Islamic & Indian Art London, 29 October 2020
Islamic & Indian Art Department
Beatrice Campi Head of Department beatrice.campi@chiswickauctions.co.uk
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Islamic & Indian Art Thursday 29 October 2020, 1pm Full Sale Viewing at Chiswick by appointment only. Saturday 24 October, 11am - 5pm Sunday 25 October, 11am - 5pm Monday 26 October, 10am - 6pm Tuesday 27 October,10am - 6pm Wednesday 28 October, 10am - 6pm Thursday 29 October, 10am - 1pm Lots of Iranian Origin 1. Bidders are advised that some countries (such as the USA) prohibit or restrict the purchase and import of Iranian “works of conventional craftsmanship” (works that are not by a recognised artist and/ or that have a function, such as lacquer decorative objects, pottery bowls and tiles, metalware, scientific instruments and textiles) and carpets. These restrictions do not apply to “informational materials” such as paintings, manuscripts and works on paper. All bidders are responsible for familiarising themselves with the laws that apply to them and ensuring that they do not bid or import properties in contravention of relevant sanctions or trade embargoes.
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2. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has imposed a ban on the importation of Iranian goods to or via its member states. Please check with you shippers whether you will be able to ship Iranian artworks to the GCC member states prior to bidding.
Photography Jordan Salzmann
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Graphic Design Ghislaine Howard Kim Evangelista
Front Cover part of Lot 278 Inside Front Cover Lot 130 Inside Back Cover Lot X Back Cover Lot X
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The Moita Collection
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A DARK SCHIST CARVING OF A VOTIVE STUPA Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd - 3rd century Carved in the round, the base of rectangular shape, topped by a tall, cylindrical, dome-shaped structure, the base intricately carved with figural reliefs, the drum with two rows of decorative geometric motifs, the top of the dome carved in the shape of a blossomed lotus flower, 18cm x 8.5cm. In Gandharan Buddhist culture, it was common practice to commission votive stupa carvings, which practitioners would donate to Buddhist temples in return for blessings. This practice lingered in Buddhist culture and became very prominent when Buddhism bloomed in East Asia (e.g. China and Japan), creating a whole artistic production centred on devotional objects and temple tokens, no longer just made of stone but also of metals, such as bronze and gilt copper. £400 - 600
104 103 A CARVED GREY SCHIST OFFERING TRAY Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd - 3rd century Of circular shape, on a rounded base, the rim flattened, the interior deeply carved with four circular roundels interspersed with rosette heads, 14cm diam. £100 - £150
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A FRAGMENTARY RELIEF WITH THE GODDESS OF FERTILITY, HARITI
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Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd - 3rd century
A GREY SCHIST CARVED FRIEZE WITH A HUNTING SCENE
The fragment part of a much larger relief panel, possibly once accompanied by Panchika, the God of Wealth, depicting the Goddess of Fertility Hariti seated on a high throne, dressed in a diaphanous and multi-folded gown, wearing a heavy necklace with a central circular medallion, holding a tall cornucopia, her hairstyle with intertwining braids reflecting influences from the Hellenic world, mounted on a later wooden base, 26.5cm high excluding the base.
Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd - 3rd century Of rectangular shape, the frieze carved with a continuous vegetal scroll of Greco-Roman influence, amidst its sprays a typical hunting scene with two men on a chariot preceded by a falcon, a standing figure in motion holding a young deer on a leash, to the left a fragment of a lion’s body standing on its hind legs, mounted on a later wooden base, 13cm x 38cm including the base.
£250 - 350
£250 - £350
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105 A STUCCO BODHISATTVA HEAD WITH RED PIGMENT RESIDUES Hadda or Fondukistan, Afghanistan, 3rd - 5th century Almost carved in the round, the face typical of the Fondukistan artistic production with wide almond-shaped eyes, very pronounced lips, spiky nose and arch-like eyebrows, the hairstyle with clear Greco-Roman influences, with thick curls and wearing a tiara with a gem in the centre, traces of red pigment on the lips, forehead and around the eyes, mounted on a wooden base, 28cm x 20cm including the base. This type of head is normally associated with the Hadda excavation in Afghanistan. For reference, please see Philipp von Zabern, Das Buddhistische Erbe Pakistan: Legenden, Kloster und Paradiese, Mainz, 2009, cat. 246. £250 - £350
108 107 A GREY SCHIST HALOED BODHISATTVA IN MEDITATION Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd - 3rd century Carved in full on three sides, the relief depicting a heavily bejewelled Bodhisattva with naked torso, seated on a lotus throne in meditation, his hands now missing but possibly once in dhyana mudra, wearing a tiara and with his hair tied up in a bun, a large halo to his back for his full extent, 26cm high. £250 - £350 108
106 A SMALL GREY SCHIST FRIEZE RELIEF WITH GARLANDS AND CHERUBS Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd - 3rd century Of rectangular shape, the sides flattened, the centre deeply carved, depicting three cherubs holding a lush vegetal garland scrolling around the frieze panel, mounted on a later wooden base, 10cm x 13cm including the base.
A SMALL RED-PAINTED STUCCO BODHISATTVA HEAD Hadda or Fondukistan, Afghanistan, 3rd - 5th century Almost carved in the round, the face with clear Greco-Roman influences, with rounded eyes, pronounced lips, large Hellenic nose, the hairstyle similar to Greco-Roman sculptures with thick wavy hair and a hair-band, mounted on a plexiglass base, 13cm x 5cm including the base. £100 - £150
A similar relief can be seen in Gandhara and Silk Road Arts: The Hirayama Ikuo Collection, Japan, 2000, cat. 158. £150 - £250
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The Moita Collection
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A MOTTLED RED SANDSTONE CARVING OF A YAKSHINI HEAD PROPERTY FROM THE MOITA COLLECTION OF GANDHARA ART
A GREY SCHIST CARVED FRIEZE WITH FIGURAL DECORATION PROPERTY FROM THE MOITA COLLECTION OF GANDHARA ART
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2nd - 4th century
Ancient region of Gandhara, 2nd - 3rd century
The head carved in high relief, now mostly effaced but once with broad eyes, full lips, elongated earlobes wearing heavy rounded earrings, a thick braid falling behind the yakshini’s head, mounted on a later metal base, 18cm x 11cm including the base.
Of rectangular shape, the frieze divided in three horizontal panels, each panel with three standing figures and a tall vegetal or floral element, some characters holding a rounded water flaks, others lively conversing among each other, all projected towards the left hand-side, each panel separated by a Corinthian capital, above the figural decoration a brick lattice imitating architectural structures decorated with half rosettes, 9.4cm x 42.8cm.
£150 - 250 110
A BUFF SANDSTONE HEAD OF A GODDESS OR APSARA PROPERTY FROM THE MOITA COLLECTION OF GANDHARA ART Madhya Pradesh, India, Chandella period, 10th - 12th century The head fully carved on three sides, the face with wide, almond-shaped eyes, arched eyebrows, a thin nose, full lips, the elongated earlobes possibly once wearing heavy earrings, now damaged, the matted and curly hair arranged in a vertical crown, at the back a stellar or wheel-like design, mounted on a later wooden base, 14cm high and 15.5cm deep excluding the base. £200 - £300
£250 - £300 112
A GRANITE HEAD OF A HINDU GOD PROPERTY FROM THE MOITA COLLECTION OF GANDHARA ART Possibly Tamil Nadu, Southern India, 10th - 12th century The head fully carved on three sides, the face with broad eyes, arched and thin eyebrows, a large nose, full and pronounced lips, with a tall vertical crown holding the god’s hair up, possibly a representation of Lord Shiva or Vishnu, mounted on a later metal base, 22.5cm x 6cm including the base. £200 - £300
Early Islamic Art
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pseudo-calligraphy around the central roundel, the largest 18cm diam; and a brass candlestick, on a circular base, with ringed neck, 16cm high.
A MAMLUK GILT AND ENAMELLED GLASS BOTTLE / CANE FRAGMENT Egypt or Syria, 14th century
£200 - £300
Of tubular shape, with a compressed and gadrooned circular pommel with flattened top, traces of gilding on the pommel and of a red and blue enamelled decorative band running around the middle of the bottle / cane’s neck, with an old inventory sticker to the base Annexe ..261, mounted on a stepped pedestal lined in red velvet, 15cm high including the pedestal, 11.5cm high without the pedestal.
116 A HIGH TIN WINE MUG (MASHRABEH) Khorasan, North Eastern Iran, 11th century Of typical compressed globular shape, resting on a short splayed foot, rising to a wide cylindrical neck, the handle on one side with a human-headed bird thumb rest, the anthropomorphic creature wearing a crown, two epigraphic bands of early floriated Kufic engraved on the shoulders and neck against a dotted ground, 11cm diam. and 21cm high.
Provenance: Acquired from a French collection in 2009 and in a UK collection since. £600 - £800
£200 - £400
114 A CAST BRONZE LION-SHAPED SPOUT PROPERTY FROM THE LATE OLIVER HOARE COLLECTION
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Possibly Al-Andalus, Arabic Spain, 12th - 14th century The spout cast in the shape of a lion standing on its four paws, with bulging almond-shaped eyes, straight ears and open mouth, the circular opening on the tummy connected to the mouth for the flowing of the water, the tail now missing, mounted on a wooden base, 13cm x 13.5cm excluding the base. A bronze lion-shaped handle from the same collection, country and period was successfully sold in these Rooms, 22 July 2020, lot 263. £600 - £800
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115 TWO COPPER ALLOY ENGRAVED DISHES AND A CANDLESTICK Possibly Iran and Anatolia, 11th - 12th century and later Comprising two small circular dishes, both with flat everted rims, one worked in the typical Khorasani style, with copper inlay and an engraved sphinx in the central roundel, the latter engraved with a similar design in the centre and a band of floriated
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A LARGE TINNED COPPER BOWL
FOUR BRONZE MORTARS
Possibly Egypt or Syria, 15th - 16th century
Iran, Anatolia and Islamic Spain, 10th - 13th centuries
Of deep rounded shape, resting on a flat plain base, with reinforced rim, the exterior engraved with a variety of Mamluk motifs, such as interlocking lobed cartouches filled with thuluth calligraphy, knotwork designs, floral motifs and, the scribe’s insignia (a penbox), all against a cross-hatched ground, further vegetal meanders and knotwork bands below the rim and above the base, the interior plain, 36cm diam. and 22.5cm high.
Comprising four bronze mortars, each of typical cylindrical shape resting on a flat base, one with a flat everted foot, the exterior engraved with oval cartouches of pseudo-Kufic calligraphy in its squared design, on the everted flat rim twelve circular medallions engraved with the Zodiac signs, 22cm diam. and 16.4cm high; another similar, with reinforced base and everted rim, the decoration mostly consisting of vegetal motifs, 22cm diam. and 14cm high; a Khorasani mortar, with two lion head-shaped handles on the sides and protruding drop-shaped decorations on the exterior, 17.5cm diam. and 13cm high; and a smaller mortar, similar to Andalusian 13th-century models, with spiky flanges around the base, with its own pestle, 9cm diam. and 5cm high.
£300 - £500 118 AN ENGRAVED BRONZE MAMLUK BOWL Egypt or Syria, 15th century
Provenance: The mortar with pseudo-Kufic inscription, Chrisitie’s London, 26 Oct 2007, lot 232.
Of deep conical shape, resting on a short circular foot, the exterior engraved with a band of oblong and oval cartouches filled with Y-shaped designs, framed within scrolling vegetal meanders, the horizontal band below the rim with thuluth calligraphic cartouches interspersed by roundels repeating the Y-shaped motif and adding further knotwork and vegetal decorations, 18.4cm diam.
£300 - £500
Provenance: Bonhams London, 4 December 2019, lot 12.
Of typical compressed globular shape, resting on a flat plain base, with a slightly everted and reinforced rim, on the shoulders a finely engraved decorative and epigraphic band with scrolling motifs, intertwined split pamette meanders, and four catouches of thuluth calligraphy quoting an Arabic poem celebrating a patron in high office, framed within two knotwork bands and cusped foliated designs, 16.5 diam. and 11.5cm high.
£500 - £700
119 A CAST BRONZE FOOTED BRAZIER STAND PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE LONDON COLLECTION
120 A TINNED COPPER BASIN (TAS) Jazira, Syria, early 15th century
£700 - £900
Possibly Khorasan, North Eastern Iran, 10th - 12th century
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Of typical shape, resting on an openwork domed base surmounting three hooved feet, rising to a long cylindrical shaft, the terminals designed with two compressed globular bulbs, the neck topped with an everted rim, 22cm diam. and 47.5cm high.
A MAMLUK TINNED COPPER BASIN
£200 - £300
Possibly Egypt or Syria, 15th century Of conical shape, resting on a later-soldered and replaced flat base, with an everted flat rim, the exterior engraved below the rim with a continuous band of knotwork, the centre with arabesque-shaped cartouches filled with scrolling trellis, two lobed cartouches with thuluth calligraphy against spirals, and two flower-shaped medallions filled with a grid of Y-shaped motifs, vegetal meanders and more spirals, the interior plain, 29cm diam. and 14cm high. £400 - £600 122 A FRAGMENT OF A VENETO-SARACENIC SILVER-INLAID BRASS INCENSE BURNER Egypt or Syria, mid-15th century Of spherical shape, half of a full incense burner, the brass surface engraved and pierced, the centre decorated with a band of intricate, silver-inlaid knotwork in the shape of stars and arabesques, framed within two concentric bands of interlocking cartouches filled with scrolling vegetal trellis and rosette roundels, at the top a large circular medallion with a delicate knotted interlace radiating from a central cross and yielding a variety of shapes such as flower heads, arabesques and more crosses, 14.5cm diam. A number of these spherical incense burners is now part of well-known museum collections around the world, especially in Italy. Indeed, the gusto for Veneto-Saracenic metals seems to have prospered during the 15th and 16th centuries, boosted by the great mercantile and cultural exchanges fostered by the Medici family in Florence. Worthy of mention here are the “bruciaprofumi” (recorded in old Italian inventories as “scaldamani”, hand-warmers) of the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence (OdA 1911 no. 150), one of the earliest examples dating 1317 - 1335; and the one in the Museo Poldi-Pezzoli, Milan (no. 765), in the collection since at least the late 1870s and once erroneously attributed to the work of Persian craftsmen.
