Book Review 12 : Jaarboek Voor Munt En Penningkunde : Gold Coins of Samudra Pasai and Aceh : Their Origin, name and weight in a historical context

Book Info :

Title : Jaarboek Voor Munt En Penningkunde
Other Title :  Gold Coins of Samudra Pasai and Aceh : Their Origin, name and weight in a historical context
Author : Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap Voor Munt-en Penningkunde
Publisher :  Amsterdam : Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap Voor Munt-en Penningkunde
Printer :
Pages : 226 pages
ISBN : 0920-380-X
 

 

Book Review :

This is so far the best and the most comprehensive catalog on coins from Pasai Samudra & Aceh empires. This is the frist place I will go to get info on these empires coins. It has quite detailed explanation ont eh history of the empires & the rulers as well as detailed information on their coins.
An Amazing book.

Ancient Manuscript Review 120 : Antique Hijazi Quran on vellum / parchment ( 8th Century CE)

This is Quranic verses written in Hijazi script on a brownish vellum. Acquired from an acquaintance in Paris. The vellum originally belonged to a Professor of Islamic Art. I couldn't verify the exact date of this vellum however based on the script ( Hijazi), I would estimate it around 8th -9th century CE.
This leaf contains Surah Al Araaf ( chapter 7) from verse 22 till verse 25.

Similar leaf is on display in London Central Mosque Gallery. The leaf is believed from the same source containing the same chapter but from verse 19 till 22. The website is as below :
ExhibitionIslamUK
Quran Leaf

From my research, I discovered that a similar leaf was sold in Ebay in 2007 for USD1000. See below for the link
Hijazi vellum on Ebay 

See my other Hijazi Quranic parchment on this link

 Hijazi Quranic Parchment

Codicology

Title Page : Nil

Content    : Quranic Verses. Chapter 7 ( Surah Al Araf) verse 22-25

Date         : 8th Century CE

Copyist    : Anonymous

Patron      : Nil

Origin      : Middle East

Place acquired : Paris

Illuminations : Nil

Calligraphy : Hijazi

Number of lines :5 lines per page

Inks          : Black

Punctuation: 6 black dots

Frame       :  Nil

History of Manuscript : Originally belonged to a Professor of Islamic Art in Paris. His family sold some of these vellum to a friend. I acquired this vellum from him in 2013.

Number of folios : 1 f

Support of writing : Brownish vellum

Gatherings : N/A

Catchwords :Nil

Dimensions : 18.0 cm x 14.0 cm

Binding   : Nil

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks : The vellum is a bit glossy as if a protective layer has been applied to the surface. The ink is black but some places where the ink faded leaving red stains The vellum is a bit hard & thick.

Ancient Artifact Review 17 : Antique Chinese Red Lacquer Vellum & Paper Mache Box ( Ching Dynasty 19th CE)

This is an antique box from Ching Dynasty from China. This could be a jewelery box as it is fitted with a brass hasp ( the staple is missing except the hinged metal strap). The box was made of paper mache and covered with leather and lacquered in red. Nice decorative brass motives were tooled on this box.
Purchased from Ebay.

Dim : 29.5cm x 18cm x 14.5 cm
Date : 19th Century CE ( Ching Dynasty)
Material : Paper Mache with red lacquered vellum
Origin :  China

Ancient Coin Review 63 : Sultan Alaadin Johan Shah ( Sultanate Aceh 1735 -1760CE)

This is a gold coin from Sultan Aladin Johan Shah era. He was the oldest son of Sultan Aladin Ahmad Shah and reigned Aceh from 1735 - 1760 CE. His original name was Potjut Auk.

Aceh is a state located at the northern end of Sumatra island ( Indonesia). It is also known by its Arabic honorific Darus Salam ( Abode of Peace) from 1511-1959 CE.
Aceh's origins are unquestionably Cham, as the Champa king Syah Pau Kubah sent his son Syah Pau Ling to rule over Aceh when the capital Vijaya in 1471 AD, was sacked by the Vietnamese Le Dynasty.
The Sultanate of Aceh was founded in 1511 CE after the fall of Pasai Sultanate by Sultan Ali Mughayat Shah. It’s presumed that he is the same person as Syah Pau Ling who converted to Islam.
The Sultanate lasted till 1903 when the last Aceh Sultan Muhammad III Daud Shah Johan Berdaulat surrendered to Dutch occupation.

