Sunday, March 13, 2011

Antique Miniature Qur'an circa 1900 AD




 
Miniature Quran and metal locket with inset magnifying glass...

**weighs only 4.318g, is 25.708mm long, 19.517mm wide and 9.620mm thick**

Produced by the Glasgow publisher, David Bryce and Sons circa 1900, this Quran is about 111 years old now. Copies were frequently issued to Muslim soldiers fighting with the Allied troops during World War 1, often regarded as talismans. The metal locket allowed it to be easily worn around the neck of the soldier.

Bryce took an active interest in the latest technological advances in photolithography and electroplates to allow larger volumes to be reduced to the smallest imaginable size. Although only 2.57cm in height, the text is perfectly legible with the aid of the magnifying glass.

This antique miniature Quran bears a remarkable resemblance to the one belonging to a Chinese Muslim from Shianxi, China which is insured for RM1 million. Refer newspaper article
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2006/06/16/tiny-quran-on-show-at-carnival

                   

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