This impressive folio is executed in a strong kufic script which conforms most closely with the ‘D’ family of scripts as categorised by Francois Déroche (Déroche, The Abbasid Tradition, Oxford, 1992, p.17). The remarkable thing about our particular folio is its size, making it part of one of the largest kufic folios to have been published. It is possible to divide large kufic manuscripts into three groups. The first of these, and probably the earliest, were written using the ‘C’ script according to Déroche’s classification. This brings them more in line with the majority of kufic folios produced before the 10th century.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 07, 2024 23:24 UTC