FIRST HALF OF A QUR'AN FROM HARAR, EAST AFRICA (ETHIOPIA), 1 - Lot 85

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Lot n° 85
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FIRST HALF OF A QUR'AN FROM HARAR, EAST AFRICA (ETHIOPIA), 1 - Lot 85
FIRST HALF OF A QUR'AN FROM HARAR, EAST AFRICA (ETHIOPIA), 19TH CENTURY Arabic manuscript on laid paper with a “moon” watermark, 135 folios + 8 endpapers. The text covers the first half of the Qur’an, from Surah al-Fatiha to the end of Surah al-Kahf (18), followed by a decorative pattern of red cross-hatching and a pious formula (tasdiq). Copied at 14 lines per page, in black and red ink, in the Habashi (Ethiopian) style: diacritics and vowels in black, orthoepic signs, verse separators, and certain formulas in red. The scribe noted in the margins, in red or black, the divisions into hizb and juz’ as well as the prostrations (sajda). Each surah is preceded by a red title indicating its name, place of revelation, and number of verses. The opening double-page spread forms part of an illuminated frontispiece (red, ochre, brown, black), bordered by two bands of white interlacing on a red background. At the top, two cartouches repeat the title, the number of verses, and the place of revelation of the surah; at the bottom, two cartouches contain verses 79–80 of Surah al-Waqi’a (56). In the center, the Fatiha and the beginning of Surah al-Baqara are transcribed over six lines. The Qur’anic text is preceded by a one-folio preface—now incomplete—copied by the same hand. On the front of the first leaf: a ownership mark with an erased name, followed by a deed of donation in the name of Yusuf Hajj Idriss. Recent fawn-colored leather binding. Folio dimensions: 23.2 x 16.2 cm; writing area: 17 x 10.5 cm. This manuscript exhibits the formal characteristics—decoration, calligraphy, format—of the East African manuscript tradition, particularly that of Harar (eastern Ethiopia), which took shape around the 18th century. In this region, it is common practice to divide the Quran into two volumes, unlike in West Africa, where a single-volume format predominates. The Harar Qur’ans are distinguished by their ability to borrow and reinterpret visual elements from manuscript traditions that are sometimes distant, such as that of the Indian sultanates (Anne Regourd and Sana Mirza, *Catalogue of the Manuscripts of the Sherif Harar Municipal Museum*, Geuthner, 2024). Another notable feature is the inclusion of a preface inspired by al-Shatibi’s (d. 590) *Shatibiyya*, a reading guide that offers a unique insight into the use of the *mushaf* within the Muslim community of these regions. Condition report: Generally in good condition; water stains on several folios.
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