Manuscript, origin unknown, 1447-1448, Biḥārī · CallFront

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Manuscript, origin unknown, 1447-1448, Biḥārī

India_EBP_MB_05

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Item descriptor

Copyrights Holder: CallFront
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Entry ID: India_EBP_MB_05
Author: Monique Burési; Eloïse Brac de la Perrière
Date: 851 H.; 1447 – 1448
Place of Production: India
Present Location: Karachi, National Museum of Pakistan, N.M.1957.1033
Language: Arabic
Title of the Document (If Relevant): Quran
Type of text: Quran
Script: Biḥārī
Color of the Script: gold
Type of Object: manuscript\codex
Size (of the object): 53.3 x 35.5 cm
Layout (Epigraphy & Objects): 9
Technique: written
Instrument: reed pen
Bibliography: Brac de la Perrière, Éloïse. “Prisme Indien : Recherches Sur Les Corans En Écriture Bihari Des Origines à Nos Jours. Dossier d’Habilitation à Diriger Des Recherches, Vol. 2 - Ouvrage Original.” Dossier d’Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches, vol. 2 - ouvrage original, Aix-Marseille université, 2015. Cat. 11.; Flood, Finbarr Barry. “Before the Mughals: Material Culture of Sultanate North India.” Muqarnas 36, no. 1 (2019): 24, n. 118.

Script descriptor

See the lexicon

General Script Characteristics

Character Spacing: regular spaces between words
Presence of Elongation: frequent
Elongated Letters: lām bowl; kāf bowl; nūn, sīn/shīn, sād/ḍād, yā’, lām and qāf bowl
Length of Elongation: varied length of elongations
Shading / Contrast: medium contrast

Letter Morphology

Point: inclined square

Ascenders

Alif Ascenders: alif - bevelled head; alif - thick vertical shaft
Lām Ascenders: lām - inclined to left; lām - bevelled head; lām - thick vertical shaft
Kāf Ascenders: initial medial and final elongated (mabsūṭah); top arm short diagonal stroke
ṭā' ẓā' ascenders: rounded swollen body; vertical shaft inclined to left; ṭā' / ẓā' - bevelled head

Descenders

wāw descenders: wāw - long curvilinear tail; wāw - crescent tail
rā' zā' descenders: rā'/zā' - long curvilinear tail
mīm descenders: mīm - long curvilinear tail
nūn sīn shīn sādḍād yā’ lām and qāf descenders: nūn, sīn/shīn, sād/ḍād, yā', lām, qāf - elongated curvilinear flattened bowl
yā’ al-rāji’ah descenders: backward horizontal stroke

horizontals

bāʾ tāʾ thāʾ fāʾ kāf horizontals: bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ, fāʾ, kāf - elongated curvilinear flattened bowl

denticles

sīn shīn denticles: medial zig-zag denticles
initial and medial bāʾ tāʾthāʾ nūn yāʾ denticles: initial/medial slightly inclined to left; medial short pointed denticles; sword-like downstroke

counters

hā' counters: initial / medial double eyed (wajh al-hirr); final one-eyed (mardufah) rounded
fā' qāf wāw counters: triangular pointed head
medial 'ain ghayn counters: compact inverted triangle / open or closed eye
mīm counters: triangular head pointed chin; rounded head

vocalization and diacritics

fatḥa kasra vocalization and diacritics: horizontal stroke
fatḥa kasra vocalization and diacritics colour: black
ḍamma vocalization and diacritics: horizontal tail; open eye
ḍamma vocalization and diacritics colour: black
hamza vocalization and diacritics: small inverse Z
sukūn vocalization and diacritics: circle
shadda vocalization and diacritics: tall denticles touching upper vowel

Other

additional characteristics: Initial ʿayn with almost closed curled eyebrow; Lam-alif with long alif inclined sharply towards the right; Vowels are systematically placed; ha'/jim/khā' with initial curled eyebrow

Image ID Entry: India_EBP_MB_05
Description: Manuscript, origin unknown, 1447-1448, Biḥārī
Photographer: National Museum of Pakistan
Copyrights Holder: National Museum of Pakistan
License: All rights reserved
Access Rights: Public