Arabic Manuscripts: A Vademecum for Readers

Evidence

"Fig. 1: Detail of Gharīb al-ḥadīth by Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām; the oldest dated codex written on paper, executed in 252/866 and preserved in Leiden University (Or.298, f.239b)"

Remarks

The ink in this entry is used to execute the 'Abbasid bookhand' script in the oldest known dated paper codex (p. 1). The script is a generic term for varieties originating in the early chancery, used for non-Qur'anic texts (p. 1). It is palaeographically recognizable by sharp angles where later naskhi script uses curves, particularly in the letter nun and the heads of letters like fa', qaf, and mim (p. 1). The specific ink composition for Fig. 1 is not provided in this section of the text, but it is visually consistent with carbon or iron-gall inks common to the period.