Something old, something new, something borrowed

Posted by Colin Baker, Head of Near and Middle East Collections, British Library

Every time I visit Sacred, it never ceases to amaze me that 90% of the manuscripts and printed books on show come from the British Library’s own collection. But, of course, in order to complete and consolidate the Sacred storyline, it was necessary to bring in examples from other collections in the UK and abroad.

One of the privileges of being a curator at the British Library in preparing such exhibitions is the opportunity it offers to travel and have unfettered access to collections which are not normally viewed by the general public.

One such example is that of the Royal Library in Rabat. The three Qur’ans in this exhibition from that collection illustrate well the style of Islamic calligraphy and illumination specific to Morocco and other areas of North Africa.

I find one of these three particularly interesting as the name of Allah (God) is written in gold wherever it appears in the text. This visual highlighting of the divine name, it seems to me, is reminiscent of the practice (among Sufis in particular) of invoking God’s name.

Another item which we were loaned for the first two months of Sacred came from Uzbekistan. That is not on everybody’s list of places to visit, and it certainly wasn’t on mine. But I couldn’t miss the opportunity to travel to Tashkent to see what Muslims believe is one of the five standard copies of the Qur’an commissioned by the third Caliph Uthman about 650 AD.

This Qur’an is kept in an old Islamic part of Tashkent, in a madrasah complex that houses a library. The Qur’an itself is kept in an antechamber in the library in a safe built into the wall (left; click for larger image), and to view it one has to be accompanied by an Islamic cleric. Although we were unable to secure the loan of this original manuscript, we did however manage to borrow a new copy of this Qur’an made on animal skin in 2004 and which is kept in the Tashkent Islamic University.

This new one-off copy on parchment makes me think that the art of Islamic manuscript book production is alive and well today, as is also witnessed in the exhibition for Judaism and Christianity.  Sacred has an example from a private collection of The Ramsgate Esther Scroll jointly produced by a contemporary artist and scribe some ten years ago, as well as an opening from The Saint John’s Bible on parchment, the first monumental, illuminated, handwritten Bible to be commissioned in the modern era. As new digital technologies become short lived and obsolete, I am sure that the traditional book arts will endure…

Comments

[Agostino]

Would you like to receive a couple of other pictures of Uthman's Qur'an that I have taken on location during a trip to Tashkent? Best regards
Agostino
Tangaza College Library
Nairobi
Kenya

[Arif]

"Thank you" for picture of old Qur’an commissioned by the third Caliph Uthman about 650 AD.

[George Winfield]

I would like pictures if you are e-mailing them!

[Mohammed kayani]

I would be very greatfull if you could kindley forward me more pictures of the third caliph's qur'an.

best regards, mr m kayani

[ANEES IBRAHIM]

I would be very greatfull if you could kindley forward me pictures of the third caliph's qur'an.

REGARD ANEES IBRAHIM

[SHERZOD RUZMETOV]

Could you please send me some more picture as well. Much appreciated

[Shahid]

yes please.

send me as many pics as you can.

[Ghulam Chishti]

Please send me more pictures. Much appreciated

[Ghulam Chishti]

Please send me more pictures. Much appreciated

[Ghulam Chishti]

Please send me more pictures. Much appreciated

[Ghulam Chishti]

Please send me more pictures. Much appreciated

[Ghulam Chishti]

Please send me more pictures. Much appreciated

[hsm]

can you send them, please??

[Peter Morris (mrpmorris@gmail.com)]

I would love to see as many photographs as possible please!

[Peter Morris (mrpmorris@gmail.com)]

I too would like to see as many photographs as possible please.

[Abdul Bari Siddiqui(mabsiddiqui@yahoo.com)]

Can any brother please mail me more snaps of the Holy Quran

[cheikh]

anybody ,please send me copies of this quraan.thanks.

[Jean VALENTIN]

What would be really intersting is to have a photographic edition of that Quran. Any editor?