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Indian, Himalayan &
Southeast Asian Art
Southeast Asian Art
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Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art
Art Passages
San Francisco location
PO Box 14399
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 690 9077M
(415) 690 9077
info@artpassages.com
artpassages.com
Instagram: @artpassages

Half of a Timurid Frontispiece, Timurid Iran, possibly Herat, circa mid-15th century, Ink, gold, and opaque watercolor on paper, Folio 9 ¼ x 6 1/8 in, 23.5 x 15.5 cm, illumination 19 x 12 cm
Half of a Timurid Frontispiece, Timurid Iran, possibly Herat, circa mid-15th century, Ink, gold, and opaque watercolor on paper, Folio 9 ¼ x 6 1/8 in, 23.5 x 15.5 cm, illumination 19 x 12 cm

Leaf from a bihari Qur’an, North India, circa Early 15th century, Ink, gold and opaque watercolor on paper, Folio 9 ¼ x 8 ½ in, 23.5 x 21.5 cm
Leaf from a bihari Qur’an, North India, circa Early 15th century, Ink, gold and opaque watercolor on paper, Folio 9 ¼ x 8 ½ in, 23.5 x 21.5 cm

Folio from a Safavid Qur’an, Safavid Iran, circa 1550, Ink, gold, and opaque watercolor on paper, Folio 14 x 11 in, 35.5 x 28 cm
Folio from a Safavid Qur’an, Safavid Iran, circa 1550, Ink, gold, and opaque watercolor on paper, Folio 14 x 11 in, 35.5 x 28 cm
Adorned Words
Art of Islamic Illumination
The art of illumination of manuscripts in the Islamic lands, tazhib derived from the Arabic word zahab meaning gold, owes its origin to the practice of embellishing the word of God as embodied in the Qur’an. Due to the importance of the Qur’an in Islam and its place as “the mother of all Books”, Illumination quickly evolved into a sophisticated art form worthy of adorning pages of the holy book. Alongside with calligraphy it aimed to enhance the visual and devotional experience of the reader. Often the opening double pages of the Qur’an would be elaborately illuminated framing the calligraphy, and at times, it would be mirrored by a similarly illuminated double page at the end of the book. Additionally throughout the book, ornamental devices of varying shapes and styles would fill margins of the pages and by ample use of gold, Silver, lapis, and other rare minerals, the illuminator would create a delightful experience for the reader filliping through these adorned pages.
Eventually the application of illumination expanded to include literary and poetry works which allowed a greater flexibility in design and artistic expression.
In this exhibition, we attempt to demonstrate the sophistication and delightful beauty of Islamic manuscript illumination.