Two fragments of the Qur’an, the holy book of Muslims, represent outstanding works of Islamic book art in Austria. Cod. mixt. 814 is a collection of nineteen different fragments, each consisting of a varying number of folios. Some of the fragments originally belonged together since they form clearly part of the same Qur’anic manuscript. The size of the pages varies from 140x202mm to 230x325mm, that of the written part accounts for 90x140mm to 150x220mm.
Cod. Gl. 250 represents one fragment consisting of twenty-nine folios of a single Qur’anic manuscipt.. The size of this rather small fragment is 108x175mm; the written part extends over 78x135mm.
Both fragments consist of oblong sheets of parchment. The text is written in Kufi, the earliest variant of Arabic calligraphic script and the folios are also richly ornamented.
A range of coloured dots which facilitate a proper reading and recitation of the holy script appears in a wide range of colours, from yellow, orange, gold and red to blue, turquoise, green and brown. The pages are artistically accentuated with specially embellished verse (Ayah) markers and sura titles as well as decorative borders including medallions. Whole pages entirely filled with ornaments are also added as decorative cover or end pages. Besides the typically brown or dark brown colour of the ink used for the writing, gold, white and red were applied as well.

These fragments have been in Austrian possession since ca. 1830. Neither the author nor the exact year or place of manufacture are known. Because of the artistic style and the rich decoration they are believed to have been executed in the second half of the ninth century in Abbasid- Tulunid territories. These fragments are especially valuable because extensive early Qur’anic fragments are very rare and complete Qur’anic manuscripts from that time have not been preserved at all.

 

Based on German text by Elke Strauß

Bibliography:

Al Samman,Tarif: Die Kultur des Islam. Ausstellung der Handschriften- und Inkunabelsammlung der österreichischen Nationalbibliothek, Wien 1980.

Duda, Dorothea.;Islamische Handschriften II. Die Handschriften in arabischer Sprache, Teil 1 u. 2, Wien 1992.

Tarif al Samman/Dorothea Duda, Kultur des Islam. Ausstellung der 

Handschriften- und Inkunabelsammlung der österreichischen 

Nationalbibliothek, Prunksaal 12. Juni bis 11. Oktober 1980 

(Ausst. Kat.,  Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Wien), Wien 1980.