Obv: Sri Sultan Aladin
Rev: Shah Johan Shah Berdaulat
Weight : 0.58 gm
Dim : 14mm
Date : 1735 - 1760 CE
Rarity :
Denom : Mas
Material : AV , Gold
Reference : A 27 pg 182 ( Jaarboek Voor Munt-en Penningkunde)

Ancient Manuscript Review 119 : Antique Indonesian Lontar Quran Manuscript (20th Century)

This is a very interesting Quran manuscript from Indonesia. These Quranic verses were written on Lontar i.e a leaf derives from the palmyra species of palm, Borassus flabellifer, which is common in Indonesia. An iron stylus called a pangutik is used to inscribe the writings on the leaf surface.
The inscription of Quranic on Lontar is rare because by tradition only kawi script was written.
There are about 7 Quranic chapters in this manuscript. Total 35 palm leaves and binded by thick thread and stored in a mahogany box.

According to the person who sold me this manuscript, this lontar came from Aceh and its estimated from 18-19th century.
However when I received this manuscript, I doubt that its really that old. The lontar leaves are pale yellow and quite in good condition.I estimated this manuscript must have been made within 50 years.
My other lontar manuscripts which are more than 100 years of age have darker color and the condition of the leaves is quite fragile. See below links for comparison:
Bali Lontar Manuscript 1
Bali Lontar Manuscript 2

Codicology

Title Page : Nil

Content    : 7 Surahs of Quran

Date         :  20th Century CE

Copyist    : Anonymous

Patron      : Nil

Origin      : Aceh , Indonesia

Place acquired : Pekanbaru, Indonesia

Illuminations : Nil

Calligraphy : Ghubari

Number of lines :3 lines perleaf

Inks          : Main text inscribed in black

Punctuation: Diacritical marks in black

Frame       :  Nil

History of Manuscript :

Number of folios : 35leaves

Support of writing : pale yellowish Lontar leaf

Gatherings : N/A

Catchwords :Nil

Dimensions : 105 cm x 37 cm

Binding   : Covers are from wood

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks :Manuscript is stored inside a mahogany box

Ancient Manuscript Review 118 : Antique Aramaic Syriac Estrangela Christian Manuscript Pastedown

This is an unexpected and rare finding. I first spotted this leaf pasted in the inner cover of a Syriac manuscript. The script was so peculiar and totally different than the script written in the manuscript. After doing some research and googling, this script is called Estrangela. It was much earlier and older script compared to Serto script which is used in the manuscript itself.. The pastedown could be taken from an older manuscript and could be earlier than 10th century.

I welcome anyone who has any knowledge of this script & manuscript to shed some lights.

Codicology

Title Page : Nil

Content    : Unknown

Date         : 6th-10th Century CE

Copyist    : Anonymous

Patron      : Nil

Origin      : Diyerbakir, Turkey

Place acquired : Istanbul

Illuminations : Nil

Calligraphy : Syriac Estrangela

Number of lines :14 lines per page

Inks          : Main text in black with some words in red

Punctuation: Diacritical marks in black

Frame       :  Nil

History of Manuscript : It was originally a pastedown of inner cover of a Syriac gospel manuscript

Number of folios : 1 f

Support of writing : light yellowish vellum

Gatherings : N/A

Catchwords :Nil

Dimensions : 15.5 cm x 22.0 cm

Binding   : Nil

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks :

Ancient Manuscript Review 117 : Antique Etiopian Coptic Bible Manuscript ( 18th Century CE)

This is my first Coptic Bible acquisition. I really dont know how to read coptic. But the seller who is coptic herself told me that this is a gospel written in coptic.
This manuscript is written in Ge'ez on vellum

Codicology

Title Page : Nil

Content    : Christian Gospel

Date         : 18th Century CE

Copyist    : Anonymous

Patron      : Nil

Origin      : Etiopia

Place acquired : Etiopia

Illuminations : Nil

Calligraphy :Ge'ez

Number of lines :16 lines per page

Inks          : Main text in black. Some key words in red.

Punctuation: Diacritical marks in black

Frame       :  Nil

History of Manuscript : Purchased from a contact in Etiopia

Number of folios : 52 ff

Support of writing : light yellowish vellum

Gatherings : N/A

Catchwords :Nil

Dimensions : 13.5 cm x 10.0 cm

Binding   :Dark brown wooden covers

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks :

Ancient Manuscript Review 116 : Antique Etiopia Illuminated Quran ( 19th Century CE)

This is another Etiopian Quran in my library. Covered with leather and Geometrical colorful design on the first page.

