A Miniature Qur’an
and its Silver Case
Christiane Gruber
Synopsis:
The Special Collections Research Center at University of Michigan Library holds an 18th– or 19th-century miniature manuscript of the Qur’an and its accompanying silver case. Both fit snugly in the palm of a hand as well as within a pocket, thus maximizing physical intimacy and portability for the potential owner. Beyond the manuscript’s rendering of Islam’s holy text in minute Arabic-language “dust” (ghubar) script, the object’s talismanic power also increases with its diminution in size. Amulet-like, such miniature Qur’ans were used as protective devices for both individuals and larger collectivities. Besides being carried in the palm of the hand, on the arm, or in a pocket, they also were affixed to military banners and standards, thus providing an extra symbolic layer of “defense” for soldiers engaged in battle.
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Marika Sardar, “The Gwalior Qur’an,” Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online, published 28 August 2020.
Mira Xenia Schwerda, “The Bryce Miniature Qur’an and Its Travels Across the Globe,” Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online, published 2 March 2024.
Walid Saleh, “Qur’an,” Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online, published 12 December 2023.
Web Resource:
References:
Berthold, Cornelius. Forms and Functions of Pendant Koran Manuscripts. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2021. 
Berthold, Cornelius. “The Word of God in One’s Hand: Touching and Holding Pendant Koran Manuscripts,” Das Mittelalter 25/2 (2020): 338–357.
Coffey, Heather. “Between Amulet and Devotion: Islamic Miniature Books in the Lilly Library.” In The Islamic Manuscript Tradition: Ten Centuries of Book Arts in Indiana University Collections, edited by Christiane Gruber, 78–115. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010.
Savage-Smith, Emilie. “Amulets and Related Talismanic Objects.” In Science, Tools and Magic, Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art 12, edited by idem and Francis Maddison, 132–147. London: Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press, 1997.
Tezcan, Hülya and Turgay Tezcan. Türk Sancak Alemleri. Ankara: Atatürk Kültür Merkezi, 1992.
Uluç, Lâle. “Sancak Kur’anları.” In Yıldız Sarayı’ndan İstanbul Üniversitesi’ne / From the Yildiz Palace to Istanbul University, edited by idem, 45–51. Istanbul: Istanbul University, 2015.
Citation:
Christiane Gruber, “A Miniature Qur’an and its Silver Case,” Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online, published 30 August 2024.
Christiane Gruber is Professor of Islamic Art and Former Chair in the History of Art Department at the University of Michigan as well as Founding Director of Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online. Her scholarly work (available here) explores medieval to contemporary Islamic art, including figural representation, depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, manuscripts and book arts, architecture, and modern visual and material cultures. Her two most recent publications include The Praiseworthy One: The Prophet Muhammad in Islamic Texts and Images and The Image Debate: Figural Representation in Islam and Across the World, and her public-facing essays have appeared in Newsweek, The Conversation, New Lines, Jadaliyya, and Prospect Magazine, among others. Her current research projects include eco-Islamic art and architecture as well as the visual culture of the Nation of Islam.