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Iraq, Abbasid period, 2nd – early 3rd century AH / 8th – 9th century AD

An exceptional pair of conjoined Qur’anic parchment folios (bifolium) from an early Abbasid manuscript, written in a finely executed early Kufic script of the Iraqi school (Kufa or Baghdad).

The two folios preserve a continuous passage from Surah al-Anbiya (21), approximately verses 49–56, spanning both recto and verso, thus forming a rare surviving opening from a complete early Qur’an codex.

The text is written in a powerful, architectonic early Kufic hand, characterised by elongated horizontal strokes, upright and carefully proportioned verticals, and a disciplined geometric structure typical of the Iraqi Abbasid tradition of the 2nd and early 3rd century AH.

The script represents a transitional phase in the development of Qur’anic calligraphy, preceding the fully developed ornamental Kufic styles of later centuries.

The folios preserve an important early system of vocalisation and orthographic notation, including coloured diacritical dots in red and green indicating pronunciation, as well as early i‘jam strokes and dots used to distinguish consonants of similar form. Subtle traces of gilding and a small decorative rosette further attest that this was a carefully produced and prestigious manuscript, rather than a purely utilitarian copy.

Executed on parchment (animal skin), the folios survive in entirely original, unrestored condition, bearing natural signs of age, devotional use, and early binding or folding at the central join. These features, far from detracting, greatly enhance the manuscript’s historical authenticity and scholarly value.

Each folio measures approximately 19 × 14 cm.

On palaeographic and codicological grounds, the manuscript can be confidently attributed to Iraq (Kufa or Baghdad) and dated to the 2nd – early 3rd century AH (circa 770 – 850 AD), making it a survival of approximately 1,150 – 1,300 years.