Surah Al Fatihah & the first page of Surah Al Baqarah are decorated with local motives yet I dont understand why on next pages the same surahs were written without the decorations.
The last page was written by another copyist apparently a replacement page. The page seemed old as well.

This is a very rare acquisition because we dont see many Etiopian Quran in the market or in international hands. I am blessed to have acquired this beautiful manuscript.
Look my other Etiopian Qurans as below links:

Dated Etiopia Quran
Beautiful Etiopia Quran
30 volumes Etiopian Quran

Etiopian Quran Comparison
Etiopia Minhajul Muslimin

Codicology

Title Page : Nil

Content    :A Complete Quran

Date         : 19th Century

Copyist    : N/A

Patron      : Nil

Origin      : Harrar Etiopia

Place acquired : Etiopia

Illuminations : First 3 pages with colorful illuminations.

Calligraphy : Naskh

Number of lines :15

Inks          : Main text in black with diacritical marks in red

Punctuation: red circle with black dot in middle to separate between verses.

Frame       :  Nil

History of Manuscript :

Number of folios : 330 ff

Support of writing : Western paper

Gatherings :

Catchwords :first word on subsequent page in bottom left of recto

Dimensions : 21.0 cm x 17.0 cm

Binding   :Brown leather

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks :

Ancient Manuscript Review 115 : Antique Hijazi / Kufic Quran on Vellum - 9th CE

This is a single folio of Quran written in late Hijazi script on vellum. I purchased this vellum from a reputable auction house in USA. COA that comes with this vellum describing it as Arabic Hijazi Quran Vellum c. 8th-9th Century CE.
There was an auction from Sotheby's selling some follios with quite similar scripts which were described as late Hijazi script. The item as in below link :
Sotheyby's Late Hijazi Quran

However Prof Deroche described this script as B-II i.e " Early Abbasid Scripts". In reference to " Islamic Codicology", this script is datable to 9th Century CE.
Regardless various terminologies used by expert to describe this script, one thing for sure this script is a transition from the earliest Arabic script i.e Hijazi script to a more constructed Kufic script.

From Christie's website, similar leaves were sold on Sale 5331, Lot 136. I believe this leaf came from the same Mushaf. See the link :

Christie's Sale 5331, Lot 136

Codicology

Title Page : Nil

Content    : Quranic Verses from Surah Israa 92-110

Date         : 9th CE

Copyist    : Anonymous

Patron      : Nil

Origin      : Near East

Place acquired : USA

Illuminations : Nil

Calligraphy :Kufic ( Early Abbasid )

Number of lines :18 lines per page

Inks          : Main text in black

Punctuation: Diacritical marks in black.

Frame       :  Nil

History of Manuscript : Bought from Artemission.

Number of folios : 1 f

Support of writing : light brownish vellum

Gatherings : N/A

Catchwords :Nil

Dimensions : 18.5 cm x 13.0 cm

Binding   : Nil

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks : 

Ancient Manuscript Review 114 : Antique Aramaic Syriac Garshuni Christian Manuscript 1132 C.E

This is a very rare Syriac manuscript on Rikin Al Kiddas ( Holy Power) acquired from Turkey. It is written in Syriac Serto script. This manuscript I believe is dated but I could not read the script nor understand it. However there is a note written in Arabic "sanah 132" means year 132.  Hence I believe this manuscript is dated 1132 CE.
There is also a note written in Arabic that this manuscript was purchased by Abraham Ben Jacob.

I welcome anyone who has any knowledge of this script & manuscript to shed some lights.

Codicology

Title Page : Rikin Al Kiddas ( Holy Power)

Content    :  Rikin Al Kiddas

Date         : 1132 CE

Copyist    : Anonymous

Patron      : Nil

Origin      : Diyerbakir, Turkey

Place acquired : Istanbul

Illuminations : Nil

Calligraphy : Syriac Serto

Number of lines :15 lines per page

Inks          : Main text in black with some headings in red

Punctuation: Diacritical marks in black

Frame       :  Nil

History of Manuscript : from a private library in Diyerbakir

Number of folios : 117 ff

Support of writing : yellowish laid paper

Gatherings : N/A

Catchwords :bottom left on recto page

Dimensions : 17.0 cm x 11.5 cm

Binding   : Hard covers bound with fabric

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks :

