Layout: Written in 15 lines per page (single column)
Script: Naskh ; fine, bold Indian hand ; partially but somewhat irregularly seriffed (barbed left-sloping serif on alif of lām-alif ligature and occasionally on other ascenders), fairly vertical though with occasional very slight effect of tilt to the left, spacious curvilinear descenders (some sweeping), final and isolated nūn slightly angled with point set just inside deep but somewhat narrow bowl, pointing in distinct dots (two-dots occasionally written vertically), fully vocalized.
Decoration: Splendid double-page illumination at opening consisting of a series of scalloped domes in gold filled with floral vegetal designs in orange-red and pink with green and white accents, set off by similar floral vegetal pattern on a deep blue ground, written area (in 7 lines per page) of opening carrying Sūrat al-Fātiḥah and opening of Sūrat al-Baqarah flanked by upper and lower rectangular pieces with gold cartouches carrying the sūrah headings in white ; similar double-page illumination at close of Qurʼānic text (Sūrat al-Falaq and Sūrat al-Nās) ; illuminated headpiece with w-shaped piece / scalloped dome at opening of prayers at close ; elsewhere rectangular illuminated headpieces carry sūrah headings in white riqāʻ within gold cartouches flanked by delicate floral vegetal designs in orange-red, lavender, and gold on a dark blue ground ; written area surrounded by frame in a series of gold bands with outer red and blue rules ; narrow bands of gold separate lines of text ; marginal decorations in gold, blue, orange-red and lavender mark each rubʻ, ḥizb, etc ; abbreviation marks (mainly curved strokes and sigla for pauses), large ʻayn in margin to indicate bowing (rukūʻ), marginal headings, and keywords in final prayers all rubricated ; verse dividers in the form of gold discs outlined in black.
Binding: Thick boards covered in painted lacquerwork, spine in dark red leather ; Type III binding (without flap) ; doublures in painted lacquerwork (frame with floral cornerpieces surrounding central diamond shaped floral ornament, all in gold on a red ground) ; upper and lower covers bear paintings of nearly identical gul-i bulbul floral composition in mirror image to one another on a dark red to black ground ; crazing, cracking and losses to lacquerwork, etc.
Origin: Lacks dated colophon. Decoration, paper, binding, etc suggest early 19th century India or environs.
Shelfmark: Madison, University of Wisconsin, Ms 562
Safwat, Nabil F. Golden Pages: Qur'ans and Other Manuscripts from the Collection of Ghassan I. Shaker (Oxford: Oxford University Press for Azimuth Editions, 2000) no. 37, p.162-165