Analysis of the Illumination Structure in the Manuscript Quran at the Chester Beatty Museum of Dublin

عظیمی نژاد, مرتضی; Hajizadeh, Mohamad Amin

doi:10.22034/hgj.2025.541035.1047

Analysis of the Illumination Structure in the Manuscript Quran at the Chester Beatty Museum of Dublin

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

مرتضی عظیمی نژاد ¹

mohamad amin hajizadeh ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Handicrafts Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Carpet Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

10.22034/hgj.2025.541035.1047

Abstract

The handwritten Quran in the Chester beatty Museum in Dublin, dated 927 AH, was written and illuminated by Rozbahan Muhammad Shirazi and has been preserved in perfect condition over the centuries. In its writing, various types of calligraphy, such as Rayhan, Mohaqiq, Thuluth, and Naskh were used and it has very elaborately illuminated pages at the beginning and end. The present study attempts to examine the general style of this calligraphy Quran by analyzing its structure and the characteristics of the motifs and colors of its illumination decorations. Accordingly, the main research question is centered on “what are the formal characteristics of the illumination decorations in the Quran preserved in the Chester Beatty Museum in Dublin?” This research is of a fundamental type, conducted using a descriptive-analytical method, and the collection of research sources is done using a documentary method. The study population is six pages of the aforementioned Quran. The results of the analysis of the decorations of this calligraphy Quran indicate the special characteristics of this illumination artist, such that the decorations of the illumination of the script of this Quran are rich in Arabesque and Khatai ornaments and framed by Abbasi flowers. In some cases, it is made of snake and bergamot Arabesque, and in many cases, the framing is a mean for the orderly arrangement of different ranges of decorations, and the text is included in various ways. The color spectrum of these decorations is also wide, ranging from gold and azure to blue, green, red, and even black and white.

Keywords

Illuminating

illuminating decorations

structural analysis

Chester Beatty Dublin manuscript Quran

Rouzbahan Mohammad Shirazi

Subjects

Applied Arts

The Holy Quran

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