t h l i n e s c o n v e r g i n g torvards a central stalk (e.g. fol. 231 r.) but more often t h e y a r e s t r i p e c l a n d f i l l e d w i t h d a r k a n d l i g h t s e p i a s t r o k e s w h i c h m a k e t h e m l o o k l i k e b a s k e t w o r k ( e s p ' f o l . 1 6 7 r . ) . O c c a s i o n a l l y t h e l e a v e s a r e c o v e r e d w i t h s c a l e s ( e . g . foll. 259 r., 273 v.) or assume (uninten- t i o n a l l y , o f c o u r s e , i n a Qur'anic manuscript) zoo- m o r p h i c s h a p e s w i t h t i p s e n d i n g i n b i r d - h e a d s ( e . g .
f o l l . 2 0 2 r . , 2 5 9 r . , 2 ' " 1 4 r . . i , 2 8 3 r . , i i . ; .
The spaces between the leaves are nearlv always c o l o u r e c l b l u e a n d l i g h t e n e d w i t h w h i t e d o t s , b u t c r i s s - c r o s s h a t c h e d g r o u n d s , s i m i l a r to t h o s e o b s e r v e d i n t h c f u l l - p a g e il l u m i n a t i o n s , a l s o o c c l r r ( e . g . f o l l . 2 7 4 r . , 2 7 6 r . ) a n c l o n s u c h b a c k g r o u n d s t h e e d g e s o f t h e s u p e r i m p o s e d p a l m e t t e s a r e p i c k e d o u t i n w h i t e ( c f . t h e t r e a t m e n t o f t h e f ' l o r a l e l e m e n t s o n t o l l . 7 v . - 8 r . ) . ln acldition to the ornamental paimettes which accom- pany every sura-headi.ng, thc nlargins of thc nlallLl- s c r i p t s h o w i l l u m i n a t e c l ' a . s h i r a - r o u n d e l s ( t o i r r d i c a t c every tenth verse) and .sajdas (to rnark the passages
II
I I
I
a Í l e r w h i c h p r o s t r a t i o n s s h o u l d b e p e r f o r m e d ) . T h e verse-marks show little variety. Nearly all consist of g o l c l roundels formed by flat edged petals, enclosing b l u e c o l o u r e c l d i s k s w h i c h s p e l l o u t t h e ' a s h i r a n u m b e r s i n g o l d l e t t e r s (e . g . fo l . 1 4 6 r. ) . W h e n a s u r a p a l m e t t e coincides with the last 'ashira-mark of the preceding chapter, the latter is incorporated in the former, more i m p o r t a n t , o r n a m e n t (e . g . fo l . 2 6 6 v . ) . S o m e t i m e s s a i r l a a n d ' a s h i r a - m a r k s a r e s h o w n a s o v e r l a p p i n g c i r c l e s ( e . g . lbl. 130 r.). The sa.ida-marks a r e m o r e e l a b o r a t e . T h e y c o n s i s t o f r o u n d e l s (d e c o r a t e d w i t h f l o r a l s c r o l l s , p a l m e t t e s , & c . ) , i n t e r l a c e d s q u a r e s a n d h c r r t g o n a l s k r s . I n t h e c e n t r e o f e a c h m a r k t h e w o r d 's a i d a i s w r i t t e n i n g o t d KuÍic letters on sepia, blue, or brown ground ( e . g . f o l . 2 2 0 v . ) .
T h e t h i r d c a t e g o r y o f i l l u m i n a t i o n s c o m p r i s e s t h e d e c o - r a t i v e b a n c l s (s e e p . 3 5 ) T w o b a n d s i n d o t t e d a n d interlaced Íiames head the first two 'sura.\. All the r e m a i n i n g s a r a - t i t l e s a r e w r i t t e n i n g o l d l e t t e r s w i t l - t - o u t e i t h e r f r a m e s o r t i n t e c l b a c k g r o u r r d s . T h e t i t l e o f t h e o p e n i n g c h a p t e r i s w r i t t e n i n g o l d l e t t e r s o n a b l a c k g r o u n d c n l i v e n e c l w i t h w h i t c - e d g c d s c p i a p a l - m e t t e s a n c l s e r r a t e c l h a l l ' - p a l m e t t e s w h i c h r e c a l l t h o s e o f t h e v e r s e - c o u l l t t a b l e s . T h e g r o u n d o f t h e s e c o n d b a n c l , h e a d i n g th e S u r a o / Í h e C o v ' , is d e c o r a t e d w i t h a l e a f y , w h i t e - e d g e c l s c r o l l p a i n t e d in s e p i a o n a s e p i a - t i r - r l e c l g o l d g r o u n d . T h e s c r o l l s - li k e t h o s e i n t h e o p e n i n g p a g e s - s p r o u t f r o m t h e l o w e r b a r s o f t h e [ ' r a n r e s . n o t f r o m t h e l e t t e r s . T h e y í b n l c o m p l e t c a n d s c l l - c o r t t a i n e c l d e c o r a t i v e u n i t s .