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Similar examples have been successfully selling at auction in the London art market. For reference, please see Christie’s London, 4 April 2006, lot 81 and 13 April 2010, lot 57; and Christie’s South Kensington, 8 April 2011, lot 131. £800 - £1200 9
Weaving Art: Textiles from the Islamic and Indian Lands 123
125 124 123 A FRAGMENTARY COPTIC TAPESTRY PANEL Possibly Egypt, Near East, late Byzantine - early Islamic period, 5th - 6th century The tapestry woven in flax and wool in red, green, and dark brown on white ground, with a lion in profile in a white circle framed by a dark brown square within an outer border of sinuous dark brown lines and alternating coloured dots, framed and glazed, the panel 22cm x 22cm, 32.8cm x 34cm including the frame. £200 - £300 124 A FRAGMENT OF A MILITARY BANNER OF MOHAMMAD ALI SULTAN ZAMAN, KING OF OUDH (r. 1837-1842) Possibly Lucknow, Awadh (Oudh), Northern India, first half 19th century A joined panel of ecru silk, chain-stitched in coloured silks with three canons amid laurel branches and other flowers, bordered by scrolling floral meanders, laid on herringbone matching support, framed and glazed, 60.5cm x 66cm including the frame. An inscription on the reverse relates the panel to ‘portion of banner of Mohammad Ali Sultan Zaman, King of Oudh’ (r. 1837-1842). £500 - £700 125 AN ACADEMIC COLLECTION OF TEXTILE FRAGMENTS Iran, 19th century and earlier Comprising a cover of woven silk in the manner of Azeri embroideries in blue and yellow, 53cm x 52cm; a small envelope wallet of yellow damask silk with metal thread embroidery, 20cm x 14cm when extended; a panel of Nakshe (Gilet Persan), 53cm x 27cm; and a group of eleven fragments of brocaded silk, some with metal thread. £400 - £600 126 A BROCADED SILK PANEL Iran, 18th century The midnight blue satin silk ground brocaded in orange and green silks and metallic thread with alternating and repeating small buti interspersed with minute sprigs, each motif within heat-embossed hexagons to create a beehive grid, the loom end at the top, laid on matching silk, backed, stretched and mounted, 51.5cm x 33.5cm. £300 - £500
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AN INDIAN EMBROIDERED HERALDIC PANEL
TWO EMBROIDERED PROCESSIONAL STANDARDS (‘ALAM) BANNERS
Northern India, dated August - September 1890 A panel of burgundy silk velvet, heavily worked in a variety of stitches in gold and silver threads wound around silk cores, and spangles, with a rampant regardant lion and unicorn flanking a fleur de lys, each holding a flag, above an oval cartouche embroidered with an invocation to God as the opener (Ya Fattah), the name Ali Said bin Sultan, dated Muharram 1308, atop a flowering urn, all within a millefleur ground, the borders with sinuous scrolling flowers, laid on matching silk, backed, stretched and mounted, in fitted Plexiglas frame, 77cm x 123cm. £1500 - £2000 128
Possibly Lucknow, North India, early 20th century One of joined ecru satin silk, worked in metal thread, spangles and blue and white glass beads, framed by silver ribbons and tassels, the upper section with a floral grid, the lower section with the canopy and ‘alam and Kotal of Hossein above his steed, the rider-less Zuljanah, announcing the news of the saint’s martyrdom, the borders with holy Shia names alternating in blue and white glass beads; and another, similar, in red satin silk, the lower section with a depiction of a multibranched ‘alam structure, each mounted, glazed and framed, 58.5cm x 28.5cm. £600 - £800
A VELVET MASNAD FLOOR SPREAD Rajasthan, North-Western India, late 19th - early 20th century The fuchsia velvet ground invaded by metallic thread embroidery, bordered with an elaborately worked band of raised metallic thread scrollwork and spangles, the flowerheads highlighted with matching velvet centres, lined in green and pink cotton satin,167cm x 105cm. £150 - £180
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130 A COTTON PICHHWAI TEMPLE HANGING Possibly Tamil Nadu, Southern India, 19th century The fine white cotton ground painted in sepia, white wash, and blue with a plethora of Hindu gods and semi-divine beings, several scenes from the life of Krishna in three horizontal bands, the explanatory text in Tamil script beneath each panel, bordered by a row of stylised circular flowers, 126cm x 196cm. £600 - £800 131 AN INDO-PERSIAN KALAMKARI PRAYER NICHE India for the Persian market, late 19th century The fine white cotton ground printed and painted in indigo, madder red, and ochre, with a floral Mughal arch within a stylised Mughal mosque façade, in-filled with cypresses, carnations, and hibiscus, the cartouche above the arch with a prayer in praise of God, lined with chequered red and white cotton, edged with bias-cut striped cotton, 120cm x 89cm. £300 - £400 130 132 AN INDO-PERSIAN KALAMKARI CHILD’S QUILTED COT COVER Possibly Deccan, Central India for the Iranian market, early 19th century The fine white cotton ground printed, resist-dyed, and painted in dark indigo, madder red, ochre, manganese purple, and light blue with bold scrolling flowers surrounding a small lobed cartouche, the borders with scrolling flowers, the very outer border with a small cartouche with indistinct lettering and numbers, possibly a date, lined with monochrome block-printed calico, edged with bias-cut indigo cotton, 132cm x 83cm. £600 - £800 133 AN EMBROIDERED BANJA LUKA OTTOMAN HANGING Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ottoman Balkans, late 19th century The pale blue ground intricately worked with appliqued pieces of polychrome wool and couched metallic thread with a large floral urn flanked by double columns reaching a pointed arch, the borders with floral urns and scrolling foliage, the puce silk velvet centre a later addition, edged with fringed ribbon, lined, 186cm x 122cm. £150 - £200 134 AN EMBROIDERED BANJA LUKA OTTOMAN HANGING AND TWO OTTOMAN PANELS Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ottoman Balkans and Provinces, late 19th century The deep purple-brown cotton ground heavily appliqued in shaped fragments of polychrome wool, and couched and raised silver metallic thread with a dazzling floral urn flanked by a pair of columns beneath a tall arch, the outer borders a profusion of floral tendrils, lined in blue cotton, 180cm x 120cm; and two further Ottoman hangings, worked in metallic threads with pseudo-calligraphic embellishments, 158cm x 104cm, and 178cm x 53cm. Provenance: Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, 26 February 2014, lot 71. £300 - £500 135 A SQUARE HANGING Syria or Lebanon, early 20th century The cotton ground woven in blue, red, white, and metallic gold thread wound around a cotton core with varying stripes typical of Aba designs, edged with cotton tasselled passementerie, lined in white chevron canvas, 120cm x 118cm. £300 - £400 136 AN EMBROIDERED LEATHER SADDLE COVER Ottoman Provinces, first half 20th century The red calf leather cushion-shaped seat set with button fastening within a broad border of couched metallic thread with stars-filled rosettes, edged with purple ribbon, lined with tan hide, 101cm x 95cm. £150 - £180
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137 AN EMBROIDERED BANJA LUKA OTTOMAN HANGING Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ottoman Balkans, 19th century The pale blue ground heavily appliqued in coloured wools and cottons, and worked in metallic thread scrolls and flower heads with an elaborate flowering urn surrounded by columns forming an arch overhead, the borders and arch characterised by fanning strips of pinks, lined, with attached metal rods, 190cm x 132cm. £800 - £1200 140
138 AN EMBROIDERED BANJA LUKA OTTOMAN HANGING Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ottoman Balkans, 19th century The light blue wool ground appliqued in coloured wool segments, and couched in metallic threads with a flowering vase flanked by a pair of columns supporting an elaborate arch, the vertical borders with flowering vases and horizontal ones with fruit dishes, the area between twin arches in pale green velvet, the horizontal outer borders with red velvet ribbon loops, lined, 186cm x 114cm. £1500 - £2000 139 AN OTTOMAN PRAYER NICHE HANGING Ottoman Provinces, early 20th century
The ground of light dusky pink satin silk tamboured in metallic gold thread, and couched in metallic silver thread with a stylised flowering tree stemming from a flowering urn, flanked by elaborate columns beneath a pointed arch, the border of scrolling pomegranate branches, beneath the star and crescent, embellished with much pseudo-calligraphic elements, edged with matching passementerie, lined and interlined,170cm x 120cm. £200 - £300
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140 A LARGE PORTIÈRE HANGING Ottoman Provinces, late 19th - early 20th century The complex design of scrolling, raised metallic thread on red, blue, and black velvet grounds, the lobed cartouches, inner arch, and blue borders with pseudo-calligraphic motifs, geometric interlinked grid designs at the base, lined, 306cm x 190cm.
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£500 - £700 141 A SILK EMBROIDERED PANEL Possibly Syria, early 20th century A cover of lentil green satin silk, chain-stitched in pastel-coloured silks, metallic gold thread, and couched in metallic silver thread with a central circular design of floral motifs, and matching border, edged with sinuous silk frogging, lined and interlined, 120cm x 130cm. £200 - £300
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Iran, late 19th century
A HANGING OF DARK RED SILK VELVET Worked in coloured wools and couched metallic thread with a bold design of pairs of floral columns culminating in an elaborate flattened ogee arch above a flowering urn, the borders with alternating floral scrolls, lined in natural calico, 171cm X 118cm.
Possibly a child’s cot cover, the red wool ground finely worked in coloured wools with a symmetrical design of multiple arches around a central star, the inner border of white wool with a row of floral urns, the red outer border with a single row of small buti, edged in brocaded ecru band, lined in red cotton, 108cm x 81cm.
£600 - £800
£200 - £300
Ottoman Turkey, 19th century
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144 A KHEDIVAL KHAYYAMIYAH TENT HANGING Egypt, late 19th - early 20th century The ground of four joined lengths of white canvas, each woven with a pair of double indigo stripes, appliqued in blue, red and white with a central circle of radiating motifs, surrounded by geometric patterns, beneath a bold calligraphic line of good tidings to the believers in white applique (Qur’an 61:13, Victory from Allah and an imminent conquest), an ewer with the word Allah, a schematic tughra, and above a crescent and a star, 285cm x 170cm. £400 - £600 145 A KHEDIVAL KHAYYAMIYAH TENT HANGING Egypt, late 19th - early 20th century The natural joined canvas ground appliqued in overlapping strips of red, green, white, and aubergine cotton with a central panel of interlocking geometrical designs, radiating into an outer square with stylised arabesques, laid on modern canvas ground, the panel 138cm x 135cm, the overall dimensions 180cm x 176cm.
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£400 - £600 146 A LARGE TASHKENT SUZANI Uzbekistan, Central Asia, late 19th century The joined undyed cotton ground predominantly tamboured in puce and dark teal blue silks within black outlines with a concentric design of radiating sun-discs, the inner and outer borders of repeating schematised foliate flora, lined, 169cm x 222cm. Provenance: Christie’s South Kensington, 16 October 2012, lot 212. £500 - £700 147 AN UZBEK IKAT SILK HANGING Uzbekistan, Central Asia, early 20th century The joined panel of four lengths of single ikat woven in purple, yellow, hot pink, and blue with bold discs, lined with roller-printed Russian cotton, 175cm x 177cm. Provenance: Christie’s South Kensington, 25 April 1994. £200 - £300 148 A MOON SHAWL Possibly Norwich, Norfolk, England, mid-19th century The black wool ground woven with supplementary weft in the style of Kashmiri shawls, with rows of colourful small flowers around a floral central medallion, the quarter circle spandrels matching the centre, the border with scrolling flowering vines and black fringe, 164cm x 170cm. £180 - £220 149 A LARGE KASHMIRI MOON SHAWL Egypt, late 19th - early 20th century The fine pashmina polychrome wool very skilfully twill tapestry-woven in khatraast stripes, infilled with scrolling floral motifs in repeats of six stripes, the central circular medallion and quarter circle spandrels in white with red chevron dashes, lined, 186cm x 202cm. £600 - £800 16
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The Art of the Book & Calligraphy
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150 THREE TOOLED AND GILT LEATHER BOOK BINDINGS AND SIX FLAPS Iran and Ottoman Turkey, 15th - 16th century and later Comprising three dark brown calf leather book bindings, each pair gilt and tooled with a central lobed arabesque medallion alternatively filled with floral bouquets and intertwined vegetal sprays with split palmettes and sinuous Chinese cloud bands, two pairs with gilt corners, replicating the same impressed decoration of the central cartouche, mounted, glazed and framed, the largest 23.5cm x 15cm excluding the frame, 36cm x 46cm including the frame; and six similar dark brown calf leather flaps, each one gilt and tooled, decorated with arabesque medallions, vegetal sprays, floral bouquets and fretwork bands around the margins, mounted, glazed and framed, 58.8cm x 42cm including the frame. Provenance: Two of the book bindings bought at Christie’s South Kensington, The Saeed Motamed Collection - Part 1, 22 April 2013, lot 168. The third bought at Christie’s South Kensington, 9 October 2009, lot 410. £800 - £1200
151 QUR’AN JUZ 6, 17, 22 Possibly Tabriz or Shiraz, Iran, 15th - 16th century Arabic manuscript on paper, Juz 6 (from 4:148 to 5:81) with 30ff. plus four fly-leaves including puce inner covers, each folio with 7ll. of black naskh script, with circular gold aya markings, with red diacritic marks, within blue and gold rules, catchwords, chapter headings blank, in blind-tooled brown morocco flapped binding; Juz 17 (21 and 22) with 23ff. plus 5 fly-leaves, chapter headings in gold, no lettering; and Juz 22 (33 to 36:27) with 27ff. plus 4 fly-leaves, chapter headings in burnished gold and white lettering, in lighter binding, each text panel ca. 18cm x 11cm, each folio ca. 29.3cm x 19cm. For two complete Qur’ans executed in a similar khatt with analogous golden sura headings, both attributed to 15th 16th-century Iran, please see J. Michael Rogers, The Arts of Islam: Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection, 2010, QUR 4 (p.147) and QUR 251 (p. 213). £2000 - £3000
152 A QADIRITE SUFI PRAYER BOOK BY ‘ABD AL-HADI AL-SUDI (d. 1525-1526) China, 17th - 18th century Arabic manuscript on paper, 56ff., each folio with 7ll. of black ink sini script, some notes and headings in Persian and Turkish, with red and black diacritics, in red rules, with illuminated opening and closing bifolios in polychromes and gold, brown cotton endpapers, in brown morocco blind-tooled flapped binding, the text panel 18cm x 12cm, the folio 28.5cm x 19.5cm. For a similar manuscript composed by ‘Abd al-Hadi al-Sudi, a Sudanese follower of the famous early Sufi ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, please see Bonhams London, 18 October 2016, lot 25. £1000 - £1500
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TWO LOOSE QUR’AN FOLIOS
AN OTTOMAN QUR’AN
Egypt or Syria, late Mamluk - early Ottoman period, 15th - 16th century
Ottoman Turkey, dated 1274 AH (1856 - 7)
Arabic manuscript on paper, 12ff. of black ink naskh script to each folio, the top and bottom lines in bold gold thuluth script, the text extracted from Sura Al-Nisa (4) vv. 151-155, 155-160 to the verso, 160-164, 164-170 to the verso, gold rosette aya markings, some red diacritic marks, in blue and gold rules, framed and set between two sheets of glass, the text panel 14cm x 10cm, the folio 19cm x 14cm, 33.5cm x 42 including the frame.
Arabic manuscript on paper, 283ff. plus two fly leaves, 15ll. of black naskh to the page, the opening bifolio and colophon illuminated in gold and polychromes, with gold circular aya markings, red highlights, catchwords, set within black, gold and red rulings, the colophon inscribed Seyyed Kordan Zadeh, Ismail Niazi, of the pupils of Suleiman Selimi, dated 1274 AH, in finely gold-tooled deep red calf flapped binding, the text panel 11.3cm x 6.2cm, the folio 16.5cm x 10.2cm. £300 - £500
£300 - £400
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156
AN INCOMPLETE QUR’AN, FROM AL-BAQARA (2:73) TO ALMURSALAT (77:14)
AN OTTOMAN QUR’AN JUZ
Possibly Iran, 19th century
The ‘Amm’ Juz, (Juz 30), Arabic manuscript on paper, 26ff., each folio with 9ll. of black ink naskh script, the opening bifolio with polychrome illuminations and scrolling gold decoration to the margins, gold rosettes aya markers, chapter headings in gold, titles not inscribed, with catchwords, set within gold and black rules, the colophon inscribed by ‘Mustafa Shaker ..244’, in plain paper binding, the text panel 8.6cm x 14.3cm, the folio 21cm x 14.3cm.
Arabic manuscript on laid paper, 340ff. plus two new fly-leaves, each folio with 13ll. of black ink naskh to the page, with red diacritic marks, in red rules, catchwords, in brown calf flapped binding, several later annotations in a variety of hands, the text panel 14cm x 9.5cm, the folio 20.5cm x 14cm. £200 - £300
Ottoman Provinces, dated 1244 AH (1828)
£200 - £300
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157 A SUB-SAHARAN QUR’AN WITH ITS SATCHEL Possibly Nigeria, Africa, late 19th – early 20th century Arabic manuscript on paper, 442ff., each loose folio with 14ll. of sepia ink crude maghribi script, diacritic and marginal marks in red ink, with catchwords on the margins and very sporadic illuminations, grouped within two panels of black and white striped cardboard, in fitted suede and leather satchel, the front decorated with woven leather white roundels with dark brown sun collar, the outer flap with a matching woven zig-zag band, the inner flap of blind-tooled red calf, the strap of woven black and tan leather, each folio 16cm x 11cm, the satchel 15.5cm x 22cm x 10cm. £600 - £800
158 MAJMA’ AL-ANSAB SILSILA NAMA: AN OTTOMAN GENEALOGY MANUSCRIPT Ottoman Turkey, second half 18th century Arabic and Turkish manuscript on paper, 58ff., each folio with an average of 20ll. to the page, in a variety of hands, in black and red ink naskh, the diagrams with orange, green, blue, and grey circles, the genealogy tracing Sultan Mahmud I (r. 1730 - 1754) to Adam via the Prophet in a horizontal format, incorporating many prophets, caliphs, and celebrated religious and political figures through history, in brown morocco binding with flap, the folio 25cm x 17cm. £3000 - £5000
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160 A CYLINDRICAL PEN CASE Tetouan, Morocco, dated 1300 AH (1882) Of narrow cylindrical shape, the light reed gently faceted and intricately carved in geometric patterns in bands, and stained in polychromes, marked ‘made in Tetouan 1300’, 32.4cm long, 3cm diameter. £200 - £300
161 A DOUBLE PAGE LOOSE FOLIO OF POETRY WITH ILLUMINATED BORDERS Possibly Ottoman Turkey or Provinces, 17th - 18th century Turkish manuscript on paper, 10ll. of crisp black ink nasta’liq script to each page, headings in white ink against illuminated gold bands, the text in two columns, in gold, red, white, and green rules, the margins finely illuminated in gold with a floral field alive with beasts, reminiscent in style and design of Safavid muraqqa’ borders, the text panel 12cm x 7cm, the folio 22.3cm x 13.2cm. £1000 - £1500
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159 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 16th 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. £800 - £1200
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164
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166
163 165
A ZOOMORPHIC CALLIGRAPHIC COMPOSITION Iraq or Syria, 20th century
A CALLIGRAPHIC COMPOSITION IN GOLD ON A NATURAL DRIED OAK LEAF
Arabic manuscript on paper, the black ink script shaped to form a lion, the symbol of Ali, infilled with the Nad-e-Ali hadith, in horizontal black and red margins, mounted, framed and glazed, the folio 14cm x 26cm, 30cm x 42cm including the frame.
Turkey, dated 1352 AH (1933)
Provenance: Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, 30 November 2007, part of lot 209.
Arabic calligraphy composition applied onto a natural oak leaf in gold with the so-called muthanna (“mirror image”) technique, quoting a Quranic verse taken from the Sura al-Fath (48), signed by Sami and dated 1352, mounted on red archival board, framed, the leaf 21.5cm long, 35.5cm x 37cm including the frame.
