Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript in Floriated Script
Unknown Artist
The manuscript to which this page once belonged, copied in floriated "new style" script, exhibits a striking balance of rigorous discipline and exuberant imagination. The calligrapher pushes the boundaries of the "new style" script by transforming the vertical shafts of the letters into plaited designs and vegetation. The playful use of this script is also seen in Seljuq architectural decoration.
Credit: Rogers Fund, 1945
11th century
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
25.1 cm
45.140
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019
Where you'll find this
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection
