LOT NOT PRESENTED LIVE. PRIOR REGISTRATION NECESSARY TO BID WITH A DEPOSIT OF € 4,000 PLEASE CONTACT US BY EMAIL : [email protected] Beautiful Ottoman Koran copied by al-Uskudari (Seyyid Salih Salahi Hafiz Üsküdari) Ink, polychrome pigments and gold on paper. Turkey, dated 1203 AH / 1788-89 AD H. 19.3 cm - W. 12.9 cm - D. 3.3 cm AR The illuminated colophon at the end of this fine manuscript indicates that it was copied by al-Sayyid Salih al-Salahi Hafiz, known as al-Uskudari (Seyyid Salih Salahi Hafiz Üsküdari), in the year 1203 AH (1788-89 AD). He is probably Mehmed Salih Efendi, also known as Hafiz Çemşir (the sword) because of the firmness of his calligraphic gesture. A highly esteemed calligrapher in his day, he was also a calligraphy instructor at the royal palace. He created the inscriptions on two fountains, in Atmeydan (the old racecourse) and in Yenibahçe. He died in 1236 AH (1820 AD). (Şevket Rado, Türk Hattatları, Istanbul, 1984, p. 195.) The manuscript opens with a bifolio richly illuminated in polychrome and gold with mandorles, arabesques and abundant floral motifs, Greek friezes and floral cartouches, framing the first verses of the Qur'an written in clouds on a gilded background. The rest of the manuscript consists of 15 lines of text per page, framed in gilded and polychrome fillets, with delicately illuminated sura titles and marginal vignettes. The final folio contains the colophon in a polychrome medallion. The beautiful brown leather binding is deeply embossed with mandorla decoration, and gilded on the backgrounds with foliage motifs and tchi clouds in negative. It features a Qur'anic verse (56:79 "Let only the purified touch") on the sertab (the part covering the edge). It is accompanied by its slipcase with rich embossed and gilt decoration. (Luxurious later binding. Damage to the cover). We would like to thank Will Kwiatkowski for his help in identifying and describing these Ottoman manuscripts.