£300 - £500
Provenance: Bonhams London, 8 October 2009, lot 76.
Possibly Iraq or Syria, 20th century
Two other golden leaves signed by Sami were offered at Bonhams London, 6 October 2008, lot 57 and 7 October 2010, lot 54. A number of these Turkish 20th-century leaves has been successfully selling in the London market. For further reference, please see Bonhams London, 19 April 2007, lot 39; 2 October 2012, lot 37; and more recently, 13 August 2020, lot 28.
Arabic manuscript on paper, the hadith finely inscribed in diwani jali script in cobalt blue ink on gold paper, bands of white to the top and base, laid on paper, mounted, framed and glazed, the text panel 20cm x 13.2cm, 38cm x 31cm including the frame.
£1000 - £1500
£200 - £300
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164 A CALLIGRAPHIC HADITH PANEL
Provenance: Christie’s South Kensington, 6 October 2008, part of lot 386.
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168
167 TWO LOOSE FOLIOS FROM A HISTORY OF THE PROPHET Kashmir, Northern India, late 18th century
169
165 A LARGE OTTOMAN FIRMAN ILLUMINATED WITH THE TUGHRA OF SULTAN SELIM III (r. 1789 - 1807) Ottoman Turkey, late 18th - early 19th century Ottoman Turkish manuscript on cream paper, 37ll. to the page of elegant, black ink divani script, the top illuminated in gold with the tughra of Sultan Selim III (r. 1789-1807 AD), the document discussing a transaction in connection with a waqf between Fatima Khatun, daughter of Muhamad Bey bin Ghauri, and the city of Antep (now Gaziantep, in Southern Anatolia), mounted, glazed and framed, 55.5cm x 47cm excluding the frame, 72cm x 62.5cm including the frame. Provenance: Bonhams London, 25 October 2007, lot 36.
Persian manuscript on paper, each folio with 21ll. of poetry in four columns of black ink nasta’liq script divided by narrow bands of floral scrolls, in gold and blue rulings, the chapter headings in blue against burnished and illuminated gold cartouches, comprising one folio with the history of the Battle of Khaybar, elaborating on the Prophet’s humane treatment of the Jewish community of Khaybar following his victory, and his marriage to his Jewish wife, Safiyya bint Huyayy (m.629-632), the illumination on the reverse relating to ‘the Prophet asking Ali to divide a metal gate, whereupon the saint pulls up his sleeves and tears the metal as though it was silk, and folds it as though it was made of dough’, while soldiers queue to weigh their booty on scales; and the latter folio relating to an imaginary public discourse between the Prophet and Abu Bakr regarding the supremacy of Imamat and the Mahdist principle versus the Caliphate, Abu Bakr kneeling before the enthroned Prophet with a flaming halo over his head, flanked by disciples, seated on a Mughal summer carpet, within a compound of North Indian architecture, mounted, framed in upright stand and glazed between two sheets of glass, the folio 22cm x 12.8cm, 37cm x 30cm including the frame. £600 - £800 168 THE FOOTPRINT OF THE PROPHET Ottoman Turkey, dated 1325 AH (1907), signed Sa’d ibn Mas’ud
166
Arabic manuscript on paper, the naskh script in black ink, the slipper-mark and border printed in green, signed Sa’d ibn Mas’ud, dated Rabi’ al-Akhar 1325 AH (May-June 1907), in the reign of Sultan Abdul-Hamid II (1842-1918), mounted, framed and glazed, the folio 40.5cm x 26cm, 56cm x 41cm including the frame.
THE BATTLE OF BARIR AND YAZID
Provenance: Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, 3 February 2017, lot 113.
Iran, late 15th century
£300 - £400
£300 - £500
Opaque pigments, gold, and black ink on paper, the folio a loose illustrated page from Rauza-t al Shohada (Kashefi, 1502) depicting two opposed armies, in the upper corner on the left a veiled saint in flaming halo, possibly Muhammad the Prophet, observing the warrior Barir against Ibn Mu’alaq Yazid, the scene showcasing a variety of late Timurid costumes and helmets and in tune with Sultan Bayqara’s painting production, the battle field framed with two lower and upper cartouches in Persian nasta’liq kitabat, the verso in similar calligraphic style narrating the story of Barir followed by the story of the bridegroom Wahab ibn Abdullah Kalabi, the scene set within red, gold and green rules, mounted, framed and glazed, 17.8cm x 12.7cm the folio, 32.2cm x 25.7cm including the frame. £400 - £600
169 KHAZANAT UL-ULEMA (TREASURY OF THE LEARNED) BY SHEIKH MOHAMMAD REZA BIN SHEIKH MOHAMMAD SALEH LAHORI ANSARI North India, 19th century Arabic and Persian manuscript on paper, the text on rules and guidance in religious life, 340ff. plus two fly-leaves, each folio with 25ll. of naskh script in black and red ink, in a variety of hands with many marginal notes and catchwords, within blue and red rules, re-bound on board with green cloth spine, the text panel 22.5cm x 13.5cm, the folio 30.5cm x 20.5cm. £300 - £500
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170 FOUR LITHOGRAPHED HAJJ CERTIFICATES Ottoman Provinces and Mecca, Hijaz, 20th century Comprising four coloured printed certificates of the pilgrimage to the Muslim sacred sites, each slightly different but overall with the same composition of a large panoramic view of the interior of the Masjid alHaram with Ka’ba at its centre, the minbar from where the Prophet gave its first sermon, and views of other sacred sites in smaller roundels or cartouches at the bottom or on the margins, the largest approximately 49.5cm x 69cm. £300 - £500 170
171 A SINO-ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL China, 20th century, signed Abd al-Hakim (Liu Jingyi) Black ink on rice paper, the bold sini inscription quoting Sura 112 (AlIkhlas) with the Chinese translation on the right and below, artists’ signature and Chinese seals to the left, mounted on later red silk, glazed and framed, 58cm x 79cm. Provenance: Christie’s South Kensington, 3 April 2009, lot 273. £600 - £800 172 TWO CALLIGRAPHIC PANELS Possibly Iran or Syria, 20th century Arabic manuscript on paper, Sura Al-Baqara (2:141 - 144), the hadith finely inscribed in diwani jali script in white ink on 24ct. gold paper, laid on paper, mounted, framed and glazed, the text panel 10cm x 16cm, 28cm x 34.2cm including the frame; and another panel, Arabic manuscript in thuluth script on paper, in black pen and ink in-filled with scales, the text extracted from the Qur’an, Sura Al-Jumu’ah (62:11) ‘God is the best provider’ (tashdid over R surplus - Wa Allah Khairou al-Râzikin), framed and glazed, the text panel 9.5cm x 22.5cm, 23.5x 36.5cm including the frame.
171
Provenance: Christie’s South Kensington, 6 October 2008, part of lot 386. £300 - £500 173 A GROUP OF THREE TOOLED LEATHER BOOK BINDINGS Iran and Ottoman Turkey, 18th century and later A blind-tooled morocco leather, 30.9cm x 45cm when open; and two brown calf blind-tooled and flapped calf bindings with marbled endpaper, 31cm x 58.5cm when open; and 24.5cm x 47.2cm.
173
£200 - £300 174 A COLLECTION OF SINHALESE VERSE AND PROSE TEXTS FROM THE LIBRARY OF ANANDA K. COOMARASWAMY Sri Lanka (Ceylon), late 19th - early 20th century Sinhala manuscript in a number of hands on paper, 140ff., plus 5 fly-leaves, each folio with 16ll. of Sinhala script, with marbled endpaper, in ecru cloth binding with brown calf spine and edges, labelled The Col. Apoth. Co. Ltd., the folio 21cm x 16.5cm. Provenance: from the collection of Dr. A. K. Coomaraswamy (1877-1947), a Ceylonese Tamil metaphysician, pioneering historian, ground-breaking theorist and philosopher of Indian art, and an early interpreter of Indian culture to the West; acquired by the present owner from the Newberry Library, Chicago, in 1995 and in the UK since. £500 - £700 174
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No lot 176 A PALM LEAF MANUSCRIPT Possibly Odisha (Orissa), Eastern India, 18th century Oriya manuscript on palm leaves, 142ff., with 4ll. of Oriya script on both sides of each leaf, with one fly-leaf stamped 152873 and inscribed in sepia ink free-flowing cursive French ‘Maha[bharata] par Hanuman’, one cord-hole in the centre of the page, incised and rubbed with lampblack, within a grey hard case of the Newberry Library, marked with the inventory number ORMS 017 in gold, the leaf 3.2cm x 24.3cm. Provenance: Acquired from the Newberry Library, Chicago, in 1995. £300 - £500 177 A COLLECTION OF GUJARATI SHORT TALES IN THREE VOLUMES Possibly Gujarat, North-Western India, dated 1809
176
Parsi Gujarati manuscripts on paper, comprising three loose volumes, 36ff., 63ff. and 70ff. respectively, each with approx. 12ll. of black and red ink Gujarati script to the page, two volumes dated Samvat Srvana Masa 1865 and 1224 AH (August 1809), the fly-leaves made of a variety of cream-coloured, laid, British watermarked papers from different late 18th - early 19th-century English mills, such as Curteis & Sons, Carshalton, Sutton, London; Britannia; and George Smith, London; each volume once bound in dark maroon leather, with inventory marks from Coleman collection (MS5570, 5571, 5571a), then Eames Collection, and later The Newberry Library collection (ORMS 851, 853, 854), each encased in brown protective cases, the largest folio 25cm x 21cm. Provenance: Acquired from the Newberry Library, Chicago, in 1995. For further research and information on this lot, please check the sale on our main website. £500 - £700 178 THE AMUKTAMALYADA (THE GARLAND OF PEARLS) BY KRISHNADEVA RAYA, KING OF VIJAYANAGARA South-Eastern India, late 18th - 19th century Telugu manuscript on laid watermarked English paper, 28ff., with 4 fly-leaves, each page with 33 - 48ll. of black ink Telugu script on both sides, chapter headings with rosette medallions, the laid cream paper with the typical late 18th - early 19th-century Britannia watermark (a seated female figure with helmet, shield and trident), the old cover made of marbled paper, with several annotations in French and English, and accession number stickers, folded inside a later brown paper leaf inscribed in free-hand block letters ‘Namaniyyahiramanibhamnnaguranamavanmsta’ and marked with the accession sticker Eames Collection no. 1819, within a black protective case of the Newberry Library, stamped in gold ORMS 757, the folio 32cm x 20cm.
178
Provenance: Acquired from the Newberry Library, Chicago, in 1995. For further research and information on this lot, please check the sale on our main website. £400 - £600
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East & West: Stories of Multi-cultural Encounters
179 AN HISPANO-MORESQUE COPPER-LUSTRE POTTERY BASIN
179
Post-Nasrid Spain, 19th century Of typical deep conical shape, resting on a flat plain base, rising to an everted flattened rim with ridged end, painted in copper lustre and cobalt blue against a white ground, the basin’s centre with a cusped European blazon including a tree, a tower, a multi-patterned, marital blazon, and a panel of vertical lines, all against a hatched ground within concentric cobalt blue lines, the cavetto with a band of bold pseudo-Kufic calligraphy and rosette cartouches, the rim with a sinuous fretwork band and solid lustre paint around the edge, the exterior with a band of cobalt blue and lustre diamond grid above spiralling vegetal trellis with fruits, 32cm diam. and 13cm high. £300 - £400 180 AN HISPANO-MORESQUE COPPER-LUSTRE POTTERY DISH Post-Nasrid Spain, 19th century Of typical hemispherical shape, with a gently everted and flattened rim, the copper-lustre decoration to the interior consisting of a lion and a swan amidst stylised floral and vegetal sprays, and pseudocalligraphic bands, solid copper-lustre paint around the rim, the exterior with concentric circles from the rim to the base, mounted on iron wire for hanging, 35.5cm diam. £400 - £600
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181 A SMALL HISPANO-MORESQUE COPPER-LUSTRE POTTERY DISH WITH A ROOSTER Post-Nasrid Spain, 19th century
182
Of typical hemispherical shape with a reinforced rim, on a flattened plain base, the decoration consisting of a central, stylised copperlustre-painted rooster surrounded by floral sprays, outlined by two concentric bands and a thicker solid band of lustre around the rim, the plain back glazed, 23cm diam. Provenance: Millon Auctions, Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, Textiles, Tableaux et Mobilier, 19 March 2012, lot 166. £200 - £300 182 EIGHT SPANISH ARISTA POTTERY TILES Possibly Seville, Post-Nasrid Spain, 16th - 17th century Comprising eight pottery tiles of rectangular shape, painted in green, black and yellow, featuring a central band of intricate knotwork on a black ground with small areas filled with yellow and green, with raised un-glazed outlines, all flanked by thin white borders and thicker green borders, ranging from 12cm x 7cm to 14cm x 7.8cm.
181
Provenance: Hotel Drouot, 16 November 2001, lot 113. £500 - £700
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183 THREE RECTANGULAR SPANISH ARISTA POTTERY WALL TILES Possibly Seville, Post-Nastrid Spain, 16th century Comprising three tiles of slim rectangular shape, two painted in green, yellow and light blue, decorated with mirrored palmettes, 13.3cm x 7cm and 13.1cm x 7.8cm; another painted in copper lustre and cobalt blue with two palmettes encircled by an infinity symbol-shaped vegetal tendril and two rosette stems, 13.3cm x 7.6cm. Provenance: Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, Collection Jean Soustiel, 6 December 1999, lot 325. £300 - £500 184 A PAIR OF SPANISH ARISTA POTTERY WALL TILES Possibly Post-Nasrid Spain or Morocco, 17th - 18th century Comprising two square compositions consisting of four tiles fixed together in a pseudo-mosaic design, painted in black, copper green and amber yellow on white ground, decorated with a central twelve-pointed star-shaped geometric motif and intricate knotwork, the corners with further geometric designs, each 23cm x 23cm. Provenance: Hotel Drouot Estimation, 16 November 2001, part of lot 113. For a very similar pair sold in these Rooms, please see Chiswick Auctions, 25 October 2019, lot 195a. £200 - £400
The art of Maghreb often occupies a marginal place in the vision and study of the arts of Islam, specifically, the 19th-century production influenced and fuelled by constant contact with the West is rarely discussed. Interest in the arts produced in Algeria seems to have mostly derived from ethnographic studies, rather than art historical concerns. Of interest to us, is the urban and architectural transformation of Algiers at the end of 1880s, which converted the large suburban residences of the Ottoman period into new ateliers devoted to meeting the rising demand for local arts and crafts. This led to the establishment of renowned ceramic production centres and to a brief Golden Age period (1880s - 1920s) for Algerian pottery. One such centre was established by the French ceramicist Ernest Soupireau in 1888 in 10 Rue Fontaine-Bleue, Algiers. In his atelier, he trained apprentices from both Europe and North Africa, with them working side by side. Being not only a ceramicist but also a ceramics enthusiast and collector, Soupireau started purchasing Islamic artefacts and Ottoman ceramics, and slavishly reproducing their flamboyant styles and decorations. He began manufacturing designs that were fusing old and modern elements, in a similar manner to his peers Theodore Deck and Edme Samson in France and Ulisse Cantagalli in Italy. For further reference on this subject, please read Clara Ilham Álvarez Dopico’s article online, Une nouvelle tradition: la céramique algéroise à l’aube du xxe siècle, ABE Journal (http://journals. openedition.org/abe/4333). £200 - £300 186 THREE SQUARE DELFT POTTERY TILES BY RAVESTEIJN Utrecht, Netherlands, second half 19th century
Algiers, Algeria, North Africa, late 19th - early 20th century
Comprising three wall tiles of square shape, painted in cobalt blue on white ground, depicting a Christian nun, a man dressed in Ottoman fashion with a large turban, and a Greek maiden, all within circular medallions, the corners filled with stylised floral motifs, each 15.4cm x 15.2cm.
Of typical rounded shape, with a very thin circular foot and gently everted rim, the body covered in white slip and painted in black, cobalt blue, green, turquoise and manganese purple, the style of the decoration reminiscent of Ottoman Iznik and Damascus ceramics with stylised tulips, saz leaves, carnations, rosettes and lotus flowers, all entangled and interlocked in an intricate vegetal spray, the back painted in light blue wash and signed Soupireau Alger, with two old inventory stickers, one mentioning the number 172 and the price 5 Francs, and the latter with a faded name and surname Hill, and the date Nov. 1919, 20cm diam.
Delftware tiles of this type and precise measurements are usually attributed to the Ravesteijn tile factory manufacture in Utrecht. Their inspiration for the subjects was drawn from the engravings of Oriental and Ottoman figures published in 16th and 17th-century travelogues and diaries, such as the Navigations et pérégrinations orientales by Nicolas de Nicolay, published in Lyons in 1568. An analogous set of tiles was successfully sold at Sotheby’s London, 6 April 2011, lot 411. Another example of Ravesteijn blue and white tiles, this time depiciting a lioness, was recently offered at auction by Rob Michiels Auctions (Belgium) on 28 April 2019.
