Koran

h. 1279 [1862]

The opening spread with the Fatiha surah and first four verses of the Bakara surah is richly illuminated (ff. 1r-2v). There is gilded decoration in the spaces between the lines and the narrow borders are filled with various gilded cable motifs. The horizontal panels above and below the writing are illuminated with gold floral motifs on a lapis blue ground. The broad outer border has lobed lappets, and is filled with tiny gold flowers on a lapis blue ground. As well as lapis blue and gold, the dominant colours are pistachio green and the greenish gold used in the margin. The surah headings, triangular spaces on the colophon page and marginal rosettes are illuminated. Each ten verses are marked by the word aşr written in red in the margin. Folio 343v is decorated with a composition of a vase in yellow and greenish gold, poppies, roses and buds inside a broad gold ruled frame. The hatim prayer is written on ff. 341v-342v, and ends with the name of the illuminator Zehhebehu el-Hac Hüseyin inside an illuminated panel on f. 342v. The Arabic colophon (f. 342r) written in rıka script reads, ‘Copied in the year 1279 by es-Seyyid Mehmed Şevki, librarian of Ragıp Paşa Library and a pupil of es-Seyyid Mehmed Hulusi, with gratitude for the abundant blessings of God and with prayers offered to His prophet Muhammad, his family, all the disciples and all the prophets sent by Him. May God on High accept this sacred work in return for granting mercy to this city that is the centre of the sultanate, and protect it from misfortunes and afflictions. My God, in Your compassion forgive them, their mothers, fathers and teachers, those who read this book, those who pray for us, and all Muslims, dead and living.’ 1 The edges are decorated with gilded leaf motifs. The chestnut coloured leather binding with flap has an oval medallion surrounded by leaves on each cover. Long slender leaves issuing from these medallions spread across all the cover, interspersed with bouquets tied with ribbons. This tooled decoration is gilded in yellow and green shades of gold. In the centre of the green leather doublures is a rectangular panel filled with gold flecks. The binding is original.