Ename, Quran box

The sacred nature of the Quran requires that a number of precautions and care be taken for the book. Quran stands prevent the book from being placed on the ground during reading whilst still keeping it open. The holy word transcribed in the Quran also has a propitiatory role, and miniature Qurans can be carried on one’s person, as happens in the Balkans. In that case “Quran boxes” on small chains are used.

The preciousness of the Mucem’s model bears witness to the value placed on the holy text: in chiselled silver, the delicate smithing creates a design of a mosque surrounded by flowering scrolls. On the back, a star with a rosette in the centre is more simply engraved in the metal. This Quran box also speaks to the place of Islam and the Balkans: it was used in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, by the community in Ohrid.