Ancient Manuscript Review 113 : Antique Aramaic Syriac Garshuni Christian Manuscript 1147 C.E

This is a very rare Syriac manuscript on Mazamir Davut ( Psalms of David) acquired from Turkey. It is written in Syriac Serto script and some pages were replaced and written in Arabic. Some margin notes are also written in Arabic. This manuscript I believe is dated but I could not read the script nor understand it. However there is a note written in Arabic "sanah 147" means year 147.  Hence I believe this manuscript is dated 1147 CE.
About 6 pages in this manuscript has its title illuminated in various colors. I noticed also some pages have simple illumination around the page number at the bottom of the page.

I welcome anyone who has any knowledge of this script & manuscript to shed some lights.








Codicology

Title Page : Mazamir Davut ( Psalms of David)

Content    :  Psalms of David

Date         : 12th Century CE

Copyist    : Anonymous

Patron      : Nil

Origin      : Diyerbakir, Turkey

Place acquired : Istanbul

Illuminations : 6 pages

Calligraphy : Syriac Serto

Number of lines :17 lines in 2 columns per page

Inks          : Main text in black with some headings in red

Punctuation: Diacritical marks in black& red

Frame       :  Nil

History of Manuscript : from a private library in Diyerbakir

Number of folios : 124 ff

Support of writing : yellowish laid paper

Gatherings : N/A

Catchwords :bottom left on recto page

Dimensions : 20.5 cm x 15.5 cm

Binding   : Hard covers

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks :

Ancient Manuscript Review 112 : Antique IIkhanid Qur'an Folio ( 13-14th Century)

This is a folio from a Quran. I acquired this leaf from a friend in Istanbul recently. He claimed this is from Mamluk.
Thanks to one of visitors here, Faisal Reza who convinced that this is from II-Khanid era ( 1256-1353 C.E)
I did some research and found that  this is quite true. The most obvious clue that this is IIkhanid's is that it has Persian translation ( Ta'liq script). IIkhanid Dynasty was based in Northwest Iran whereas Mamluk Sultanate ( 1250-1517 CE) was based in Cairo hence there were more Persian speakers within IIkhanid territory than in Mamluk's.
Going further, the Muhaqqaq script executed in this folio is more resemblance of Yaqut Al Mu'tasimi who is active from 1242-1298 CE. He was the most popular calligrapher during that period in Persia area and it make sense that contemporary calligraphers tended to follow his style.
There are many clues that this Muhaqqaq script was based on Yaqut's style. For example the the script lines rise slightly towards the left in comparison to the style of the founder of Muhaqqaq, Ibn AL Bawwab ( died 1022CE) which is typical straight line.The loop of Lam Alif is smaller in Yaqut's and the Alif is more vertical.
Comparing to sample of Quran from IIkhanid period, I have seen many were following Yaqut's style though a few of Ibn Al Bawwab's style Qurans also originated from IIkhanid territory..
For an example a Quran dated 1308CE was written in Baghdad by Yaqut's student and a few folios auctioned in Christie's claimed to be IIkhanid's were quite similar to mine and definitely Yaqut's style.
There is one similar folio ( better quality) sold in Christie's under sale 5499 for USD1387. I have seen also the price from USD250 - USD450 per folio in Ebay.

 Codicology

Title Page :

Content    : Surah  from Al Quran

Date         :13-14th century ( IIkhanid's period)

Copyist    : Anonymous

Patron      : n/a

Origin      : Iraq

Place acquired : Istanbul

Illuminations : Nil

Calligraphy : Main text in Muhaqqaq script. Translation in Ta'liq.

Number of lines :10 lines per page

Inks          : Black

Punctuation: gold floral disc.

Frame       : Nil but with gold roundel in margin

History of Manuscript : Acquired from a friend who has a manuscript bazaar in Istanbul. He has a few folios from the same Quran. But I only bought a folio from him.

Number of folios : 1 f

Support of writing : Brownish oriental paper

Gatherings : N/A

Catchwords :Nil

Dimensions : 39.0 cm x  27.0 cm

Binding   : Nil

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks : Compare the calligraphy with my other Muhaqqaq Quran as below link..