185 A REVIVAL IZNIK-STYLE POTTERY PLATE
£400 - £600
187
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188
189
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189
AN IZNIK-STYLE THEODORE DECK POTTERY JUG
A THEODORE DECK IZNIK-STYLE POTTERY DISH
France, late 19th century
France, late 19th century
Of bulbous shape, resting on a short circular foot, rising to a straight cylindrical neck, with a curved handle to one side, the body painted in cobalt blue, bole red, green and black on white ground, the decoration on the body and neck consisting of bands of repeating blue pomegranates filled with simplified white flowers interspersed with carnation and hyacinth sprays, the base stamped with maker’s mark, 20.7cm high. An analogous jug, produced by the Theodore Deck manufacture and dated 1870, was successfully sold at Christie’s South Kensington, 21 October 2016, lot 207.
Of circular shape, resting on a pronounced, straight foot, with an everted, scalloped, flattened rim, the body covered in white slip and painted in cobalt blue, red, turquoise, green and black, the decoration inspired by Ottoman Iznik pottery production, the centre and cavetto embellished with floral sprays of stylised carnations, tulips and lotus flowers against a turquoise ground, the rim with tufts of grass and saz leaves, half rosettes around the border to the cavetto, all against a cobalt blue ground, the plain back marked in red letters reading 'T. H. DECK', 25.7cm diam.
£500 - £700
£400 - £600
188
190
A THEODORE DECK IZNIK-STYLE POTTERY DISH
AN OVERGLAZE-PAINTED ALBARELLO POTTERY JAR
France, mid to late 19th century
Possibly Çanakkale, Turkey or Greece, Western Ottoman Provinces, 19th century
Of circular shape resting on a short foot, with a gently everted rim, painted in cobalt blue, manganese purple, green, turquoise, and black on white ground, the decoration consisting of rosette stems, a central Chinoiserie motif, and stems of stylised hyacinths and tulips spraying from a tuft of greens and rosettes, the border alternating tulips and turquoise rosettes, the back marked in red letters reading ‘T. H. DECK’, 24cm diam. £400 - £600
Of typical tapering cylindrical shape, resting on a short straight foot, rising to slanted shoulders, with a straight neck and reinforced rim, the earthenware body painted in red, green and cobalt blue on white ground, the painted decoration consisting of alternating green and blue vertical bands interspersed with red vegetal sprays and buds, to the shoulders a band of dotted roundels and to the neck of chevrons, 18.5cm high. 31 £300 - £500
191 AN ENGRAVING WITH THE PORTRAIT OF SYNAL CHAEN BY AEGIDIUS SADELER II Possibly Prague, Czech Republic, first half 17th century Black ink on laid watermarked paper, with 2ll. of inverted Persian script and 3ll. of English script, in an oval the half-length portrait of Sinal Khan Shamlu, the Persian ambassador of Shah Abbas I to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, wearing a heavy, multi-folded turban and brocaded overcoat with male figures in the wilderness, following the fashion of Safavid textiles of the time, with long hairy moustaches, below him the year in Roman numerals 1633 (MDCXXXIII), around the oval the honorific Latin inscription Synal Chaen Serenissimus Princeps in Persia. Magni Sophi Regis Persarum ad Augustum Caesarem Rudolphum II Legatus, translated in English on the bottom of the page, the watermark in the centre of the page consisting of a single-handled pot surmounted by a floral spray with quatrefoil and crescent, 23.5cm x 15.2cm. Engravings of Synal Chaen, such as ours, are part of several international museums› collections like the British Museum (inv. no. O,2.101), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 61.663.252) and the Rijksmuseum (inv. no. RP-P-OB-4995). The main differences between our lot and these engravings are the presence of an extra line above the date - cum priuil S. Cae. Mtis. - and the correct orientation of the Persian script, which in our example is inverted. The engravings in the museums' collections are usually attributed to the work of Aegidius Sadeler II, who was inspired by the work of Esaye le Gillon, a Flemish painter at the imperial court of Rudolf II in Prague during the early 17th century. Sadeler's engravings tend to date 1604. However, our lot is dated at least thirty years later, 1633, and this dating is confirmed also by the watermark of the laid paper used for the engraving. Indeed, although the watermark of the singlehandled pot was already in use in the early 17th century, it wasn't until the 1630s and 40s that the motif became more complex like in our lot, including a more sumptuous floral spray, and the quatrefoil and crescent motifs at the same time, as evident in the Thomas L. Gravell Watermark Archive (https://www. gravell.org/). £1000 - £1500
192 A PAIR OF WATERCOLOUR CARICATURES OF TURKISH MEN Possibly France or England, late 19th - early 20th century Opaque pigments, pencil and ink on paper, one roundel depicting a group of three Turkish men in conversation, the latter with a merchant and nobleman looking straight at the beholder with a disgruntled expression, both compositions focusing on the Turkish men's strong facial features and their meticulous physiognomic and costume rendering, mounted, glazed and framed, each 22cm diam. including the frame. £400 - £600
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λ A CARVED IVORY FIGURE OF CHRIST AS A BABY BOY Indo-Portuguese Goa, Western India, 18th century The figurine carved in the round, standing up straight on a later stepped wooden pedestal, the two hands carved in a gesticulating manner conveying realism and expression to the sculpture, the thick blonde locks on the head deeply carved and gilt, the brown eyes painted as well, traces of red pigment on the lips, 30cm high including the pedestal. Similar ivory figurines with a clear Christian subject and iconography have been usually ascribed to the ivory carving production centre of Goa, on the Western coast of the Indian Subcontinent. During the Portuguese domination, this centre produced some of the most exquisite examples of devotional Christian ivory figurines and some have been seen performing very well at auction before. As an example, please see Christie's London, 10 June 2015, lot 23, and Sotheby›s London, 6 October 2015, lot 137. £800 - £1200
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λ A MOTHER-OF-PEARL-INLAID OVAL FRAME WITH CHRISTIAN ICON Jerusalem, late 18th - early 19th century The wooden frame of oval shape, clad in incised and red and black-painted mother-of-pearl tesserae, in the centre a polychrome-painted icon of haloed Christ on wood holding a cross, three epigraphic lines to the left, at the top of the frame a mother-of-pearl figurine of Christ flanked by two winged angels and surmounted by a cross, the motif of the double-headed eagle repeated three times across the whole frame, 44cm x 31cm. £200 - £300
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λ A DELICATE SMALL MOTHER-OF-PEARL OPENWORK BOX Jerusalem, Near East, 18th - 19th century Of rectangular shape, with curved short sides and rounded edges, composed of six mother-ofpearl plaques finely pierced and pinned to each other with copper alloy hinges, the lid with a carved image of the Dome of the Rock in the centre and interlocking vines and berry trellis all around, the lateral plaques decorated with scrolls of vine leaves, the base engraved with rosette medallions and further leafy designs, every panel framed within a thin geometric border, 10cm x 3cm x 5cm. £400 - £600
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λ AN ENGRAVED MOTHER-OF-PEARL-INLAID ALTARPIECE WITH CHRISTIAN ICONOGRAPHY Jerusalem, late 18th - early 19th century Possibly the head of an altar or designed to fit the altar gradines, the pyramidal structure clad in mother-of-pearl tesserae and charged with Christian iconography, the lower order decorated with three roundels with winged cherubs and zig-zag fretwork bands, above them inscriptions in Greek characters enhanced in red, the middle order with a central trifora showing baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph on the left, the deposition from the cross in the centre, and the empty cross on the right, flanked by two roundels with St. George and St. James, to the upper order five crosses with engravings of saints, of the Virgin Mary on her own and with her child, the crosses decorated with a star motif in the centre, 48cm x 56cm x 12cm. Provenance: Hargesheimer Kunstauktionen Düsseldorf, Russian Art, 4 November 2016, part of lot 231. £400 - £600 33
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λ A MICRO-MOSAIC KHATAMKARI CROSS Iran or India, late 19th - 20th century In the shape of a Christian cross, the surface worked and inlaid with bone, coloured wood and brass marquetry work (khatamkari), the micro-mosaic decoration consisting of hexagonal cartouches filled with star-shaped geometric motifs, a band of rosettes on the outer side, the back plain, mounted on a black metal stand, 36cm x 17.8cm excluding the stand. £120 - £160 198
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λ A PAINTED MOTHER-OF-PEARL SHELL ICON OF SAINT ANASTASIUS OF PERSIA Possibly Greece, Ottoman Western Provinces, 18th - 19th century Of typical rounded shape, set in a copper and white metal filigree frame, the interior painted with the icon of the martyr Saint Anastasius of Persia (Αγιος Αναστασιος ο Περσης), holding a scroll quoting the 13th line of the 13th Chapter of Apostle Paul's Epistle to Hebrews (Τοινυν εξερχόμεθα εξω της παρεμβολής, τον ονειδισμόν αυτού φέροντες), his appliqued halo in white metal inscribed with Greek characters and floral motifs, the back with appliqued crosses all around the edge, together with a double-headed eagle holding a mace and sword, in the centre an appliqued white metal shell, at the top next to the hanging string a repetition of the double-headed eagle and a decorative element on the other side, caparisoned with later cameo holders at the bottom, 24.5cm x 17cm.
200
£300 - £500 199 TWO HIGH TINNED COPPER COPTIC CROSSES PATONCE Possibly Gondar, Ethiopia, 17th - 18th century Comprising a Coptic cross patonce, with lobed, almost star-shaped ends, the core designed as a four-pointed star, the metal plaque enhanced with appliqued metal thread rosettes with stippled metal bubbles as their corolla, the central medallion with concentric beaded and scrolling plaited bands, the larger cross surmounted by a similar of smaller size, the back plain, mounted on a metal stand, 21cm x 13.5cm excluding the stand; and a similar Coptic cross, each end lobed and decorated with further protruding arrow-shaped terminals, in the centre of each terminal and core a circular medallion with concentric bands of plaited and appliqued beaded fretwork motifs, mounted on a metal stand, 15.5cm x 16cm excluding the stand.
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Ethiopia, together with Armenia, was one of the first Eastern countries to embrace the Christian faith. There is evidence that Christianity thrived in the country even in the 1st century and for most of the country's history. Thus, crosses have played an important role in the decorative arts of Ethiopia, not only as a symbol of faith but also as auspicious talismans, embodying the very power of resurrection and life and reminding the believers of their union with God (monophysite's approach - tewahedo). Ethiopian crosses are almost invariably made from elaborate latticework and often bear particular features and characteristics according to the site of manufacture. The three main centres of metal cross productions in Ethiopia are Lalibela, Axum, and Gondar. £400 - £600 200 A DEAD SEA STONE CIRCULAR PLAQUE Eretz, Israel, 19th century Of circular shape, carved out of a single slab of stone from the Dead Sea, depicting the Annunciation with Angel Gabriel standing to the left and Virgin Mary knelt on the right, an inscription in English at the top reading 'Stone from the Dead Sea', 9cm diam. £500 - £700 201
λ A MOTHER-OF-PEARL OPENWORK PLAQUE AND DEAD SEA STONE BOWL Jerusalem and Eretz, Israel, late 19th century Comprising an openwork mother-of-pearl plaque, scalloped and of circular, concave shape, the central roundel engraved with a five-pointed star, each point engraved with a number or a symbol, concentric bands of lush palmettes and roundels radiating to the exterior, 13.5cm diam.; and a Dead Sea Stone bowl, of shallow rounded shape, resting on a short foot, carved below the rim with a band of vegetal meanders and the inscription in both Arabic and Latin characters 'Pierre de la Mer Morte', 13.5cm diam. 199
£200 - £300
202 AN EMBROIDERED PANEL OF CHINESE YELLOW SILK Missionary work for the Christian market, China, 19th century Worked in coloured silks, metal threads, and fragments of satin silk, applied with spot motifs representing the Arma Christi (Weapons of Christ) or the Instruments of Passion, the central cross (no longer extant) topped by the Pelican in Her Piety above the Titulus Crucis (INRI), below the Crown of Thorns pierced by the large nails, flanked by the clock face, the chalice, the crow atop a column with chains, the sponge and the spear, the ladder, the hammer and pincers, the sword, the sceptre, Christ’s Robe of Mockery, the lantern and the pitcher, the flagellation chains, the hand that struck Christ, outlines of the dice and pieces of silver visible through remaining pin pricks, laid on yellow tabby silk, backed, stretched and mounted, 86.5cm x 56cm. Ever since the Middle Ages, the Pelican in Her Piety has been a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice, Passion, and the Eucharist. In the present panel, it replaces the crucified Jesus. The symbolic elements represent crucial episodes from the Passion, including the Mockery of Christ, the flagellation, Joseph of Arimathea catching the blood of Jesus in a chalice, and the rooster crowing after Peter’s third Denial of Christ, among many others. The passage of the Christian story from its Middle Eastern origins across centuries, through Western missionaries, into Chinese decorative arts is encapsulated in this liturgical panel. The use of Chinese Imperial yellow is symbolically significant and intentional. £200 - £300 203 A TALISMANIC SCROLL
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Iran, 19th century Arabic manuscript, numerals, and symbols on paper, in black and red ink naskh script with gold highlights, with charts, graphs, and symbols including the Star of David, invoking the great seal of Solomon, including a repetition of the Sura Al-Nas (the last, 114th Sura of Qur’an), prayers to Moses, Jesus, and the prophet Mohammad, mounted, framed and glazed, 78cm x 6.5cm, 91.5cm x 19.5cm including the frame. Provenance: Bonhams London, 19 January 2011, part of lot 42.
