Gold Koran fetches $2.3mn at auction

An 800-year-old Koran written in gold and silver fetched 1.1 million pounds ($2.34 million) at auction in London on Tuesday.

The sale, at Christie’s International, set world auction records for both a Koran and for an Islamic manuscript.

The manuscript, dated 1203 from Mesopotamia, was signed by Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Umar and written entirely in gold with margin notes in silver. According to Christie’s, it is the earliest known complete manuscript of the Koran written in gold. It had been estimated at £250,000 to £350,000.

According to Christie’s catalogue the kufic Koran bridges a gap between the earlier style, copied on parchment in horizontal format, and the later style of vertical composition, often on paper.

William Robinson, director of Islamic art for Christies, said in a statement: “Today’s extraordinary sale total is one of the highest ever for Islamic art at Christies, reflecting the depth of demand and very strong prices realized throughout the field.”

A 10th Century Kufic Koran also sold for £915,500. Both were offered for sale by the Hispanic Society of America, and were purchased by trade buyers.

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