Bukharah Qur'an

A luxurious copy of the Qur'an, follwed by a Du'a' ikhtitiam al-Qur'an. In calligraphic naskhi; 17 lines/p; Surah headings in blue on gold, text and vocalization in black, reading signs in red; a scribal and waqf note on fol. 1a, indicating that the codex was offered as an endowment by the Amir of Bukhara in 1195 [1781]; the word 'waqf' is written across the baslamah on the first two Surahs; first opening with interlacing floral designs in gold on a background of deep blue; the text of Surat al-Fatihah and the first verses of Surat al-Baqarah are underlaid with gold, and framed by an ornamental border in gold with a polychrome garland of flowers; each subsequent page is framed by a multiple border in blue and gold, and each line is separated with a line of gold; each Juz' and ?izb is marked by a vertical ornament in dark blue; the rawi is enclosed in a sylized leaf, as are other markers on the margin; short forms of the names of the Surah appear in the upper and outer corner of each page; the last opening, containing Surat al-Falaq and Surat al-Nas, is illuminated in the same way as the first; the main text is followed by a Du'a' on three sides of the last two folios; the recto of the last folio remains empty but for a grid; fine laid paper; binding : elegant lacquer binding with floral patterns in orange hues on a dark green background on the outside, and red roses on an orange background on the inside of the covers; the front cover has three horizontal cracks, but with only minor loss of paint; the back cover has some minor damage to the left-hand margin, and is chipped in thee places on the right, so that the underlying cardboard lies exposed; rebacked, but traces of the original red leather back remain. 'A gift from the late Mrs. Joseph Lyndon Smith '