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Possibly produced by a Jewish do’a nevis (prayer scribe), this union of the three major faiths in solving problems and warding off evil is a note-worthy vignette of the historically peaceful coexistence of different monotheistic faiths in the Islamic lands. £120 - £160 204 A PAINTED AND INLAID OLIVE WOOD BESAMIM (SPICE BOX) AND SCROLL CONTAINER Israel, early 20th century Comprising a small besamim, of conical shape, resting on a stepped circular foot, rising to a domed and pierced lid with a screwed-in mechanism, the centre painted in black with an image of a brick wall with trees in the distance and domes to each side, possibly a reference to Rachel's Tomb, the third holiest site in Judaism, 14.8cm high; and a coloured wood-inlaid scroll container, possibly for a Megillah (Book of Esther) or Torah now absent, carved in the centre with images of Rachel's Tomb, 29cm long. £200 - £300
205 205 A COBALT BLUE AND COPPER LUSTRE-PAINTED STAR POTTERY TILE Possibly Kashan, Iran, 13th - 14th century Of typical eight-pointed star-like shape, decorated with a copper lustre-painted central motif of possible Judaica inspiration with a stylised menorah to the bottom and ten vertical lines at the top reminiscent of the ten commandments, all within a calligraphic border inscribed with poetic verses, and a further cobalt blue border around the edge, to the back an old inventory sticker describing the tile as lustre stonepaste from Persia, 16th century and providing a speculative attribution to the Shah Abbas period and provenance from the Shah Mosque in Isfahan (1612), 20cm diam. £400 - £600 206 AN OCTAGONAL WHITE MARBLE TABLE TOP WITH FLORAL PIETRA DURA INLAYS India, second half 20th century Of octagonal shape, the edges slightly everted, the table top decorated with a central polychrome floral medallion spraying towards the rim with rosettes, foliage and blossomed star-shaped flower heads, a similar interlocking band decorating the outer rim, 50cm x 50cm. £100 - £150
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λ AN OSTRICH EGG SILVER-MOUNTED EGG CODDLER Possibly Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu, Southern India, 19th century Of typical ovoid shape, the egg coddler made from an ostrich egg and mounted on a flared Indian silver base with rounded circular foot, the lid of similar design with an everted finial, possibly once holding a cup or glass, the silver mounts engraved and decorated with lush palmette leaves, scrolling vegetal trellis, rosette sprays and stylised leafy motifs typical of Madras silver production, the interior filled with the egg coddler grid repeating the same vegetal and floral motifs on the exterior, no evidence of marks, 34.5cm high. £300 - £500 208 A KASHMIRI LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ DESK ORGANISER AND TWO SUGAR BOWLS WITH SAUCERS Kashmir, North India, late 19th - early 20th century Comprising a green desk organiser, of rectangular shape, with three different stepped levels, the exterior fully decorated with lush floral bloom and vegetal motifs all highlighted in gold, golden fretwork bands on the edges and framing the floral panels, 21.5cm x 26cm x 9.5cm; and two globular sugar bowls with their matching saucers, decorated with typical Kashmiri lacquerware motifs such as boteh (paisley leaves), arabesques, rosettes, stars and colourful vegetal trellis, each lidded bowl 9.5cm high, each saucer 12cm diam. £300 - £500 209
λ A PAIR OF HARDWOOD MOTHER-OF-PEARL-INLAID DAGOBERTSTYLE ARMCHAIRS Ottoman Syria, end 19th - 20th century Comprising two wooden chairs, of typical shape, each with square seat and high arched backrest, resting on two long bracketed feet, the wood deeply carved with scrolling vegetal meanders and bands of knotwork, the backrest, seat, armrest and legs all inlaid with mother-of-pearl tesserae cut in a variety of shapes and arranged as roundels, stars and geometric vegetal motifs, once foldable, now set tight, 109.5cm x 58cm x 57cm. £400 - £600
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212 A LARGE CARVED AND GILT HARDWOOD MARRIAGE CHEST Possibly Northern Greece or Balkans, Ottoman Western Provinces, 18th century Of rectangular shape, resting on a flat base, the lid plain with a simple gold frame around the borders, the front panel carved in relief and gilt, populated with mythical creatures and lush scrolls of flowers and foliage, the two mythical creatures standing near the keylock wearing a crown, reminiscent of rampant wolves and lions found in Balkan folklore paintings and decorations, the composition framed within a gilt plaited fretwork band, the sides with similar border decorations and curved bronze handles, the edge of the lid carved with gilt medallions of halved rosettes and hatched lines, the lobed bronze hinges and keylock enhanced with floral motifs, the interior re-lined in later red wallpaper with golden volutes and vegetal motifs, containing two gilt wooden floor stands with a decoration similar to the exterior, the sides with roundels filled with flowers and framed within a plaited fretwork band, 51cm x 144.8cm x 46cm. Chests of this shape, material and size, often called cassone from their Florentine Italian denomination, were often produced as bedchamber or dowry chests. Indeed, in many parts of the world, the tradition expected that gifts passed to a newly formed household for the new bride were packed into a wooden chest, typically decorated as richly as means would allow, the better to show it off as a status symbol when the bride arrived at her new home. The Islamic lands were no exception in this regard (Caroline Stone, The Art of the Dowry Chest, in Aramco World, Nov/Dec 2015, Vol. 66, no. 6, pp. 24 - 29). Possibly produced in the Epirus region in Northern Greece, or in the Balkans, this chest mixes traditional shapes and uses with extravagant designs inspired by local folk tale characters, a pivotal hallmark of the artistic productions fostered in the Ottoman Empire throughout the centuries. £2000 - £3000
210 A THREE-PIECE INDIAN SILVER TEA SET
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Possibly Lucknow, Awadh, Northern India, mid to late 19th century
λ A HARDWOOD MOTHER-OF-PEARL AND TORTOISE SHELL-INLAID
Comprising a teapot, of typical globular shape, resting on a short circular foot, with a hemispherical lid and elephant-shaped finial, to the sides a straight spout and sinuous thin Cobra handle, the exterior engraved with a dense pattern of intertwined rosette sprays, a band of shell-shaped palmettes and foliage to the shoulder, 14cm high; and a matching creamer, 7.5cm high, and sugar bowl, engraved with a stellar design to the base, 6cm high, 9cm diam. £800 - £1200 211
λ A NEAR PAIR OF HARDWOOD IVORY-INLAID ANGLO-INDIAN TIERED TEA TRAYS Possibly Vizagapatam, Andhra Pradesh, India, 19th century Each of similar shape, with three interspaced octagonal trays, each with shallow centre and flattened rim, inlaid with ivory rosettes, geometric patterns, and floral and vegetal bands, resting on two bracketed volute-shaped feet, with an arched handle at the top and two tall spines flanking the dishes to keep them in place, with a third wooden bar on one side of the dishes to fold them away, the shape and design clearly influenced by Western traditions and uses showcasing the vibrant mixture of styles witnessed in 19th-century Anglo-Indian furniture production, the tallest 82.5cm x 26.5cm. £500 - £700
MIRROR Possibly Turkey or Syria, Ottoman Provinces, late 19th century - early 20th century Of rectangular shape, with applied cusped cartouches at the top, the frame inlaid with tesserae of mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell arranged in a starshaped geometric band, the central cartouche at the top decorated with the typical Ottoman symbol of the star and crescent moon, surrounded by vegetal sprays and rosettes, similar decoration in the two smaller cartouches to the side, the back plain with wire hanging thread, 84cm x 53.5cm. £500 - £700 214 A SILVER REPOUSSÉ HANDHELD MIRROR Tamil Nadu, South India, late 19th - early 20th century Of typical oval shape, the back and handle highly chased with rosettes, vegetal motifs and lobed cartouches filled with heavenly beings, apsaras, and gods of the Hindu Pantheon striking dance poses or holding a variety of attributes, in the centre a representation of Krishna playing the flute and holding two conch shells next to a cow, on the handle baby Krishna dancing on a water snake (Kalinga Nardhana) repeated on the front and back, 33cm x 14cm. £300 - £500
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λ A CORAL AND TURQUOISE-ENCRUSTED GILT BRASS COFFEE SET Ottoman Turkey, 19th century Comprising ten egg-cup-shaped zarfs (cup holders), each resting on a splayed openwork foot, encrusted with coral and turquoise beads, with scrolling filigree work and applied metal thread in spiralling designs on the exterior, the rim decorated with a fine band of interlocking metal thread, each 5.5cm diam. and 5cm high; a bulbous coffee pot, resting on a short splayed foot, with a sinuous handle and everted beak-shaped spout, the domed lid missing its pommel, the exterior surface fully encrusted with coral and turquoise beads, and embossed with scrolling rosette sprays, 18.5cm high; and a circular tray, with similar decoration, with ten embossed roundels below the cavetto alternating with the inscription Allah and six-pointed stars, the central roundel engraved with a tughra and a branch of rosettes, 41cm diam. A copper casket encrusted in a similar fashion and dating to the same period successfully sold in these Rooms recently, 22 July 2020, lot 349. £3000 - £4000
feet, the decoration consisting of floral roundels interspersed with thuluth calligraphic cartouches, the central stem made of brown agate segments inlaid in gold and enhanced with vegetal and floral motifs, the brass top decorated with Mamluk-inspired Y-shaped motifs, vegetal scrolls and stylised lotus buds, each 18.5cm high. £500 - £700 217 A PAIR OF SILVER-INLAID MAMLUK-REVIVAL DAMASCUS-WARE VASES Ottoman Syria, late 19th century Each of bulbous shape, resting on a circular splayed foot, rising to a tall everted neck with wide circular mouth, the decoration inspired by earlier Mamluk models, with cusped cartouches filled with silver-inlaid vegetal meanders intertwined with split palmette trellis and floral sprays, in the centre four large lobed medallions, two with vegetal motifs and two with thuluth calligraphy running around a central rosette roundel, the tallest 46.5cm high. £400 - £600
216 A PAIR OF INLAID AGATE AND ENGRAVED BRASS DAMASCUS-WARE CANDLESTICKS
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Ottoman Syria, early 20th century
Ottoman Turkey, 19th - 20th century
Comprising a pair of brass candlesticks, each of typical shape, with a circular silver-inlaid base with everted rim resting on bulbous engraved hardstone
Of typical shape, resting on a stepped, cusped base, rising to a tall, ribbed pole with a shallow basin, at the top a compressed globular oil container with six
A LARGE BRONZE OIL LAMP
traditional, upward-curved arms with drop-shaped spouts, the handle shaped as a volute with inverted curls, 95.8cm high. Provenance: Christie's London, 5 October 2012, lot 761. £300 - £500 219
λ A MOTHER-OF-PEARL AND TORTOISE SHELL-INLAID CASKET Ottoman Turkey, 17th - 18th century Of rectangular shape, resting on four straight feet, with a detached convex lid, the exterior clad in mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell tesserae arranged to create charming geometric motifs and chequered patterns, the edges framed with thin bone, the interior retaining part of the original papier-mâché fitting, with a small raised compartment to the right, 20cm x 28cm x 19cm.
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£500 - £700 220 A PARCEL-GILT REPOUSSÉ SILVER BOWL (TAZA) Ottoman Balkans, Western Ottoman Provinces, 17th - 18th century Of circular shape, with pronounced cavetto and raised hemispherical centre (omphalos), the cavetto fully decorated in high relief with a variety of animals including a stag, a fox, a dog, an ibex, a goat and a hare, interspersed amidst lush scrolling vines with grapes, the centre with an applied recumbent stag, its body decorated with vegetal scrolls, three bands of beading from the centre to the rim, 13cm diam.
220
A variety of these early Ottoman Balkan silver bowls has appeared on the auction market in recent years. For further reference, please see Christie’s South Kensington, 11 April 2014, lot 373; and 24 April 2015, lot 354; Christie’s London, 26 October 2017, lot 201; Sotheby’s London, 24 April 2012, lot 165 and 3 October 2012, lot 250; and lastly, these very Rooms, 25 October 2019, lot 184. They all share common features such as the vegetal and animal decoration in high relief to the cavetto; applied animals, often quadrupeds, to the omphalos; ring-punched grounds; and an overall Byzantine influence in the decorative vocabulary and its articulation.
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£800 - £1200 221 A SILVER-GILT REPOUSSÉ LIDDED TANKARD Ottoman Turkey, 18th - early 19th century Of bulbous shape, resting on a short stepped foot, the hemispherical lid rising to a small pommel, the sinuous and thin handle on one side embellished with circular coral beads, on the body four engraved and repoussé lobed cartouches, each filled with six lines of naskh calligraphy in Turkish, interspersed with vegetal volutes and rosettes, the gadrooned repoussé base inspired by Western models, the rim enhanced with a calligraphic band below a geometric one, the lid with repoussé rosette scrolls and vegetal motifs, 15.8cm high. Parcel-gilt tankards similar to our lot witnessed a period of great success at the Ottoman court in the 18th and 19th centuries. The shapes and design were most likely influenced by silver vessels produced in the Western provinces of the Empire, such as the Balkans and Greece, creating a pleasant amalgamation and unity of Western and Eastern decorative elements. For similar examples, please see Christie’s London, 5 October 2010, lot 326; and 26 October 2017, lot 220. £1500 - £2000 222
λ A HARDWOOD MOTHER-OF-PEARL-INLAID TALL HEXAGONAL STAND Ottoman Syria, late 19th - early 20th century Of hexagonal shape, resting on three volute-shaped bracketed feet, the table top carved with concentric bands of knotwork and vegetal sprays, in the centre a mother-of-pearl-inlaid six-pointed star, similar motifs carved along the tall legs, enhanced with openwork lattice work in the style of mashrabiya windows, mother-of-pearl-inlaid roundels and polylobed open arches just below the table top, 100cm x 44.5cm.
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£400 - £600
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λ THREE WOODEN FRAMES
A KUTAHYA POTTERY JUG
Syria and India, late 19th - 20th century
Ottoman Turkey, 19th century
Comprising an Ottoman Syrian wooden frame, of rectangular shape, inlaid with bone, ivory, coloured woods and mother-of-pearl tesserae, all arranged in star-shaped and geometric micro-mosaics, 51cm x 41cm; another Syrian wooden frame, inlaid with brass trellis and with openwork fretwork bands on each side, 31cm x 36cm; and a late Indian Vizagapatam-style wooden frame, inlaid with ivory, with concentric bands of fretwork, rosettes, vegetal trellis, and foliage, 40.5cm x 28cm.
Of typical bulbous shape, with a globular body resting on a short splayed foot, rising to a cylindrical neck, with a reinforced rim at the top, a curved handle on one side and flaring spout on the other, the exterior painted in a colourful palette of cobalt blue, bole red, copper green, manganese purple, yellow and black on white ground, the decoration consisting of lobed medallions filled with stylised vegetal arabesques and rosettes against a blue fish-scale pattern background, further floral and decorative bands around the shoulders and rim, 28.5cm high.
£300 - £500 224
For similar examples sold at auction before, please see Christie's South Kensington, 24 April 2015, lot 416 and Online Only, 10 - 19 November 2015, lot 95.
A PYRIFORM KUTAHYA POTTERY JUG
£300 - £500
Ottoman Turkey, 19th century Pear-shaped, resting on a short foot, rising to a tapering neck, with an everted rim at the top, a curved handle on one side and sinuous spout on the opposite, the exterior painted in a colourful palette of cobalt blue, bole red, copper green, manganese purple, yellow and black on white ground, the decoration consisting of intertwined vegetal scrolls framing stylised rosettes, tulips and other flowers, a rosette scroll on the exterior of the spout and a geometric fretwork band to the handle, 29cm high. £300 - £500
226 A LARGE PAINTED, GILT AND LACQUERED HARDWOOD HEXAGONAL CEILING CENTREPIECE Possibly Egypt or Syria, late 19th - 20th century Of hexagonal shape, the centre with a raised, circular sun collar, radiating carved geometric motifs repeating the traditional star pattern, ten applied bosses, with residues of polychrome paint and gilding in the shapes of flowers and vegetal meanders, within a thicker border, 101cm x 87.5cm. £400 - £600
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λ A HARDWOOD MOTHER-OF-PEARL, TORTOISE SHELL AND IVORY-
λ THREE MOTHER-OF-PEARL AND BONE-INLAID OCCASIONAL TABLE TOPS
INLAID BIRDCAGE
Ottoman Turkey and Provinces, 19th century
Ottoman Turkey, late 19th - early 20th century
Comprising a decagonal table top, inlaid with diamond-shaped tesserae of mother-ofpearl, tortoise shell and coloured woods in concentric orders radiating from a central tughra roundel, 37.5cm diam; and two hexagonal Ottoman Syrian bone and motherof-pearl-inlaid table tops, decorated with geometric motifs, one with calligraphic cartouches, the largest 56.5cm diam.
Of rectangular shape, resting on four short bracket feet, rising to a pyramidal structure at the top, surmounted by a small rectangular platform set with brass finials and central brass knob with suspension ring, the central cage formed by thin metal wire bars enhanced with cusped hardwood ivory-inlaid spandrels and an arch-shaped door with a mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell frame, the top and bottom with geometric bands consisting of a chequered motif of tortoise shell and mother-of-pearl marquetry work, the decoration on the pyramidal structure with similar geometric and star-shaped designs, the metal base removable from one side, 38cm x 38cm x 78cm.
£500 - £700 229 AN IZNIK-STYLE DAMASCUS POTTERY DISH
Provenance: Roseberys London, 23 October 2017, lot 385.
Ottoman Syria, 17th - 18th century
Some of the elements of this birdcage appear to be inspired by real Ottoman architectural models, especially the pyramidal structure at the top with the rectangular banister. For a similar example, please see Sotheby's London, 22 April 2015, lot 247.
Of typical rounded shape, resting on a short circular foot, with a gently everted, flattened rim, painted in manganese purple, copper green, turquoise, cobalt blue and black against white ground, the interior decorated with a small turquoise carnation and three rosette stems with blue centres and manganese purple petals, all within a lobed cartouche, surrounded by stylised floral and geometric motifs on a blue ground framed by black borders, the roundels reminiscent of the Iznik cintamani motif, to the rim a band of single leaf stems and small buds, alternating with cintamani roundels, the exterior with blue rosettes alternating floral stems, 27cm diam.
£3000 - £5000
£400 - £600
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λ A LARGE HARDWOOD MOTHER-OF-PEARL-INLAID OTTOMAN CHEST
AN ENGRAVED SILVER SCRIBE SET
Ottoman Turkey, 18th - 19th century
Of typical design, the reed pen container of narrow rectangular shape, with rounded ends, the lid at the top with a large hook, the rounded square inkwell soldered onto the penbox body, with a typical lid decorated with two raised and engraved bands, the exterior fully engraved with roundels, polylobed arches and cartouches filled with vegetal, floral and geometric motifs, rosette and vegetal trellis bands to the sides, 29.8cm long and 6cm high.
Of rectangular shape, resting on six bracket lion paw-shaped feet, each side carved and inlaid with mother-of-pearl tesserae arranged as roundels and cypress trees in the centre, framed within a geometric fretwork band, rosettes on the edge of the lid, the panel at the front with similar decoration to the lid but with birds, lobed cartouches and ewers instead of cypress trees, the shorter sides with a central roundel surrounded by quarters of roundels on each corner, the interior plain with two smaller rectangular compartments, 59cm x 124cm x 56cm.
Possibly Oman or Yemen, mid to late 19th century
£400 - £600
£1000 - £1200 236 231
A SMALL CIRCULAR DAMASCUS POTTERY TILE
A PAIR OF OTTOMAN SILVER WIRE-INLAID WOODEN FOOT RESTS
Ottoman Syria, 16th - 17th century
Ottoman Turkey, circa 1900
Of circular shape, painted in cobalt blue, turquoise, green and black, the decoration consisting of a central arabesque cartouche filled with stylised vegetal scrolls and split palmette trellis, the tile set within a wooden frame, 14.5cm diam. including the frame.
Of typical shape, similar to hammam slippers except for the absence of foot bands, the wood carved and inlaid with silver thread in the shape of scrolling vines with large jagged leaves, 7cm x 22.5cm.