S p e c i a l a t t e n t i o n w a s d e v o t e d b y I b n a l - B a w w a b t o t h e e m b e l l i s h m e n t o Í ' t h e o p e n i n g p a g e o f t h e l l o l y B o o k , b u t t h e r c i s a s y e t n o a t t e m p t t o p r o d u c e th e c a r p e t - l i k e p a t t e r n s w h i c h " f r o m t h e t h i r d d e c a d e o f t h e e i e v c n t h c c n t u r y o n w a r c l s , c o v e r t h e w h o l e n r a r g i n a l s u r l à c e s i n t h e o p e n i n g p a g e s o f ' Q u r ' ' a n n l a n u s c r i p t s .
94 95
T h e m a r g i n a l s a r a - p a l m e t t e s o n t h i s p a g e a r e m o r e c o m p a c t a n d m o r e c a r e Í u l l y e x e c u t e d b u t a l s o m o r e s u b d u e d i n c o l o u r i n g . O n l y t w o t i n t s o f s e p i a a r e u s e d a n d t h e g r o u n d s b e t w e e n th e v a r i o u s e l e m e n t s o f t l - r e o r n a m e n t s a r e p a i n t c d g o l d , not blue as in the remaining . r a r a s . R o u n d e l s , s i m i l a r to t h o s e o f t h e ' a s h i r a - m a r k s , a r e u s e d to i n d i c a t e e v e r y fi f t h v e r s e in t h e m a r g i n . In t h e t e x t p r o p e r , a s m a l l l e a f - s h a p e d o r n a m e n t , in s t e a d oÍ' the customary ha sign, is used to mark each fifth
v e r s e . T h e s a m e l e a Í ' s h a p e d s i g n a l s o a p p e a r s a t t h e e n d o f t h e c o l o p h o n o n f o l . 2 8 5 r .
F u r t h e r b a n c l - o r n a m e n t s a r e f o u n d o n t h e l a s t p a g e o f t h e t e x t ( f o l . 2 8 5 r . ) . T h i s p a g e is d e c o r a t e d w i t h a n e l e g a n t in t e r l a c e d r e c t a n g u l a r g o l d frame, which is c l i v i d e d b y a b r a i d e d b a r i n t o t w o u n e q u a l p a r t s . T h e u p p e r p a r t e n c l o s e s a e u l o g y o f s i x l i n e s , a n d i s b o r d e r e d o n t o p b y a l a r g e b a n d ( s e e p . 3 6 ) . T h e l o w e r p a r t c o n t a i n s th e c o l o p h o n o f t h r e e a n d a h a l f l i n e s a n d i s u n d e r l i n e d b y a n a r r o w e r b a n d . B o t h b a n d s a r e d e c o r a t e d w i t h l o l i a t e s c r o l l s p a i n t e d i n g o l d and sepia on a sepia-tinted g r o u n d .
T h e s c r i p t o n t h e c o l o p h o n p a g e is i n t h e s a m e h a n d a s t h e r e m a i n d e r o f t h e t e x t . A c a r p e t - p a t t e r n o f s c r o l l s a n d l e a v e s . d r a w n in d e l i c a t e f a i n t g r a y li n e s a n d t r i a n - g u l a r g r o u p s of blue dots, fills the spaces b e t w e e n th e l i n e s o f t h e t e x t . T h e s c r i p t i s s u r r o u n d e d b y c l o u d - s h a p e d r e s e r v e d c o n t o u r s .
