Qatar National Library (QNL) is pleased to invite scholars, academics and the public to a lecture on the “Blue Qur’an” manuscript. The lecture will be delivered by Marcus Fraser*, Honorary Keeper of Islamic and Indian Manuscripts and Miniatures at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
The Blue Qur’an, of which QNL has some leaves, has long been recognized as one of the most significant examples of early Islamic manuscript production, but its exact origins have not yet been firmly established. Past scholarly theories have suggested various locations and contexts, including Abbasid Iraq, Fatimid North Africa, Aghlabid North Africa or Sicily, and Umayyad Spain.
In order to fully understand the Blue Qur’an and determine its origins, three important aspects will be examined: the background tradition of purple and blue manuscripts in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East in the late antiquity and early medieval periods; the material ways in which the Blue Qur’an has altered since its production; and new art historical evidence and analysis that firmly points to a specific historical context and place and date of production.
* The lecture will be followed by a Q&A session.
Wednesday, 2 May 2018
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Venue: QNL Auditorium
Language: English, with Arabic interpretation provided
Seats are limited, please click here to register.
About the Speaker
* Marcus Fraser is Honorary Keeper of Islamic and Indian Manuscripts and Miniatures at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. His research focuses on the Islamic arts of the book, particularly Qur’anic calligraphy and illumination, and Persian and Mughal painting. He has cataloged many significant museum and private collections of Islamic manuscripts, and is currently cataloging the Islamic manuscripts and Indian miniatures at the Fitzwilliam Museum, where he has recently curated an exhibition of Indian paintings. Other recent projects have included contributions to exhibition catalogs for the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.