Section (juz') of the Qur'an

This volume was once part of a 30-volume Qur’an manuscript. Several Qur’ans originating from China present a division into thirty volumes. As for other coeval examples, this manuscript and its sister volumes follow a precise, regular pattern for decoration and page layout. The opening and final two pages have illuminated rectangular frames, which may be adorned with cartouches and arches which protrude into the margins, enclosing three lines of text on each page. The rest of the pages present the text framed by a simple double-ruled red ink frames containing five lines of text. The text is written in a bold type of muḥaqqaq in carbon-black ink, probably outlined in gold at a later stage. The script presents a pictorial quality comparable to Chinese traditional calligraphy, accounting for the pivotal importance of calligraphy in Chinese culture at large.