English: An illuminated Qur'an, commissioned by Muhammad Husayn Nizam al-Dawlah (also known as Sadr-e Isfahani), copied by Muhammad Hasan al-Isfahani

Qajar Persia, dated Sh'aban 1237/April-May 1822

Arabic manuscript on paper, 31 leaves, between 40 and 48 lines to the page written in neat ghubari script in black ink with diacritics and vowel points in black and red, gold roundels marking the verse-endings, inner margins ruled in gold, sura headings written in gold, the margins with occasional commentary in black ghubari and gold juz', khamsa, 'ashr, nisf and hizb markers, opening illuminated double page with large floral medallions containing prayers in black naskhi script on a gold ground surrounded by a band of scrolling floral vine on a red ground, and further gold and polychrome illumination on a silver ground, loose in contemporary Qajar floral lacquer binding 262 x 182 mm.

The scribe, Muhammad Hasan al-Isfahani, is known to have copied another three manuscripts, all prayer books, and dated between AH 1237/AD 1821 and AH 1242/AD 1827 (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. 4, Tehran, 1358 sh., pp. 147-48).

This Qur'an was copied for Muhammad Husayn Nizam al-Dawlah (also known as Sadr-e Isfahani), whose name - originally given in the colophon in red - appears to have been defaced with a seal impression. He is recorded as one of the richest men in Persia and a high official of Isfahan. He held the post of Finance Minister (mustawfi al-mamalik) and the title Amin al-Dawlah between AH 1221/AD 1806-07 and AH 1228/AD 1813-14, after which he received the title Nizam al-Dawlah and held the post of Prime Minister (sadr a'zam) between AH 1234/AD 1818-19 and AH 1239/AD 1823-24. He was responsible for buildings in Najaf, gold and silver doors for various Shi'a shrines including the shrine of Ma'sumah in Qom, and his gifts to Fath 'Ali Shah include the Sun Throne, at the time of Shah's marriage to Tawus Khanum, after which it was called the Peacock Throne, takht-e tawus (not to be confused with the Mughal Peacock Throne, brought from Delhi by Nadir Shah). See M. Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, 1700-1900, vol. III, Tehran, 1966, pp. 379-81.