Koran

This exquisitely designed and decorated
Koran is one of the outstanding works by the calligrapher Abdullah Zühdi (d. 1879). Zühdi was a pupil of the kadıasker (chief military judge) Seyyid el-Hac Mustafa İzzet (d. 1876), who taught him thuluth, naskh and jali thuluth. Zühdi rose to fame and won the patronage of Sultan Abdülmecid (r. 1839-1861), who awarded him the Mecidi order for his work. The surah al-Fatihah and first four verses of the surah al-Baqarah in this Koran are illuminated with a magnificent serlevha composition (fol. 1v-2r). The principal elements of the serlevha are medallions with a green ground formed by long slender saz leaves painted in shaded tones of many colours.Reference: Tanındı, Z., Harmony of Line and Colour, Illuminated Manuscripts Documents and Calligraphy in the Sadberk Hanım Museum Collection, Sadberk Hanım Museum Publication, İstanbul 2019, pp. 142 - 145.