Folio from a Qur'an, 1933.488; Iran, 1100s
1100s · CP-LIB-CMA-1933-488 · Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0 (museum open access; resized JPEG) · Photo source ↗
Meaning
One leaf of a manuscript, with recto and verso faces; not the same as one numbered page or an entire manuscript.
Spelling and pronunciation
- Persian: برگ نسخهٔ خطی
- Transliteration: barg
- English usage: Folio (manuscript leaf)
Spellings vary between dealers, museums and regions. Usage notes are under review.
A leaf is a physical unit; a page is a face
Folio names one physical leaf with two faces. A page generally names one face, although catalogue language and numbering practices vary. Record the institution’s designation rather than silently renumbering a manuscript. A photograph presenting both faces side by side may show two views of one leaf rather than an open book.
The distinction matters when describing detached manuscripts. Text, illumination and later annotations may differ on the two faces. A short description of the front should not stand in for the entire leaf, and an attractive crop should not remove margins that carry ownership or assembly evidence.
Record a fragment without rebuilding its missing book
An isolated folio does not establish the complete manuscript’s original binding, dimensions or sequence. Catalogue measurements may refer to the sheet or to its text area; these are different dimensions. A collecting record should preserve those labels and identify which faces have been photographed.
Use the source’s text identification and script attribution with their qualifications. Do not infer an entire manuscript’s author, date or place from one decorative feature. For a market leaf, ask about detachment history and lawful provenance rather than treating a beautiful page as evidence of a responsible collecting history.
Compare the evidence
| Object or term | What to examine | Limit of the evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf / folio | Physical sheet and both faces | Not the complete manuscript. |
| Page | One face and its numbering | Numbering conventions differ. |
| Open-book photograph | Binding and page relationship | Two side-by-side images may not be a bound spread. |
Practical questions
- Does a folio always mean two photographs?
- No. It has two faces, but a catalogue may publish one, both or a composite view. Record the image coverage explicitly.
Sources and further reading
- Cleveland Museum of Art: Folio from a Qur'an (1933.488)
Object-specific catalogue comparison; not proof of another object’s identity or provenance.
Editorial draft awaiting specialist review. References provide context, not verification of every statement, object attribution or current workshop access.
Used in these crafts
The decoration of manuscript pages and album leaves with gold and coloured pigments in geometric and floral designs framing text or painting.
A hanging cursive script developed in Iran for Persian poetry, distinguished by its sloping baseline, sharply contrasted thick and thin strokes, and sweeping final letters.