Kufic Writing on Parchment

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Artist Unknown

Culture Islamic

Title Kufic Writing on Parchment

Date 9th–10th centuries

Medium Ink and gold on parchment

Dimensions Overall: 6 1/16 x 8 5/16 in. (15.4 x 21.1 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 63.41

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About this Work

Early Qur’an manuscripts from the eighth to tenth centuries are mostly fragmentary today, but they are easily identifiable by their large, angular script; oblong format; as well as their use of parchment. The oldest codified script is called Kufic. Its name is derived from the city of Kufa in modern-day Iraq.

Colored dots (gold, red, blue, and green) are used as diacritical markings, and gold illuminates chapter headings and verse markers. Chapter headings often are marked in the margins with a finial, while verses are separated with larger gold dots, floral designs, or medallions.

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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Kufic Writing on Parchment | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=63.41