A rare Quran manuscript page dating back more than 700 years to medieval Baghdad is set to go under the hammer at Christie's in London next month, with an estimated value of between £50,000 and £70,000.
The elaborately decorated folio, believed to have been produced around 1310 during the Ilkhanid period, features verses from the Quran written in gold and surrounded by intricate Islamic ornamentation.
The manuscript will be offered as part of Christie's Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds auction on 12 November, which will feature more than 230 historical objects, including manuscripts, ceramics, paintings, metalwork and textiles.
According to Christie's, the page contains the opening three verses of Surah al-Humazah, the Quran's 104th chapter, written in four lines of gold muhaqqaq script, a distinctive style of Arabic calligraphy associated with monumental manuscripts.
The lettering is outlined in gold, silver and black ink, while individual verses are separated by decorative rosettes featuring gold and multiple colours.
The chapter heading appears in black Kufic script outlined in gold, surrounded by an elaborate panel of interlacing arabesque patterns and a decorated marginal medallion.
Measuring approximately 57.7 by 42.6 centimetres, the unusually large folio reflects the importance attached to the production of luxury Qurans under the Ilkhanids, the Mongol dynasty that ruled much of Iran and Iraq between the 13th and 14th centuries.
The manuscript's illumination, or decorative artwork, has been attributed to Muhammad ibn Aybak ibn Abdullah, regarded as one of the leading manuscript illuminators working in Baghdad during the early 14th century.
Ibn Aybak is associated with two monumental Qurans produced for the Ilkhanid royal court, one probably commissioned for Sultan Ghazan, who ruled from 1295 to 1304, and another for his successor, Sultan Uljaytu.
Both rulers belonged to the Mongol dynasty that emerged following the conquests of Genghis Khan's descendants, with Ghazan's conversion to Islam helping consolidate the religion's position within the Ilkhanid state.
The period witnessed significant developments in Islamic manuscript production, particularly in Baghdad, where calligraphers and illuminators developed elaborate styles combining Arabic lettering with colourful decorative motifs.
Christie's says the manuscript closely resembles pages associated with Ibn Aybak's royal commissions, although the identity of the calligrapher responsible for its lettering remains uncertain.
The auction house notes that the decorative style incorporates Chinese-inspired details, reflecting artistic exchanges across the territories once connected by the Mongol Empire.
A comparable folio held by the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha is believed to have originated from the same manuscript, offering further evidence of the artistic traditions associated with Ibn Aybak's workshop.
The page's known ownership history is limited, with Christie's listing it as having belonged to a private collection in the UK, reportedly by 1971.
Its appearance at auction highlights the continuing international market for historic Islamic manuscripts, particularly examples associated with major centres of medieval Islamic scholarship and artistic production.
Christie's November sale will also include works from across the Islamic world and Indian subcontinent, with objects representing artistic traditions stretching from North Africa and Spain to Central Asia.
The auction is scheduled for 12 November in London, following a public exhibition running from 7 to 11 November.
