A GROUP OF EIGHT GILT AND TOOLED LEATHER BOOK BINDINGS
Iran, Ottoman Turkey and Provinces, 17th century and later

Comprising a large morocco panel, sumptuously tooled and gilt on dark red, blue, and black ground with scrolling floral motifs and cloud bands in a lobed central cartouche, the interior similarly worked in gold and black, 46.2cm x 29.3cm; a document holder of maroon gold-tooled morocco, the interior and sleeves in orange gold-tooled leather, 28.5cm x 42.5cm when open; a red gold-tooled morocco leather binding, flyleaves attached, 26cm x 31.7cm when open; a possible pair of heavily worked bindings with gold cloud band field around a lobed cartouche on each, the endpapers plain black calf, 25cm x 16.5cm each; a flapped Qur’an cover of green morocco, gilt-stamped with red centres, 11.7cm x 43.3cm when open; a fine deep morocco binding heavily gilt and stamped in the European style, possibly a sleeve, 17cm x 25cm when fully extended; and a flapped Juz cover of gilt and tooled black calf, the endpaper in fine red calf, Juz 16 in Persian gold letters on the front, 17.3cm x 28cm.

Provenance: The green binding, Christie's South Kensington, 9 October 2009, part of lot 393. The rest, Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, 31 May 2013, part of lots 44, 50 and 51.