Syrian Muhaqqaq Quran

Ancient Manusript Review 111 : Antique Uncial Armenian Syriac Aramaic Gospel Vellum / Palimpsest ( 9th century)

This is an unexpected and rare finding. I first spotted this leaf pasted in the inner cover of a Syriac lectionary. The script was so peculiar and totally different than the syriac script. At first I thought the leaf was made of paper and the script was written in latin. But after doing some research and googling, this script is more resemblance to Uncial Armenian. This leaf itself was made of leather and not paper as I thought. This vellum was used as a pastedown at the beginning of a Syriac lectionary manuscript. The pastedown could be taken from an older manuscript. In this case this pastedown was from vellum and it was written in uncial Armenian which was used in writing as early as 4th Century.

This Syriac script on one side was written over ("rescriptus") a former text ( Uncial script) that had been washed off its vellum pages. This is called palimpsest.The Uncial script could be from 6th century but no later than 10th century whereas the Syriac script could be written later circa 11th century. The reason to date this palimpsest older than 10th century because the non existence of letters օ and ֆ which were introduced from 10th century onward.

I welcome anyone who has any knowledge of this script & manuscript to shed some lights.

Codicology

Title Page : Nil

Content    : Gospel Lectionary

Date         : 6th Century CE

Copyist    : Anonymous

Patron      : Nil

Origin      : Diyerbakir, Turkey

Place acquired : Istanbul

Illuminations : Nil

Calligraphy :Uncial Aramaic

Number of lines :12 lines per page

Inks          : Main text in black

Punctuation: Diacritical marks in black

Frame       :  Nil

History of Manuscript : It was originally a pastedown of inner cover of a Syriac gospel manuscript

Number of folios : 1 f

Support of writing : light brownish vellum

Gatherings : N/A

Catchwords :Nil

Dimensions : 15.5 cm x 10.0 cm

Binding   : Nil

Estimated Market Price :

Purchased Price : USD

Remarks :

 In a meantime below are some info I could dig from the internet to understand the history of this script and manuscript better.

See below links for info on pastedown used in other ancient manuscripts and example of 6th century Uncial Script

 Syriac Aramaic Pastedown

5th-6th Century Armenian Manuscripts


9th Century Armenian Gospel in British Library

Also see below link to similar vellum which was dated to 6th Century

Codex Climaci Rescriptus ( Uncial Script)

Armenian Manuscript History


From Wikipedia
The Armenian alphabet is an alphabet that has been used to write the Armenian language since the year 405 or 406. It was introduced by Saint Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and ecclesiastical leader, and originally contained 36 letters. Armenian literature with pre-Mashtotsian letters was burned during the introduction of Christianity. Two more letters, օ and ֆ, were added in the Middle Ages, and Soviet reforms of the alphabet in 1922-1924 created two new letters. Until the 19th century, Classical Armenian was the literary language; since then, the Armenian alphabet has been used to write the two official literary dialects of Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian. The Armenian word for "alphabet" is այբուբեն aybuben (Armenian pronunciation: [ɑjbubɛn]), named after the first two letters of the Armenian alphabet Ա այբ ayb and Բ բեն ben. Its directionality is horizontal left-to-right, like the Latin^[4] and Greek alphabets. Both Eastern and Western Armenian Alphabets include 39 letters and 36 sounds.
The invention of the alphabet (406) was the beginning of Armenian literature, and proved a powerful factor in the upbuilding of the national spirit. "The result of the work of Isaac and Mesrop", says St. Martin,^[5] "was to separate for ever the Armenians from the other peoples of the East, to make of them a distinct nation, and to strengthen them in the Christian Faith by forbidding or rendering profane all the foreign alphabetic scripts which were employed for transcribing the books of the heathens and of the followers of Zoroaster. To Mesrop we owe the preservation of the language and literature of Armenia; but for his work, the people would have been absorbed by the Persians and Syrians, and would have disappeared like so many nations of the East".
The first monument of this Armenian literature is the version of the Holy Scriptures. Isaac, says Moses of Chorene, made a translation of the Bible from the Syriac text about 411. This work must have been considered imperfect, for soon afterwards John of Egheghiatz and Joseph of Baghin were sent to Edessa ( Şanlı Urfa ) to translate the Scriptures. They journeyed as far as Constantinople, and brought back with them authentic copies of the Greek text. With the help of other copies obtained from Alexandria the Bible was translated again from the Greek according to the text of the Septuagint and Origen's Hexapla. This version, now in use in the Armenian Church, was completed about 434.