Sometimes, art historians might not know exactly when a piece was made. But, by analyzing the piece and the text, we can tell you when it was not made. Since the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the 7th century and this piece features a Qur’an verse, we know immediately that it was written after the 7th century. Then, we look at the materials. Paper was not in widespread use before the 8th century. Next is the technique: this style of Arabic script, Muhaqqaq, wasn’t developed before the 10th century. That’s our starting point. Then we weigh that against other information, like similar pieces in other museums or what we know of the person who gave it to the museum.

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