£180 - £220 232
A SYRIAN POLYCHROME-ENAMELLED CIRCULAR TRAY Ottoman Syria, late 19th century Of circular shape, resting on a plain base, with an everted, flattened rim reinforced on the edge, the surface decorated with pink, turquoise, dark blue, green and white champlevé enamelling in the form of cusped vegetal cartouches, meandering vines with ripe grape bunches, rosettes, concentric geometric fretwork bands to the cavetto, and scrolling split palmette trellis around the rim, marked with a copper Z on the base, 31cm diam. £300 - £500
£400 - £600 237 AN OTTOMAN SILVER WIRE-INLAID WOODEN COFFEE TABLE Ottoman Turkey, circa 1900 The low table with an octagonal top and ornate stand supported by three curved legs, inlaid throughout with silver wire decoration consisting of sinuous vines with jagged leaves and grape bunches, 65.5cm high. A pair of very similar coffee tables, attributed to the Armenian maker Vortik Potikian Afyonkarahisar, sold at Sotheby›s London, 24 April 2013, lot 278. For further examples, please see Christie›s South Kensington, 11 October 2013, lot 900; and Bonhams London, 25 April 2017, lot 142A. £300 - £500
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FOUR TURQUOISE AND BLACK-PAINTED ‘DOME OF THE ROCK’ POTTERY TILES Ottoman Syria, second half 16th century Comprising four tiles of rectangular shapes in various sizes, painted in black under turquoise glaze, two of smaller size decorated with central quatrefoil palmettes set within cusped medallions, intertwined with spiralling floral stems and stylised lotuses, 21.4cm x 10cm and 21.4cm x 10cm; the largest decorated with a similar band of central quatrefoil palmettes set within cusped medallions and intertwined with spiralling floral stems and stylised lotuses, and a larger band of spiralling stems, stylised rosettes, lotuses and carnations, 21.4cm x 24.4cm; and another tile featuring a central palmette with tendrils interlacing with stylised carnations and lotus sprays, 20.5cm x 18.3cm.
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£1200 - £1800 234
AN OTTOMAN PIERCED REPOUSSÉ SILVER FRAME Ottoman Turkey, 19th century Of rectangular shape, the top rounded, the pierced silver lattice highly chased and engraved, the decoration consisting of rose bouquets amidst interlocking vegetal trellis and leafy sprigs, stamped with sah marks, pinned on a later dark velvet mount, 57.5cm x 38.5cm. £600 - £800
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λ A LARGE HARDWOOD MOTHER-OF-PEARL AND TORTOISE SHELL-INLAID OTTOMAN CHEST Ottoman Turkey, late 18th - 19th century
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Of rectangular shape, resting on six bracketed feet, each side carved and inlaid with mostly mother-of-pearl tesserae arranged as roundels and fishes in the centre, and leafy rosette sprays all around them, a few decorative patterns containing some tortoise shell tesserae, the shorter sides with a central roundel surrounded by vegetal sprays, some tesserae painted in red to enhance the two-tone combination of mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell inlays typical of earlier examples, 58.5cm x 116.5cm x 59.5cm. £1000 - £1500 239
λ A CLEAR HARDWOOD IVORY AND BONE-INLAID CHEST North Africa, 20th century
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Of rectangular shape, resting on a flat base, every side inlaid with bone and ivory marquetry work arranged in rectangular panels, filled with a central rosette and scrolling vegetal trellis, the interior plain, 40cm x 44cm x 59.3cm. £300 - £500 240 AN ENGRAVED SILVER DOOR FITTING Rabat, Morocco, dated 1332 AH (1913) Of rectangular shape, with a protruding rounded frontal plaque engraved with flower heads and vegetal sprays, an openwork medallion in the centre and two hands on each end, the top with a buckle-like element and a protruding hook, stamped on several sides with 1332, a cockerel’s head, and a faded mark in Arabic letters Al-Muyi (?), 14.5cm long. £200 - £300
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241 A NEAR PAIR OF ALGERIAN WHITE METAL-OVERLAID COPPER BASINS Algeria, North Africa, late 19th - 20th century Comprising two large basins, of compressed rounded shape, resting on a flat base, with everted flat rim, a curved handle on each side, decorated with a continuous band of engraved and overlaid white metal vegetal and split palmette scrolls, the largest 38.5cm diam. £200 - £300
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The Arts of Iran and Central Asia
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242 A LARGE TURQUOISE MONOCHROME-GLAZED POTTERY DISH Possibly Kashan, Iran, 10th - 12th century Of large rounded shape, resting on a short straight foot, with an everted flat rim, covered in thick monochrome turquoise glaze, the moulded decoration consisting of a band with stylised scrolling vegetal sprays to the cavetto, the centre plain, the back with iridescent turquoise glaze until the base, 35.5cm diam. £100 - £200 243 TWO KUBACHI POTTERY DISHES WITH FLORAL MOTIFS Iran, 17th - 18th century Comprising two overglaze polychrome-painted dishes of similar circular shape, each resting on a short unglazed foot, with a flattened everted rim and pronounced cavetto, the stonepaste body painted in cobalt blue, turquoise, green, red, yellow and black, one dish decorated in the typical Kubachi style with a large roundel to the centre filled with a stylised split palmette and rosettes, and a band of curly polychrome leaves around the cavetto and rim, the base plain and with an old inventory sticker Coubara (?) XVI, 27cm diam.; the latter similar, influenced by the floral compositions depicted on Ottoman Iznik pottery dishes, with a bouquet of carnations and stylised lotus flowers in the centre, and a band of scrolling vegetal sprays to the rim, the base plain, 28cm diam.
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£800 - £1200 244 THREE KUBACHI POTTERY SAUCERS Iran, 17th - 18th century Comprising three shallow rounded pottery dishes, each with a short circular foot, with a flattened wide rim, each painted in cobalt blue, bole red, copper green, yellow and black against a white ground, the motifs and design in line with Kubachi pottery production with stylised rosettes, floral bouquets, vegetal sprays and stylised split palmette scrolls, approximately 20.5cm diam. each. £400 - £600 245 246
A LARGE BLUE AND WHITE KUBACHI POTTERY DISH North Iran, late 17th - 18th century Of shallow concave, circular shape, resting on a short straight foot, with a wide flattened rim, painted in deep cobalt blue against a white background, the Chinese-inspired decoration consisting of a central motif with fruits and flowers bordered with chequered niches, the cavetto and rim decorated with a repeated pattern of tufts of grass and trees with protruding branches bearing fruits, the back with blue lines, 35cm diam. Provenance: Christie's Paris, Mobilier et Objets d'Art, 7 November 2006, lot 172. £200 - £300 246 A PAIR OF 'FAMILLE ROSE' POLYCHROME-ENAMELLED GUANGDONG PORCELAIN DISHES China and Persia, dated 1905 Comprising two polychrome-enamelled dishes, each of circular shape, resting on a plain foot, the interior decorated with four Chinese fretwork bands filled with blue flowers, birds and butterflies, all highlighted with gold painted details, a nasta'liq calligraphic roundel to the centre dated 1905 and inscribed Farmayesh-e Mohammad Qoli Nasir al-Dowlah Tabari, the rim filled with abundant floral decoration and butterflies, the back plain, each 25.5cm diam. £500 - £700
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247 A MONOCHROME BROWN-GLAZED POTTERY VASE Iran, 17th - 18th century Of typical compressed globular shape, resting on a short circular foot, rising to a later-added flared copper alloy mount engraved with figural roundels and vegetal motifs, the body covered in monochrome brown glaze and enhanced with moulded purple-glazed rosettes around the shoulders, 13.2cm high. £500 - £700 248 A SMALL BLUE AND WHITE POTTERY RICE BOWL Iran, late 18th - 19th century Of rounded shape, resting on a short straight foot, rising to a scalloped everted rim, the Chinese-inspired underglaze-painted cobalt blue decoration consisting of cranes and figures with long tunics in the wilderness on the exterior and a typical Asian garden scene on the interior, 13.3cm diam. and 6.5cm high. £200 - £300 249 A POLYCHROME SAFAVID-REVIVAL CUERDA SECA POTTERY TILE Qajar Iran, early to mid 19th-century Of typical square shape, painted in cobalt blue, yellow, turquoise, green and manganese purple on white ground, the central figural decoration depicting a beardless man wearing a turquoise overcoat and dark blue shawl as headdress, the green background filled with vegetal sprigs, rocks, tufts of greens and spiralling Chinese clouds, mounted on a black metal stand, 24.5cm x 24cm. £500 - £700 250 THREE SAFAVID CUERDA SECA POTTERY WALL TILES Iran, 17th - 18th century Comprising three tiles of rectangular shape, all painted in cobalt blue, yellow and green, with a central band of cusped yellow trefoils against a blue ground, flanked by bands of green, mounted on black metal stands, each 24cm x 7cm.
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£400 - £600 251 A PAIR OF IRANIAN POTTERY FLOOR TILES WITH IKAT DESIGN Tehran, Iran, mid to late 19th century Each of square shape, painted with cobalt blue chevron zigzags on white ground imitating the pattern of silk ikat weave, 20.5cm x 21cm. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, has a set of four in their collection (inv. no.1531:56-1876), purchased by Robert Murdoch Smith in Tehran in 1876 for the South Kensington Museum. They were part of a larger group of 154 “modern tiles” sold by the art dealer Jules Richard, and which he described as “a collection of upwards of 100 modern tiles of different patterns such as are used for decorating walls and floors at the present day” (V&A Archives, 9 July 1875). £400 - £600 247
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252 A QAJAR POLYCHROME-PAINTED POTTERY TILE Iran, dated 1273 AH (1856 - 1857) Of square shape, painted in cobalt blue, turquoise, manganese purple and black on white ground, in the centre two Qajar ladies seated next to each other in a garden, wearing a long chador and wide dress, the bucolic scene framed within a continuous cartouche of black square Kufic calligraphy, the date appearing on the upper right corner, 19.2cm x 19.2cm. £300 - £400 253
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λ A PORTABLE MICRO-MOSAIC KHATAMKARI CHESS AND BACKGAMMON BOARD Possibly Iran or India, late 19th - early 20th century Of rectangular shape, folding in two equal halves, the outer border framed within thin ivory slabs, the exterior set as a chessboard, inlaid with ivory, coloured woods, bone, brass and silver micro-mosaic (khatamkari) shaped in both hexagonal and octagonal medallions filled with stars and geometric patterns, in the centre the chessboard alternating plain ivory squares and khatamkari panels, framed within two concentric bands of polychrome wood fretwork and further marquetry work, the interior set as a backgammon board, with similar micro-mosaic decoration to the exterior, with roundels and diamonds filled with stars and geometric patterns, two hooks on the exterior to hold it in place, 43cm x 43cm when open, 21.2cm x 43cm when closed. £400 - £600 254 A STEEL PLAQUE ETCHED WITH KING SOLOMON AND PSEUDOKUFIC INSCRIPTION Iran, late 19th - 20th century 252
Of rectangular shape, the brass-inlaid acid-etched plaque depicting an enthroned King Solomon flanked by a pair of herons and a pair of spotted dragons, the throne surrounded by lush vegetal trellis and flower sprays, at the top an oval cartouche with a pseudo-Kufic decorative inscription, 26.3cm x 20.5cm. £250 - £350
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THREE HANGING LANTERNS WITH OPENWORK TINNED COPPER TERMINALS Iran or Bukhara, Central Asia, mid to late 19th century Comprising a large hanging lantern, of cylindrical shape, made of foldable waxed linen, the tinned copper terminals pierced and engraved with scrolling floral trellis, rosette roundels, arabesque motifs, vegetal and geometric decorative bands, and a calligraphic cartouche running around the edge of the top cover, with a curved handle at the top, 33cm diam.; a similar lantern, smaller in size and engraved with riders on horseback on the top, 28.5cm; and a much smaller lantern, with simpler openwork vegetal motifs on each terminal, 18.2cm diam. £300 - £500 256
λ A COCO-DE-MER BEGGING BOWL (KASHKUL) Iran, late 19th century Of typical oblong shape, with a circular opening in the centre, a circular copper alloy stud on each side joint with a later-added metal chain, the exterior plain, three decorative mother-of-pearl-inlaid tesserae next to the central opening, 17cm x 33cm.
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£180 - £220 257 A CARVED FRUITWOOD CASKET Abadeh, Qajar Iran, 19th century Of typical rectangular shape, the flat top with a raised central panel with deeply carved intertwined vegetal sprays surrounding a central lotus flower head, the exotic motif possibly influenced by Sinhalese and South Indian fruitwood boxes and furniture examples, the sides decorated with floral blooms and arabesque-like vegetal meanders, the borders decorated with pierced latticework, the interior lined in later purple velvet, fitted with modern British patented hinges, 15.5cm x 36cm x 24.5cm. 262
For similar examples, please see Christie's South Kensington, 24th April 2015, lot 174; and a box in the V&A Museum collection (inv. no. 861:1-1889). £1000 - £1500
Oh you that have lucidity in this world, Drink in the company of people of good taste, Lift the cover from the face of the basin. So that the Companion may quaff the nourishment Ey anke torast dar jahanhush, Dar sohbat-e ahl-e zowq minush, Bardar ze ruyetas sarpush, Ta yar konad ta’am ra nush 259
λ A MICRO-MOSAIC KHATAMKARI CABINET
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Iran, late 19th - early 20th century
Of rectangular shape, resting on a flat plain wooden base, the exterior clad in bone, coloured woods, and brass-inlaid micro-mosaic work (khatamkari), on each side the central rectangular panel arranged with diamond-shaped cartouches filled with khatamkari hexagonal star-shaped roundels, radiating from the central concentric geometric, fretwork and chequered bands, the edges inlaid in ivory, the interior divided into six small rectangular drawers and a large one, each decorated with star-shaped geometric marquetry work, the brass key lock a later addition, 18.5cm x 21cm x 31cm. Provenance: Sotheby's Paris, 28 October 2009, lot 174. £500 - £700 260 A LACQUERED PORTRAIT OF FATH 'ALI SHAH ON HORSEBACK AND A WOUNDED STAG
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Qajar Iran, mid to late 19th century
A TINNED COPPER COVER (SARPUSH)
Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, comprising a portrait of the Shah on horseback, with a kneeling soldier in mail grasping the stirrup of the king in a Persian gesture of loyalty and devotion to a commander, the king and white steed in full regalia, laid on cardboard within double pink and green inner borders, 16cm x 10cm; and a wounded stag, the background collaged from various images, 14cm x 11cm.
Kashmir or North-Western India, early 19th century Of deep rounded shape with a gently everted rim, in the form of an upturned bowl, topped by a straight circular grip, engraved with concentric decorative bands filled with fretwork, arabesque medallions, palmettes, vegetal tendrils, connecting bi-lobed motifs, peculiar foliation in the epigraphic panels and calligraphic inscriptions, one cartouche with the date 1011 AH (1602) and naming the owner, Khwajah Ashraf, 31.5cm diam. This tinned copper cover could be considered a revivalist piece, honouring the 17th-century Safavid metalware tradition. Indeed, in the 19th century, both in Iran and in India, artists developed a tendency of looking back at the work of old masters and of honouring them by attempting to reproduce traditional motifs and patterns. With time, this practice became more stylised and departed from the linear, crisp design to be admired in 17th-century models.
£200 - £300 261 A CARVED FRUITWOOD PORTABLE MIRROR AND CEREMONIAL SHERBET SPOON Abadeh, Qajar Iran, second half 19th century
Bardar ze ruyetas sarpush
Comprising a rectangular portable mirror with sliding lid, the exterior carved with typical Qajar bouquets and floral blooms, framed within concentric decorative bands of scrolling stylised rosette trellis, 26.5cm x 16.2cm; and a ceremonial sherbet spoon, carved with a typical openwork handle and deep concave boat-shaped bowl, the handle with a portrait roundel in the centre with Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar's effigy in his military uniform, surmounted by two winged cherubs lifting the royal crown over his head, calligraphic cartouches all around the bowl's rim, mounted on a black metal stand, 38.5cm long excluding the stand.
