US exhibition shines light on Qur’ans as collector's objects

It was a major boon for a collector to own a Quran by a celebrated calligrapher or copied at a holy site, such as the prayer room of the Prophets Mosque in Medina, or written in lampblack from the oil lamps at the Sleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul. By acquiring, reading and reciting from Qurans, the blessings they carry are bestowed on to their new owners. Fortunately for todays scholars and conservators, early custodians were keen to add to the texts genealogy by inscribing their names and relevan