An illuminated Qur'an, commissioned by Amir Guneh Khan Qajar, and completed for his son Nasrullah Qajar, copied by Ibn Muhammad Shafi' al-Tabrizi
Qajar Persia, dated 20th Shawwal 1239/30th June 1823, interlinear translation and marginal commentaries dated 13th Safar 1252/30th May 1836
Arabic and Persian manuscript on paper, 383 leaves, 12 lines to the page written in naskhi script in black ink within cloudbands on a gold ground, interlinear Persian translation written in nasta'liq script in red ink, interlinear rules in gold, inner margins ruled in blue and gold, gold roundels with blue dots marking verse-endings, illuminated marginal devices, marginal commentary written in shikasteh script throughout, sura headings written in gold thuluth within illuminated panels, fine double-page illuminated frontispiece in colours and gold, preceded by a double-page with illuminated shamsas, contemporary floral lacquer binding, lacquer doublures with calligraphic medallions on a floral ground
258 x 170 mm.
Footnotes:
Provenance
Sotheby's, Arts of the Islamic World, 22nd April 1999, lot 17, where acquired by the current owner.

This Qur'an was commissioned by Amir Guneh Khan Qajar, known as Amir Khan Sardar, an uncle of 'Abbas Mirza Na'ib al-Saltanah, known for his involvement in the wars against Russia. The main text was copied by Muhammad Shafi' al-Tabrizi, son of Muhammad 'Ali on 20th Shawwal 1238/30th June 1823. The interlinear Persian translations and marginal commentaries, in clear shikasteh, were commissioned by Nasrullah Khan Qajar (the son of Amir Guneh) and copied by the scribe 'Abdullah (or perhaps 'Aynullah), a resident of Tabriz, on 13th Safar 1252/30th May 1836 (not identified). The lacquered covers were also commissioned by Nasrullah Khan, referred to here as the Chief Commander of the Qajar tribes and the Chief of the Guards (sar-keshik-bashi), with no date given.

The scribe, Muhammad Shafi' al-Tabrizi, son of Muhammad 'Ali, is recorded as one of the best naskhi scribes of the Qajar period. His recorded works, which include Qur'ans, prayer books and calligraphic pieces, with many in the Royal Library in Tehran, are dated between AH 1217/AD 1802-03 and AH 1262/AD 1845-46. See Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Athar-e Khoshnavisan, vol. 4, Tehran 1358 sh/1979, pp. 163-165. For other recorded work by him, see Hamidreza Ghelichkhani, Fifty Years with the Legacy of Dr. Mahdi Bayani (1968-2018), National Library and Archives of I. R. Iran, 2018, p. 86-87.

Nasrullah Khan Qajar, a son of Amir Guneh, known as Amir Khan Sardar, was one of the officials of the Muhammad Shah period and held the post of the Chief of Guards (sar-keshik-bashi). He was sent by Muhammad Shah to quell rebellions in Kashan and Isfahan, given the title Sahib Ikhtiyar and appointed Governor of Fars in late AH 1255/AD 1839-40, shortly before his death. See Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, 1700-1900, vol. 4, Tehran, 1966, pp. 244-245.

A note on f. 1r by Bayan al-Saltanah states that this Qur'an was purchased in Tehran, and that he gives it to his daughter Fakhri Jahan, dated 12th Jumadi I, 1327/1st June 1909.

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