Ta yar konad ta’am ra nush
£600 - £800
A full transcription and translation of the epigraphic panels on the cover are here now available thanks to the work of the present owner: Ey anke torast dar jahanhush Dar sohbat-e ahl-e zowq minush
Sahibuhu Khwajah Ashraf. Sanata 1011
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λ A PORTABLE MICRO-MOSAIC KHATAMKARI BACKGAMMON BOARD Oh you that have lucidity in this world Drink in the company of people of good taste Lift the cover from the face of the basin So that the Companion may quaff the nourishment Its owner is Khwajah Ashraf. In the year 1011 June 1602/June 1603 £700 - £900
Iran, late 19th - early 20th century Of rectangular shape, folding in two equal halves, with a raised outer border, the exterior inlaid with coloured woods, bone and brass micro-mosaic (khatamkari) shaped in hexagonal medallions filled with stars and geometric patterns, larger roundels repeating the same motif in the centre of the board, the sides with oblong and cusped cartouches within bone and ivory-inlaid frames, the interior painted in bright red, with two smaller compartments for the white and red tokens and the dice, 39cm x 50cm when open, 19.5cm x 50cm when closed. £250 - £350
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265 SIX POLYCHROME-PAINTED, GILT AND VARNISHED POTTERY TILES Possibly Qajar Iran, late 19th century 263 A PIERCED STEEL OPENWORK INSCRIPTION PENDANT Iran, 18th century Of rectangular shape, with lobed short sides, the panel pierced with interlocking vegetal sprays and the calligraphic Shia prayer inscription ''Ya 'Ali'', mounted on a black metal stand, 7.5cm x 12cm excluding the stand. £200 - £300 264 AN ENGRAVED SILVER BELT BUCKLE FOR THE EMIR OF AFGHANISTAN, ABD-AL RAHMAN KHAN (r. 1880 - 1901) India, dated 1273 AH (1856-57) Of oval shape, engraved with a long nastaliq calligraphic inscription naming the emir of Afghanistan, the Pashtun Abd-al Rahman Khan Bahadur Jang, the Sarkar of Chiras (province in northern Afghanistan), the date inscribed in both the Hijra and Gregorian calendars (1273 AH - 1857 AD), the inscription against a finely cross-hatched ground reminiscent of Timurid and Central Asian metalwork, rosettes interspersed amidst the calligraphy, a fretwork band framing the plaque, the back with a large hook and two knobs, mounted on a black stand, 10cm x 13cm excluding the stand. £600 - £800
Each of square shape, four mounted and framed, two loose, painted in red, green, blue, gold and black against a white ground, the decoration consisting mostly of vases with lush floral bouquets and birds perched on branches in the wilderness, one tile decorated with a house or church with a tall tower at its back, the border of each one with a decorative frame with golden volutes and rosettes against green and red backgrounds, 23.8cm x 23.7cm the largest, 33cm x 33cm including the frame. Provenance: Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, 30 November 2007, lot 276. £500 - £700 266 A SET OF POLYCHROME-PAINTED, GILT, AND LACQUERED WOODEN DOORS Iran, 20th century Of rectangular shape, the two wooden panels polychrome-painted, gilt, and lacquered, the decoration consisting on both sides of frolicking birds amidst floral bloom and leafy sprigs, at the top lush, blossomed roses inspired by Qajar compositions, each door panel framed within a band of gilt rosette sprays set against red and blue grounds, joined together and mounted in a later wooden frame, 81cm x 48.5cm. Provenance: Bonhams London, 12 October 2006, lot 226. £200 - £300
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269 271 THREE PAIRS OF LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ BOOK BINDINGS WITH FLORAL MOTIVES Iran and Kashmir, Northern India, 19th century
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Comprising two pairs of rectangular lacquered book bindings, each one polychrome-painted, gilt and lacquered, decorated with vertical compositions of floral triumphs with large roses surrounded by hyacinths, carnations, lilies, daffodils, violets and irises, bands of floral bloom and enhanced cusped edges, against a dark brown ground, mounted, glazed and framed, the largest 32cm x 21.5cm excluding the frame, 46cm x 62cm including the frame; and a third loose pair, with similar decoration, with a gilt calligraphic inscription at the bottom Amal-e Fazl 'Ali Naqqash Irani, dated 1211 AH (1796), 32cm x 23cm.
A FINE ZAND-STYLE OPENWORK BRASS CENSER
£250 - £350
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Qajar Iran, early 19th century Gourd-shaped, the flared bulbous body resting on a cylindrical stand on a stepped circular base, the dome-shaped lid resting on a widely everted rim, the full censer pierced with fine openwork decorations consisting of interlocking vegetal scrolls, flower heads and foliage, at the base and top of the main body calligraphic cartouches interspersed with roundels with Qajar youths in a garden, larger filled-in roundels in the central band of the body and lid engraved with courtly banqueting and garden scenes against a floral ground, 47.5cm high. £800 - £1200 268 TWO PORTABLE CIRCULAR MIRRORS Iran and India, late 19th century
272 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PANEL WITH A QAJAR BANQUET SCENE Qajar Iran, 19th century Of rectangular shape, the vertical composition polychrome-painted, gilt and lacquered, depicting a classical Qajar banquet scene with a courtly couple at the top of the hierarchicallly structured scene, the lavishly dressed and heavily bejewelled woman handing over a glass to her partner, smiling complacently, flanking the couple a female attendant with an encrusted casket and a male attendant carrying a water pipe, in front of the couple female musicians and acrobats performing their arts, the scene set within a border of floral bouquets and vegetal sprays, mounted, framed and glazed, 50.3cm x 42cm including the frame.
Comprising a circular khatamkari portable mirror, the back and frame clad in bone, different coloured wood and brass-inlaid micro-mosaic decoration forming star-shaped hexagonal geometric motifs, 27.6cm diam.; and an Indian portable mirror, the back decorated with an openwork gilt copper plaque with a sun in the central roundel and concentric bands with rosettes and beading, 24.5cm diam.
Provenance: Christie's London, 11 April 2008, lot 124.
£200 - £300
Iran, second half 19th century
269 A LARGE LATE QAJAR BRONZE INKWELL Iran, late 19th - early 20th century Of oblong rectangular shape, with two cusped finials on each end, resting on two large conical feet, the embattled sides gently everted, engraved with a variety of floral and vegetal motifs, a large stylised rosette in the central dip, the two embossed knobs with nasta'liq calligraphy, mounted on a metal stand, 50cm x 16.5cm.
£500 - £700 273 A QAJAR LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ QALAMDAN (PEN CASE) With rounded ends and sliding tray, polychrome-painted and lacquered, the top decorated with a horizontal composition depicting a Sufi shaykh instructing his pupils in the wilderness, the half-naked shaykh reclined on a rock, next to him the youngest pupil wearing a woollen Sufi cap and holding a spoon, next to the youngest another pupil with a begging bowl (kashkul), the sides depicting scenes of mercy and compassion in a rural setting, with young dervishes dispensing advice and receiving alms from local villagers, the tray base and underside of the pen case with scrolling golden vines with many plentiful grape bunches against a red ground, 22.1cm long. £500 - £700
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A LARGE LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ QALAMDAN (PEN CASE)
A MONUMENTAL BRASS OPENWORK CANDLESTICK
Qajar Iran, 19th century
Qajar Iran, early 19th century Of typical tubular shape, resting on a raised and stepped hemispherical base, the candlestick composed of separate segments joined together, the top and bottom sections of cylindrical shape with ringed ends, the central section faceted and attached to further bulbous segments, the whole body pierced and engraved with Zand-style cusped cartouches filled with winged cherubs, Qajar youths and musicians, drinking merrily and playing music in a garden, the negative space decorated with lush scrolling vegetal sprays, bands of rosette and split palmette meanders, fretwork and beading bands, the interior with later wiring, 99cm high.
With square ends and removable lid, polychrome-painted, gilt and lacquered, the top decorated with a horizontal arrangement of Safavid-revival cusped arabesque medallions filled with vegetal meanders, split palmettes, and blossoming flowers against a golden ground with more flowers, foliage and Chinese cloud bands, the composition framed within golden floral sprays against a black ground, the sides with knotwork designs and boteh-shaped cartouches enhanced with vegetal sprays, the underside bright red with a golden fretwork band, the interior plain, with gold-sprinkled brown lacquer, the overall style reminiscent of Kashmiri lacquerware and possibly produced for export, 28.5cm x 8.2cm.
£400 - £600
£200 - £300
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λ A MICRO-MOSAIC KHATAMKARI PORTABLE MIRROR WITH SILVER STAND Iran, second half 19th century Of rectangular shape, with a sliding lid, the exterior clad in bone, coloured wood and brass-inlaid lacquered micro-mosaic (khatamkari), the decoration consisting of bands of hexagonal cartouches filled with stars and geometric motifs, framed within miniature fretwork bands, in the centre a raised and cusped cartouche with two lines of ivory and bone-inlaid nasta'liq calligraphy 'Oh Allah, bless Mohammad and His Family', against a black ground with golden vegetal sprays, the interior with a similar inscription at the top of the mirror, the reverse of the lid polychrome-painted and lacquered with the typical gol-o-bolbol motif, the back with similar decoration to the front except for the openwork silver stand engraved with a bird amidst vegetal meanders, 22cm x 14cm.
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£800 - £1200 276 A LACQUERED SAFAVID-REVIVAL TINTED DRAWING Qajar Iran, 19th century Opaque pigments, pencil and ink heightened with gold and lacquered on paper, the vertical composition depicting a man climbing up a tree to escape a lion growling at him from the bottom of the tree, the man wearing a loose overcoat decorated with Chinese clouds, birds flying around and one perched on a tree branch, stylised Chinese ru clouds in the sky, the shading of the tree trunk together with the draughtsmanship of the clouds and the man's physiognomic features reminiscent of Reza 'Abbasi and 17th-century Isfahani paintings, pasted onto a later gold-speckled pink album page, mounted onto dark green cardboard, framed, 24.5cm x 16.5cm excluding the frame. £600 - £800
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λ A LARGE MICRO-MOSAIC KHATAMKARI BOX Iran, late 19th - early 20th century Of rectangular shape, resting on a flat wooden base, the exterior clad in bone, coloured wood and brass-inlaid micro-mosaic work (khatamkari), arranged in chevrons and in concentric geometric, fretwork and chequered bands radiating from the centre, the sides mostly mirroring the same layout and adding more panels of star-shaped khatamkari marquetry work, the edges inlaid in ivory, the interior lined in later dark yellow velvet, 55.8cm x 41cm x 22.3cm. Provenance: Bonhams London, 12 October 2006, lot 225. £400 - £600
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278 SEVEN ILLUSTRATED LOOSE FOLIOS FROM A SHAHNAMA MANUSCRIPT Qazvin or Isfahan, Safavid Iran, late 16th century Comprising seven loose folios, each with opaque pigments heightened with gold and silver on paper, above and below the illustrations between 4ll. to 10ll. of black ink nasta’liq script divided in four columns per page, depicting a variety of scenes from Abu Al-Qasim Ferdowsi’s Shahnama, within polychrome ruled margins, the recto with up to 25ll. of black ink nasta’liq script divided in four columns, titles and chapter headings marked in red, the later-added plain borders made of European watermarked paper, separately mounted on white cardboard frames, each text panel 22cm x 13.4cm, each folio approximately 30.5cm x 19.5cm. Provenance: Sotheby’s Paris, The Collection of Jacques Bacri, 30 March 2017, lot 46. The subjects of the paintings are as follows: Sam attacking Paridokht Rustam in Battle with the Khaqan (King) of China Kay Khosrow, Farangis and Guiv Crossing the Oxus Bahram Gur’s Hunt An Intimate Scene of Nariman and his Lover Bijan in Battle (the Great Battle of Kay Khosrow) Garshasb at Caesar’s Court Meeting Caesar’s Daughter The scene of Kay Khosrow crossing the Oxus (Amu Darya) is of great relevance in the unravelling of events narrated in Ferdowsi’s Shahnama. After a seven-year search, Guiv finds the young prince Kay Khosrow by a spring, and recognises him from his divine far. Together they find Farangis in the then-ruined city of Siyavash, set off on horseback to return to Iran, and win the war against Afrasiyab. The spring rains have made the Amu Darya river very deep and dangerous, and this safe crossing is nothing short of a miracle. The final line of poetry on the folio declares ‘a wise man would not count these riders as mere humans’. No-one upholds the divine Right of Kings like Ferdowsi. The ultimate sign of nobility, the far, reveals itself in the person of Kay Khosrow in so many ways. Despite being brought up by shepherds in Touran, and unaware of his royal destiny, his recognition by Guiv as the Righteous One, together with his magical bowl, and the miraculous crossing of the Oxus – a final return to the homeland he is destined to lead - leave the readers, including the commissioning Sultan Mahmud, in no doubt about the legitimacy and authority of a true King of Iran. The paintings on these loose Shahnama folios embody the transition and movement of both people and ideas witnessed in the Safavid karkhanas (artistic atelier) throughout the 16th century in Iran. The characters in our illustrations still showcase a certain degree of indebtedness to 15th-century Turkman paintings, with their gently rounded Central Asian “moon faces” with rounded chins, often crouched onto barely visible necks; thin, almondshaped eyes; and thick, arched eyebrows (Sheila Canby, The Golden Age of Persian Art 1501 - 1722, 2008, pp. 29 - 35). The headdresses worn in the battle scenes are reminiscent of Turkmen examples, with a pointy finial at the top often enhanced with a black plume. The absence of taj headdresses, so common in early 16th-century Safavid paintings, is also indicative of the transition in fashion trends and models of the time. Nevertheless, the figures in our illustrations appear to be more gracefully drawn, more temperate in feeling, and less cramped than in either Timurid or Turkman antecedents. Both the settings and the chromatic scheme, especially the bold use of yellow-ochre and purple-lavender, reveal subtle influences from the Shirazi school of paintings (Eleanor Sims, Peerless Images: Persian Painting and its Sources, 2002, pp. 64 - 69). And yet, the painter’s hand showcases a more mature and skilled grasp of human faces and silhouettes, giving them a certain heft and plastic quality. Not only a new degree of draughtsmanship, but also an innovative vibrancy and dynamism can be appreciated in these pictorial productions, in tune with manuscript illustrations produced in Qazvin and Isfahan in the final quarter of the 16th century, confirming once again how deeply interrelated the different schools of Safavid paintings were and how their ever-evolving styles fluidly mixed and merged together. We would like to thank Eleanor Sims for her assistance and advice with this lot. £4000 - £6000
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279 THREE CLEAR COLOURED BLOWN MUGHAL GLASS BOTTLES Northern India, 18th century
by Sven Ghalin, and sold at Sotheby’s London, The Sven Gahlin Collection, 6 October 2015, lot 141; in a private collection since. £1000 - £1500
Comprising three bottles of bulbous shape with narrow shoulders rising to a thin neck and flared rim, each of a different colour and size, the smallest dark purple, the middle green, the largest blue, with a gadrooned body, respectively 6.5cm, 11.5cm and 19cm high.
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£800 - £1000
Of elongated oval shape, with 4ll. of engraved Kufic calligraphy, set in a later silver pendant mount, on a metal stand, 3.8cm x 5.8cm the stone.
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Inscription: the first four ayas of Sura Al-Ikhlas (112).
A CLEAR AMBER-COLOURED MUGHAL GLASS EWER
£300 - £500
Northern India, 18th century Of miniature, ewer-like shape, with a bulbous body resting on a flat base, rising to tapered shoulders, a ringed neck, with a sinuous spout and handle, culminating in an elegantly flared rim, the neck enhanced with six moulded and applied concentric lines, 17cm high. £600 - £800 281 A CARVED ROCK CRYSTAL BOWL Northern India, 19th century Of deep rounded shape, resting on a straight short foot, with an everted rim, the foot and one side with several inclusions, otherwise smooth and transparent, 10.5cm diam. and 6cm high. Provenance: Kenneth John Hewitt (1919 - 1994), London; acquired in 1969
A GREEN AGATE PENDANT WITH KUFIC CALLIGRAPHY Possibly India, 19th century
283 A PIERCED GILT BRONZE PROCESSIONAL STANDARD ('ALAM) Deccan, Central India, dated 1124 AH (1712) Of typical drop-like shape, resting on a tubular, flared and ribbed shaft, surmounted by an engraved globe with vegetal trellis and arabesques, the openwork centre with vegetal decoration, surrounded by concentric bands of foliate scrolls, the outer band pierced and decorated with thuluth calligraphy against spiralling vegetal meanders, dated in the upper left corner 1124 (?), once flanked by eight dragon heads with wide open fangs, now two missing, 57cm high. Inscription: the first four ayas of Sura Al-Ikhlas (112). £2000 - £3000
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A LARGE BIDRI SILVER-INLAID BOTTLE
λ A CARVED AND POLYCHROME-PAINTED IVORY FEMALE FIGURE
Bidar, Deccan, Central India, 19th century
PROPERTY FROM THE LATE OLIVER HOARE COLLECTION
Of elongated pyriform shape, resting on a short gently splayed foot, rising to a tapering ringed neck, the body decorated with a horizontal band of brass and silver-inlaid boteh (paisley leaves) filled with chevrons and surrounded by fleshy leaves, interspersed by vertical stylised rosette bands with zig-zag motifs on each side, more chevrons and geometric decorative patterns on the neck, running around the shoulders a floral festoon and bands of drop-like designs as well as on the foot, 24cm high.
Orissa, Eastern India, 18th century
Provenance: Bonhams London, 4 December 2019, lot 96. £400 - £600 285 A BRONZE DIPA LAKSHMI OIL LAMP India, 18th - 19th century Resting on a flared bell-shaped foot, at the top a female figure standing on an elephant, possibly the Hindu goddess Dipa Lakshmi or a yakshini attendant, holding an oval offering bowl for the ghee to be lit and used as an oil lamp, a parrot on her shoulder and bold jewellery on her neck, forehead and ears, 24.2cm high.
The figurine carved in the round, standing up straight on a stepped lotus pedestal intricately carved in a fashion reminiscent of temple steps and platforms, the figurine showcasing a toned hour-glass-shaped naked body with overly-rounded breasts, the polychrome-painted face enhanced with bulging almond eyes, plump red lips, dark hair and heavy flower-shaped earrings, 20cm high. Provenance: With Jean-Claude Ciancimino (1931-2015), London; acquired by Sven Gahlin in 1969, London; purchased in The Sven Gahlin Collection, Sotheby’s London, 6 October 2015, lot 135, and in a private London collection since. A polychrome-painted ivory figurine of almost the same height of ours, attributed to Parvati and produced in Madurai, was successfully sold at Christie’s London, 26 May 2016, lot 87. Both centres (Tamil Nadu and Orissa) are well-known for their refined and skilful ivory carvings, normally focusing on the traditional religious characters of the Hindu pantheon. Here the symmetrical frontal stance is clearly derived from ancient Jain stone sculptures of the Tirthankaras, which can be seen both in North Western Indian temples and in the rock-cut walls of the Udayagiri caves in Orissa. £600 - £800
£200 - £300
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A LARGE CARVED HARDWOOD TOP ARCH PANEL
λ AN INDIAN IVORY AND EBONY PICTURE FRAME
India, late 19th - early 20th century
India, late 19th - 20th century
Of rectangular shape, the panel designed to be superimposed at the top of a large polylobed arch, the carved decoration consisting of scrolling and interlocking floral sprays in the spandrels and tympanum, in the centre a square geometric motif with rosettes and stars, the lobes on the arch carved with fleshy leaves, the frame at the top with an uninterrupted knotwork and fretwork band, the back plain with two brass hooks for hanging, 57cm x 128cm.
