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Or 13284
- Record Id:
- 032-003390402
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 032-003390402
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100050844036.0x0000f0
- LARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100145249199.0x000001
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Or 13284
- Title:
- West African Qur'an
- Scope & Content:
- The first 23 folios are part of a richly illuminated copy of the Qur'an, with marginal gloss. From West Africa, probably Nigeria. After the 23rd folio, this is a less refined copy. Trefoils in red ink with yellow filling after each verse, and after every fifth verse a hāʾ/number five in black filled with red. After 10th verse a roundel of two concentric circles, with some red / yellow infilling. Regular yellow dots mark hamzas. Three medallions on first folio and medallions every 7th folio to mark sixty ḥizb divisions. Impression on recto, suggesting that they were made using a template. The medallions all feature different geometric motifs. Elaborate marginal rectilinear divisions in the following sequence: tha, ba, tha, nun, ba, tha, ba, tha. Change of hand and paper at folio 23. Illuminations and hand become less refined. Trefoils replaced by yellow circles double-outlined in black. Medallions become more ambitious - double and triple - but less skilfully executed. Ink brighter but poorer quality. No colophon. This part seems newer than the first 23 folios. Paper date fixes this copy to early 20th century.
- Collection Area:
- Oriental Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- West African Arabic Manuscripts
- Hierarchy Tree:
- [{ "id" : "032-003390402", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Or 13284: West African Qur'an" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-003390402
- Is part of:
- not applicable
- Hierarchy:
- 032-003390402
- Container:
- not applicable
- Record Type (Level):
- Fonds
- Extent:
- 558 ff
- Digitised Content:
- http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100145249199.0x000001 (digital images currently unavailable)
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- Arabic
- Scripts:
- Arabic
- Start Date:
- 1898
- End Date:
- 1970
- Date Range:
- Early 20th century
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
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- User Conditions:
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Material: leather and pulp board boards, thin smooth hand cut white paper.
Paper: first 23 folios thin, smooth and off-white. Watermark lines every 3cm but no other markings. Folio 23-end paper much brighter. London-based "Dorling & Co" paper dated 1898 with same lines vertical to Latin characters and two watermarks: a Britannia/Athena figure riding a chariot at the centre of double-edged oval and a crown .
Dimensions: 210x160mm
Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil.
Script: medium Central Sudanic or perhaps Hausa/Borno hand.
Ink: black for text, red for rubrications, yellow for trefoils. Red, black and yellow inks for medallions and illuminations, red also used for marginal notations. Vocalisation in red.
Ruling: 15 lines per page. No margin.
Binding: loose-leaf. Text block held between two pieces of leather and pulp board. Leather dyed dark red and black, embossed designs with white threading. Side A has embossed design in the middle of bare pulp board centre, side B bare pulp board.
Condition: complete work. No colophon. Initial pages tattered otherwise good.
Marginalia: frequent, Arabic
- Custodial History:
-
Usage Statement: The West African manuscripts published in digitised format by the British Library are to the best of our knowledge not in copyright under the law of their countries of origin. While it is not possible to be certain about the origin of all the manuscripts, our research suggests that they come from Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal and/or The Gambia.
The British Library recognises broader interests in the cultural heritage which the West African manuscripts represent. They are often of a religious nature, and the Library has taken considerable care not to distort or alter the underlying material. We ask users also to show appropriate respect in reusing the digital images of the West African manuscripts, which should not be altered or reused in ways that might be derogatory or offensive to those communities for whom they are of special cultural importance.
- Source of Acquisition:
- Presented in 1970
- Arrangement:
- loose-leaf
- Administrative Context:
- Place of origin: West Africa
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)