M e n t i o n h a s a l r e a d y b e e n m a d e o f t h e d e c o r a t i v e b a n d u s e c l b y I b n a l - B a w w a b t o c o n c e a l tw o l i n e s o f r e d u n d a n t s c r i p t . T h e p i g m e n t s a n d t e c h n i q u e u s e d in t h a t i n s t a n c e a r e i d e n t i c a l w i t h t h o s e e m p l o y e d f o r t h e d e c o r a t i v e b a n d s i n t h e f r a m e o f t h e c o l o p h o n p a g e .
T h i s c o m p l e t e s t h e d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e i l l u m i n a t i o n s f o u n d i n t h e Qu'ran of Ibn al-Bawwab. A n a n a l y s i s o f t h e o r n a m e n t s a n d a n e v a l u a t i o n o f t h e i r p l a c e i n
t h e h i s t o r y o f I s l a m i c m a n u s c r i p t i l l u m i n a t i o n w i l l b e a t t e m p t e d i n t h e c o n c l u c l i n g c h a p t e r . T h e i l l u m i n a t i o n s o f t h e C h e s t e r B e a t t y Q u r ' a n a r e r e m a r k a b l y h o m o - g e n e o u s a n d e x e c u t e c l w i t h g r e a t f ï n e s s e . T h e i r s u b - á u e d c o l o u r - s c h e m e a n d d e l i c a t e l y b a l a n c e d d e s i g n s make a fitting foil Íbr Ibn al-Bawwab's calligraphic m a s t e r p i e c e . W h i l e t h e y b e a r s o m e r e s e m b l a n c e t o t h e i l l i m i n a t i o n s o f t h e f e w s u r v i v i t - t g m a n u s c r i p t s o f the late tenth ancl early eleventh century, they by far e x c e l m o s t o Í ' t h e m i n o r i g i n a l i t y a n d q u a i i t y . In m a n y w a y s t h e y a n t i c i p a t e fu t u r e d e v e l o p m e n t s i n t h e a r t o f b o o k i l l u r n i n a t i o n ; i n r n a n y w a y s - l i k e I b n a l - B a w w a b ' s s u p e r b c a l l i g r a p h y - t h e y r e m a i n u n i q u e '
A m o n g t h e t r e a s u r e s o f t h e B a l d a t K Ó q k p r e s e r v e d i n t h e Í o p k a p u S a r a y i M u s e u m in I s t a n b u l i s a s p l e n d i d m a n u s c r i p t i n o g , t u t 1 2 5 ) w h i c h c o n t a i n s th e r / i r l a i r o f t i r e p r e - I s l a m i c p o e t Salama i b n J a n d a l .
T h e m a n u s c r i p t c o n s i s t s o f 3 4 f o l i o s o f t h i c k , c r e a m - c o l o u r c c l p a p e r ln e a s v r i n g 4 2 - 2 x 3 2 " 5 c m . T h e r c c Í o s o f Í b l i o s I a n d 2 a r e s u m p t u o t t s l y i l i u m i n a t e d ; the first witlr a sarlauh, the seconcl with the title of the w o r k . T h e t e x t o Í ' í h e c l i w u n lo l l o w s , h e a d e d b y a m o s t b e a u t i f u l l y e x e c u t e d b a s m a l a h i n b l a c k a n d g o l d ( f o l . 2 v.). The verses are written in thulttth scrlpt, i h " . o * n l . n t a r y i n n a s k h i ; b o t h a r e i n d e e p b l a c k i n k b u t Í b r t h e o p e n i n g w o r d s : " Q u o t h Salama bin J a n c l a l " w h i c h a r c g i l t .
T ' h e t i t l e - p a g e o n í ' o 1 . 2 r. b e g i n s w i t h a l i n e i n l a r g e , t:tlack thululir script borclered with golcl. T'hen íbllow t h r e e i n s c r i b e c l ro u n c l e l s e x q u i s i t e l y d e c o r a t e d w i t h f l o r a l o r n a m c t r t s . T h e b o t t o m o l ' t h e p a g e is f i l l e d b y a n o b l o n g , p e c l e s t a l - s h a p e c l p a n e l w h i c h c o n t a i n s th e r e m a i n c l e r o Í - t h e l e x t w r i t t e n p a r t l y o n a b l a c k a n d 9 6
9 T
