8/4/2019 October - Islamic Overview KS
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/october-islamic-overview-ks 1/2
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Press Contact: Hannah Schmidt +44 (0) 207 389 2964 [email protected] Alize Morand +44 (0) 207 389 2537 [email protected]
CHRISTIE’S CELEBRATE THE MAGNIFICENCE OF ART FROM THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS
Oriental and European Rugs & Carpets: Tuesday 4 October at 10.30am and 2.30pm
Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds: Thursday 6 October 2011 at 10.00am and 2.30pm
Art & Textiles of The Islamic & Indian Worlds Including Works From The Collection of
The Late Simon Digby: Friday, 7 October 2011 at 10am & 2.30pm
London - Christie’s Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds sale, on Thursday 6 October, celebrates the
magnificence of works of art dating from the 7 th century through to the 20th century - from Europe
in the west to South East Asia in the east. The auction comprises a strong array of metalwork;
beautiful works on paper in the form of manuscripts, Qur’ans, calligraphy and Indian and Persian
album pages; Persian and Iznik pottery with excellent provenance from small private collections;
textiles featuring a group of 13th and 14th century embroideries from central Asia and examples of
glass, rock crystal and ivory. Featuring over 450 lots, the breadth and depth of this dynamic sale will
excite the vibrant market for this category which saw international bidding last spring from across
the Middle East to Tokyo and California. The auction is expected to realise in excess of £10 million.
The sale is led by a highly important recently discovered and previously unknown 8th century
Umayyad sculpture of a deer in bronze with copper inlay, from Iran (estimate: £2,000,000-
3,000,000), illustrated top right. Of notable proportions, measuring 13⅝ in. (34.7cm.) high x 1115/16 in.
(30.3cm.) long, it is a very early example of Islamic art which pre-dates all bronze animals previously
sold in Islamic Art auctions. Offered from a private Arab collection the closest comparable is a deer
in the Hermitage museum. The other most significant piece of metalwork is a late 11th century/ early
12th
century silver vessel from western Iran which was made for Najm al-Dawla Khumar Tegin, Amiral-Hajj who supervised the pilgrimage to Mecca from Baghdad. A remarkable survival, this
extraordinary engraved and nielloed silver bowl traces a historic journey (estimate: £700,000-
1,000,000).
8/4/2019 October - Islamic Overview KS
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/october-islamic-overview-ks 2/2
Further highlights include:
This carved Mamluk ivory panel which bears the title of Sultan Baybars II, al-Jashnagir, who ruled for
just one year between 1309 and 1310, between the second
two reigns of the longest serving Mamluk sultan, Nasir al-
Din Muhammad. A rare record of this sultan’s brief reign
it exemplifies the masterful engraving of which the
Mamluks were capable (estimate: £200,000-300,000).
The Zand painting A Lady at Leisure , circa 1770-80 (estimate: £400,000-600,000) illustrated page 1 top
left, is a masterpiece by Muhammad Sadiq who was more responsible than any other for the
characteristic style of the 19th century. One of the artist’s very rare oils, this fine work is offered
having been bought from a noble collection eight years ago.
To date, 2011 has demonstrated the strong and consistent demand for Ottoman Turkish works.
The cover lot is a delightful Iznik pottery tankard, illustrated page 1, depicting gambolling animals.
From a private collection and passed by descent, this very rare form is taken from metalwork. It is a
near pair with the example in the Louvre, Paris. For more information on Turkish works please click here.
Over 85 Indian works feature in the sale, with a particularly wide
array of jewel-like miniatures and metalwork. The section is led
by a previously unknown superb Indian miniature which was
recently discovered in an attic. The Meeting of Maharja Mudhoji
Bhosle sen Sahib, Rajah of Nagpur and Maharaja Ishwari sen Bahadur,
Rajah of Mandi , in the Company School style of the early 19 th
century, exhibits fantastic portraiture, with each person
individually identified in the panel below (estimate: £50,000-70,000)
For full information on the sale as a whole please click on the link below to view the e-catalogue: http://www.christies.com/eCatalogues/index.aspx?id=ADBB5C1C66E599AF8525777E005427D7
Art & Textiles of The Islamic & Indian Worlds Including Works from The Collection of The
Late Simon Digby, Friday, 7 October 2011 at 10am & 2.30pm - A landmark auction for the
categ ory at Christie’s South Kensington, this is the most valuable sale to date. Featuring over 600 lots
it is expected to realise in excess of £1.2 million. For more information please click here.
Oriental & European Rugs & Carpets, Tuesday 4 October at 10.30am and 2.30pm
London – The resurgence in demand for rugs and carpets noted in 2010 continued this spring with
strong prices for Persian and classical (pre-1800) carpets. The upcoming auction features over 300
lots, led by one of the earliest Mamluk carpets to have survived (estimate: £800,000-1,200,000).
Dating to Egypt in the second half of the 15 th century, this exquisite rug has an unusually broad and
beautiful colour spectrum and is in very good condition. The sale also contains the earliest Persian
carpet ever published (estimate: £50,000-70,000). This is the largest and most valuable auction in the
category at Christie’s, the sale as a whole is expected to achieve in excess of £3 million.
For full information on the sale please click on the link below to view the e- catalogue:
http://www.christies.com/eCatalogues/index.aspx?id=D8546599538922418525777E00543941
# # #
Image available on request Visit Christie’s on the web at www.christies.com