14 though the copyist had to maintain both a geometrically determined spacing between letters and words and a set proportion of letter size to that of the most important letter alif.6 This style was suitable for the small, portable Qur’ans of this period. With this fine black naksh, Sandal often used golden surah headings in condensed ornamental kufic script7 as shown at the bottom of the verso side at the end of the surah, giving chapter title, number of verses and text derivation. A thin black outline emphasizes the solid structure of this script. Kufic script is also used in the tenth-verse roundel forming a visual and informational tie with the surah heading. Little is known about Sandal, also known as Abu Bakr. The form and meaning of his name implies he was a slave or eunuch8 but the quality and quantity of his attributed work and the prevalence of his atelier, even after the probable date of his death, indicate that he had influential patronage and was well regarded.9 Sandal’s Qur’ans were commissioned by Mamluks, originally military slaves, who became successful rulers in thirteenth-century Egypt and Syria and viewed traditional art and religion as stabilizing forces.10 Such patrons would have respected Sandal’s geometric precision, and also admired his distinctive designs, lavish ornamentation and golden accents as a sign of Mamluk wealth and status. Normandie Holmes 1 Martin Lings and Yasin Hamid Safadi, The Qur’an (London: World of Islam Festival Publishing Company Ltd, 1976) , 15. 2 David James, Qur’ans of the Mamluks (New York: Thames and Hudson, 1988), 40, 48. 3 Marcus Fraser, Geometry in Gold (London: Sam Fogg, 2005), 10-15. 4 James, Qur’ans of the Mamluks, 48. 5 Annemarie Schimmel, Calligraphy and Islamic Culture (New York: New York University Press, 1984), 23. 6 Abdelkebir Khatibi and Mohammed Sijelmassi, The Splendour of Islamic Calligraphy (New York: Thames and Hudson, 1996), 46-47. 7 James, Qur’ans of the Mamluks, 58. 8 James, Qur’ans of the Mamluks, 47. 9 David James, The Master Scribes (London: Nour Foundation, 1992), 150. 10 James, Qur’ans of the Mamluks, 27-30.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz