Quran (Iran?, mid-16th century)

MS 304

A donation from an English Freemason in Calcutta?

The volume was donated by one Charles Stafford Playdell in 1769, who may be identified with the colonialist Charles Stafford Playdell (d. 1779), who is commemorated on Calcutta’s ‘Great Christian Burial Ground’ as a member of the Board of Trade, Master in Chancery, and Superintendent of Police in Calcutta (Derozario, p. 25). He was also the Deputy Grand Master for the Bengal lodge of the Freemasons (Patterson, p. 223). It is unclear what his connection was with St John’s College, as he is not listed as a scholar or fellow of the College in Alumni Oxoniensis or the College register.

‘A richly illuminated copy, using coloured inks, opaque watercolours, and gilt. The first sūrah is written on facing folios (2b and 3a) in very small Naskh script within a central scalloped lozenge of gilt ground. The lozenge is framed by a white strapping highlighted with black dots that wraps around the lozenge and twists around other decorative lozenges (gilt ground with minute floral designs in pink, red, blue, and white; or dark-blue ground with floral designs). This small panel is then framed by three concentric rectangular panels, the first of a floral design on a dark-blue ground, the second of gilt in a plaited design, and the third having a ground of gilt or dark blue decorated with intertwined vines and floral designs. The margins are decorated with geometric pendants in blue ink.
‘The beginning of the second sūrah (folio 3b) has an illuminated head-piece, with a title written in a lozenge set in a rectangular frame. Dark-blue, light-blue, red, and white opaque watercolours are used as well as gilt.
‘Other sūrah headings and accentuated lines are written in panels extending across the text area using either gilt ink for the Thulth script, on a light-blue ground decorated with minute leaves, or a Thulth script in white opaque watercolour outlined by fine black lines on a gilt ground decorated with a small floral design highlighted in red and blue.
‘The main text is written in five panels within a text area defined by fine black and gilt lines. The first, third, and fifth panels are as wide as the text area and are written in a large Thulth script using dark-blue ink (first and fifth panel) and gold ink (third panel). There are verse stops of gilt-filled circles decorated with small black dots, and in the margins dark-blue medallions and pendants.”
(Savage-Smith, pp. 83-4)

Further Resource
Descriptive catalogue record available at our Digital Library (scroll down to MS 304)