A Quran was sold at auction in Lyon (Rhône) on Monday June 10, 2024 for €730,000. A record. The book was found in a trunk stored in an attic. It had been stored there with several Turkish Korans and Middle Eastern art objects. It had been almost forgotten in a trunk stored in an attic. An Ottoman Quran from 1866 was sold for €730,000 during an auction organized in Lyon (Rhône) on Monday June 10, 2024 by the auction house De Baecque & Associés, indicates Le Progrès . The book by the very famous Kazasker calligrapher Mustafa Izzet Efendi was estimated at between €6,000 and €8,000, specifies Le Figaro .
“A mythical object” It was recently discovered by its owner's great-niece while she was emptying her grandfather's house. In the attic, she came across a trunk. When she opened it, she discovered this Quran as well as Turkish copies purchased at the beginning of the 20th century and objects of art from the Middle East. Everything was sold on Monday June 10, 2024 for more than 1.5 million euros. If the auctions soared, it is thanks to the name of Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi who signed the Koran  “the slave of the household of the coat” , explains Le Figaro . “In the Muslim world, it is a mythical object due to the personality of this calligrapher and the quality of his work ,” assured Mr. De Baecque to our colleagues.
This “beautiful, richly illuminated Ottoman Quran” shines with its “abundant arabesques and floral motifs”, and its “verses written in clouds on a golden background”. The work, dated 1866, was signed in Istanbul by Izzet Efendi and includes prayers dedicated to Sultan Abdülaziz. During this same sale, another piece, calligraphed in the 16th century, was sold for 480,000 euros. Buyers, mainly from the Middle East, were attracted by the rarity and quality of these pieces.
Seen in Ouest France
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