An exquisitely ornamented and illuminated manuscript of the Holy book of Quran, attributed to around 18th Century CE. Revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Archangel Gabriel, the Quran is considered by Muslims to be the written record of the word of God. Given its importance in Islamic culture, there came about a surge in the production of such illuminated manuscripts, specially in the royal ateliers since it involved a significant expense. The pages feature the kalma, i.e. the first prayer written in the Persian script, and have been meticulously illustrated using natural pigments made of gold, silver, and lapis lazuli.
This increase in the production of elaborate Qurans subsequently gave rise to the use of calligraphy as an important element in Islamic art. Calligraphic art became a popular choice of embellishment for religious as well as secular art. Thus, calligraphy and manuscript decoration were important court art traditions in different parts of the Islamic world.
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