Of typical rectangular shape, the ebony panels inlaid with silver thread and ivory plaques designed as an interlocking floral trellis, bands of beaded motif to the inner frame and stylised rosettes to the outer panels, both the stand and plaque at the back likely later replacements made of lighter wood, 29.2cm x 21cm.
Provenance: Bonhams London, 4 October 2011, lot 310. £600 - £800 288 A LARGE INDIAN BRASS AFTABA (WATER EWER) India, late 19th - 20th century Of compressed globular shape, resting on a splayed circular foot, rising to a tubular ringed neck, with dome-shaped lid at the top, sinuous dragon-handle to one side and straight, faceted spout on the latter, the exterior plain except for two drop-shaped cartouches engraved with peacock feather motif and a floral collar on the shoulders around the neck, 38.5cm high. £300 - £400
£400 - £600 290 A KASHMIRI CARVED HARDWOOD FOLDABLE OCCASIONAL TABLE Kashmir, Northern India, late 19th century Of octagonal shape, resting on bracket feet, the legs foldable, the octagonal table top with a pierced brass centre decorated with lush chinar leaves spraying from a central rosette, crescent moons on each side, all against intricate vegetal and floral sprays, the edge of the table top carved with peacocks and chinar leaves amidst meandering vines, the legs with similar motifs and pierced foliate vegetal arabesques, 58cm x 82.5cm. £200 - £300
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A CARVED HARDWOOD TOP ARCH PANEL
AN INDIAN BRASS BOTTLE AND ROSEWATER SPRINKLER
India, 19th century
India, second half 19th century
Of rectangular shape, the panel designed to be superimposed at the top of a polylobed arch, the carved decoration consisting of scrolling and interlocking floral sprays, in the centre a lush stylised palmette, the back plain with a pin for hanging, 31cm x 119cm.
Comprising a pyriform brass bottle, with a globular body resting on a splayed circular foot, rising to a stepped conical neck with an everted mouth, the exterior engraved with several vertical bands of foliage and floral festoons, bands of stylised palmettes to the foot and shoulders, a drop-like pattern around the neck, 28cm high; and a pyriform rosewater sprinkler, with faceted, screwed-in, tapering neck pierced at the top, 26cm high.
Provenance: Bonhams London, 19 April 2007, lot 397. £400 - £600 292 A NEAR PAIR OF ENGRAVED MINIATURE BRASS EWERS (AFTABEH) India, 19th century Comprising two typical pyriform footed ewers, each rising to a tapering neck surmounted by a domed lid, with a sinuous handle reminiscent of Islamic dragon handles on one side, and on the latter a faceted straight spout, the exterior engraved with stylised vegetal and leafy motifs on gently ring-punched ground, bands of vegetal scrolls and palmette leaves to the base and neck, and two drop-shaped cartouches filled with floral bouquets in the centre of the body, the tallest 27.5cm high. £400 - £600
£200 - £300 294 A POLYCHROME-PAINTED LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ TRIPLE PANEL FRAME Kashmir, Northern India, mid to late 19th century Each panel of rectangular shape, two panels with rectangular frame, the third in the shape of a polylobed arch, each panel resting on two bracket feet, at the top a horizontal balustrade, the front with a charming and colourful floral bloom with a variety of roses, hyacinths, tulips, rosettes, carnations and foliage, all highlighted in gold, the back plain black, each panel hinged to the next one and foldable, 76cm x 58.5cm at its widest expansion. £200 - £300 63
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A SET OF SILVER-PLATED DRINKING CUPS AND BOTTLE
A SILVER ROSEWATER SPRINKLER (GULAB PASH)
Possibly Kashmir or Northern India, late 19th century
India, late 19th - early 20th century
Comprising five small drinking cups, each one of sinuous bulbous shape, resting on a short splayed foot, the exterior engraved with a grid of intertwining vegetal trellis with a large leaf in the centre, each 5cm high; and a silver-plated bottle, of compressed pyriform shape, with a tall flared neck, a domed stopper with bulbous finial, the engraved decoration on the exterior similar to the cups, 22.5cm high.
Of typical bulbous shape, resting on a gently flared circular foot decorated with pierced work and a band of lush palmettes, rising to a tall tapering neck engraved with geometric motifs, the mouth shaped as the stem of a large stylised lotus flower surrounded by rosettes all around the outer rim, the body gadrooned with vertical oval ribs and more floral motifs around the base and shoulders, 30cm high.
Provenance: Sworders (UK), 18 June 2019, lot 185.
£200 - £300
£400 - £600 298 296 A KASHMIRI PARCEL-GILT AND ENGRAVED SILVER BOX
A SILVER ROSEWATER SPRINKLER (GULAB PASH) WITH PEACOCK HANDLES
Kashmir, Northern India, 19th century
India, late 19th - early 20th century
Of rectangular shape, with rounded edges, the exterior deeply engraved with a central cusped arabesque cartouche, filled with interlocking vegetal trellis, further arabesques on each corner, framed within a continuous band of calligraphy against a vegetal ground, the inscription quoting a poem in sabk-e Hindi about lips and the true lover’s burning passion, the interior parcel-gilt, 7.5cm x 8.5cm.
Of typical bulbous shape, resting on a gently flared circular foot and rising to a tall tapering, faceted neck, the mouth decorated as a bouquet of fully blossomed roses with a large stylised lotus flower in the centre, the repoussé decoration on the body with two main cartouches on each side, one with a haloed Hindu saint and engraved with the primary monosyllable “AUM”, and the latter with a pair of birds frolicking in the wilderness, two peacock handles on the shoulders, several ring-punched numeral marks on the neck and body, and one on the foot with the Western initials “C. T.”, 28cm high.
£200 - £300
£200 - £300
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A SILVER BOTTLE (SURAHI)
AN INDIAN SILVER REPOUSSÉ UMBRELLA HANDLE
Possibly Poona, Maharashtra, India, late 19th century
Possibly Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra, India, late 19th century
Of pyriform shape, resting on a flat, plain base, rising to a tall, faceted, tapering neck, with a dome-shaped stopper chained to one side of the neck, the compressed globular body enhanced with four pairs of repoussé animals (elephants, gazelles, horses and lions) interspersed with large roundels filled with rosettes and lush leaves, further vegetal sprays to the base and shoulders, an engraved simplified vegetal scroll to the rim around the neck and stopper, the base marked ‘SILVER’, 28.5cm high.
Of tapering tubular shape, with a rounded pommel on one end and a circular hollow entry on the latter, the exterior with an intricate and whimsical repoussé decoration portraying circus acrobats, gymnasts, trapezists, and their animals entangled into a complex vertical human chain performance, each character connected with the one adjacent, the empty spaces filled with balls, flags, standards, hula hoops, drums and miscellaneous accessories, the background ring-punched, palmette leaf bands at the top and bottom of the composition, 29cm long.
£300 - £400
£250 - £300 300 A MALAY SILVER REPOUSSÉ LIDDED BOWL Malay Archipelago, South East Asia, 19th century Of compressed rounded shape, resting on a short straight foot, with a hemispherical lid with a button-shaped pommel at the top, the exterior engraved and chased, the decoration consisting of three decorative bands, next to the foot a fretwork band of triangular motifs, above it alternating cartouches with lush vegetal sprays and chequered grid with stylised flower heads, an interlocking foliate trellis running around the band below the rim, the lid repeating the same decorative patterns, the pommel engraved with a lotus flower, 21cm diam. and 15.5cm high. £300 - £500 65
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A GILT AND LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ TURBAN CASE
A GILT LACQUERED KASHMIRI PEN BOX AND BOWL
Kashmir, Northern India, first half 19th century
Kashmir, Northern India, 20th century
Polylobed and flower-shaped, resting on a flat base, the ribbed lid rising to a higher point in the centre, polychrome-painted, gilt and lacquered, the decoration consisting of a line of bold, black ink nasta’liq calligraphy within a gilt cloud band filled with vegetal meandering, the inscription quoting a love poem in sabk-e Hindi, framed within gilt floral scrolls against red background, oval cartouches around the lid edge with red and pink rosettes, the motif repeated in the flower-shaped cartouche at the top of the lid, the base with a central star-shaped flower head in gold spraying buds and leafy trellis against a red ground, the interior lacquered in plain red, 28cm diam. and 22.7cm high.
Of octagonal shape, resting on a flat green lacquered base, the sides and lid painted in black, blue, red and gold, the decoration consisting of birds amidst lush vegetal scrolls, rosettes, peonies and other blooming flowers, the composition framed within stylised floral bands, the interior plain white, an old inventory sticker to the base stating Hand made of Srinagar Kashmir (India), no. 4, 6.5cm x 24cm x 10cm; and a similar brass bowl with gilt floral and aviary decorative motifs, 23.5cm diam. and 9.5cm high.
£300 - £500 303 A LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ WOODEN DISPLAY FRAME Kashmir, Northern India, late 19th - early 20th century Of rectangular shape, the outer frame polychrome-painted and gilt, the decoration consisting of frolicking birds amidst leafy branches with floral blossoms, against a dark background filled with golden leaves, the spine and back painted in dark cobalt blue, the centre painted in red and gold, with a large star-shaped floral medallion, 53cm x 37cm. £120 - £180
£250 - £350 308 A LARGE KASHMIRI BRASS EWER Kashmir, Northern India, late 19th - 20th century Of globular shape, resting on a short splayed foot, rising to a flared neck, a domed lid covering a circular mouth, a curved handle and spout respectively on each side, the engraved decoration on the body consisting of two decorative bands of foliage, palmettes and vegetal trellis, further stylised vegetal motifs on the neck, lid, spout and foot, 43cm high. £250 - £350 309
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A PAIR OF KASHMIRI GILT-COPPER POLYCHROME CHAMPLEVÉ ENAMELLED URNS
A PAIR OF LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ CANDLESTICKS
Kashmir, Northern India, 19th century
Kashmir, Northern India, late 19th - early 20th century
Both of bulbous shape, resting on a circular flat foot, rising to an everted and flared neck, with two sinuous, dragon-style handles on each side, each handle with a stylised dragon’s face and surmounted by a feline, possibly a cheetah, the exterior fully decorated with champlevé enamels in cobalt blue, turquoise, red, green, yellow and white, the decoration consisting of typical Kashmiri motifs, such as cusped arabesque cartouches filled with flowers and foliage, boteh leaves with vegetal scrolls, stylised rosette bands and lotus flower scrolls, the dragon handle and feline heightened with enamelled dots and lines, an old inventory sticker to the base of one of the urns, each 30cm high.
Inspired by Western models, resting on a circular base, rising to a ringed and everted neck with flared mouth, the central section carved in the round with three rotating bands getting intertwined, the exterior polychrome-painted, gilt and lacquered, the decoration consisting of floral bloom, foliage and vegetal sprays all heightened in gold, each one with modern wiring and lampshade, each 54.5cm high. £200 - £300 305 A SMALL LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ WOODEN TRIPOD SIDE TABLE Kashmir, Northern India, late 19th - 20th century The table top lobed, with sloping sides, resting on three thin tubular legs, the exterior polychrome-painted, gilt and lacquered, the decoration consisting of concentric bands of gilt medallions of vegetal sprays, rosette festoons, and floral sprays on the edges, the legs with similar gilt vegetal meanders and floral scrolls, 37.5cm high and 32cm diam. £120 - £180 306 A DOUBLE-SIDED LACQUERED AND GILT CHESS AND BACKGAMMON BOARD Possibly Kashmir, Northern India, second half 19th century Of rectangular shape, once folding in two equal halves, currently pinned and mounted to stay flat, both sides polychrome painted, gilt and lacquered, the decoration consisting of a full floral bloom and triumph, cusped cartouches and roundels painted in gaudy colours and filled with lush roses, daisies and hyacinths, several concentric bands with golden floral scrolls and vegetal sprays on dark blue and red grounds, the chess board framed within two horizontal bands of boteh leaves, rosettes, cusped floral cartouches, all against interlocking golden foliage sprays, 58cm x 41.8cm.
£400 - £600 310 A KASHMIRI LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ VASE AND BOX Kashmir, North India, late 19th - early 20th century Comprising a lacquered vase, of globular shape, resting on a straight short foot, rising to a widely everted neck with circular mouth, the exterior decorated with two bands of floral triumph, with fully bloomed roses, hyacinths, poppies, carnations and intertwined vegetal trellis with green foliage, a band of blue floral festoons repeated on the foot, shoulders, below and inside the rim, each decorative element highlighted in gold, 25cm high; and a similar octagonal box, possibly used as betel leaf container, with polychrome floral bouquets on top of the lid and sides, and further concentric decorative bands with gilt floral scrolls and calligraphic cartouches on the lid, the interior with a quadripartite tray and all painted in white, 19cm x 31.2cm x 21.5cm. Provenance (vase): Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, 13 May 2009, lot 52. Provenance (box): Bonhams London, Knightsbridge, 23 November 2011, lot 249. £300 - £500
Provenance: Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, 5 June 2013, lot 139. £300 - £500 302 67
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λ A VIZAGAPATAM IVORY-INLAID SANDALWOOD PORTABLE WRITING
A BLACK STONE TORSO OF A STANDING BUDDHA
DESK
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE BELGIAN COLLECTION
Vizagapatam, Andhra Pradesh, Eastern India, second half 19th century
Bihar, North-Eastern India, Pala period, 9th - 10th century
Of rectangular shape, on a flat wooden base lined with red velvet, the scented ivory-inlaid sandalwood body faceted, with a flat top lid with an iron key lock covering an inner rectangular section with smaller storage compartments for writing tools, ink, and stamps, the sloping front lid opening out into a dark blue velvet-lined writing slope and a gabled cover revealing two lidded compartments and document storage space, the surface of the exterior body together with the frame and layout of inner compartments inlaid with ivory plaques finely engraved with lush foliage, scrolling rosette trellis, intertwined vine sprays with bunches of grapes and palmette leaves, on the sloping lid the central panel decorated with a Western-inspired laurel crown with a bow at the bottom, all designs outlined in black, 11cm x 24.5cm x 36.3cm.
Carved in three dimensions from a single boulder of either black schist or phyllite, resting against a flat back possibly once a cusped stele, the body standing upright in a slight tribhanga pose (triple flexion), the left hand resting against the shoulder, clenching onto a rounded element now missing, the right hand in the varadamudra (compassion, gift-giving gesture) showing the inside lines of the palm to the beholder, the multi-pleated and diaphanous ankle-length sanghati (monastic robe) clinging tightly onto the Buddha’s body showcasing his anatomy, the neck with two out of three lines, symbolizing the three forms of Buddhist training (conduct, concentration and wisdom) according to the Sutras, the back drilled in four points, possibly once mounted on a higher structure, resting on a black metal stand, 67cm x 40cm including the mount.
A very similar example of Vizagapatam portable writing desk, lent by Her Majesty The Queen of England to the V&A Museum (inv. no. LOAN: ROYAL.461), was donated to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) on his tour of India in 1875-6. Instead of the laurel crown, the V&A example bears the British chivalric blazon of the Order of the Garter, with the famous motto “Honi soit qui mal y pense”. The design and the decoration style of the two desks are otherwise almost identical.
Provenance: Acquired by the present vendor from an auction of a private early 20th-century Belgian estate in Antwerp, in 2018.
£1500 - £2000
Historians have often argued that the architecture and sculptural reliefs of postGupta India (7th - 12th century) are dominated by Hinduism, exemplifying a change of heart from earlier periods, when Buddhism prevailed (Robert Fisher, Buddhist Art and Architecture, 1993, pp. 62 - 64). And it is precisely around this time, during the so-called Medieval Period, that the Pala dynasty spearheaded and fostered the creation of some of the finest examples of Buddhist art in Bihar and in India’s North-Eastern territories.
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λ AN ANGLO-INDIAN VIZAGAPATAM IVORY-INLAID EBONY PORTABLE WRITING BOX Vizagapatam, Andhra Pradesh, Eastern India, first half 18th century Of rectangular shape, on a flat wooden base lined with green velvet, the ivory-inlaid ebony body faceted, the flat top lid with an iron key lock covering an inner rectangular section with smaller storage compartments for writing tools, ink, and stamps, the sloping front lid lifting up revealing three lidded compartments and document storage space, the surface of the exterior body inlaid with ivory and highlighted with lac, the decoration consisting of a large oblong roundel filled with a central rosette medallion and scrolling, intertwined leafy floral trellis, the same motif repeated on the corners, a continuous lush rosette band framing the outer rim, interlocking and scrolling vegetal bands enhancing the sides, ivory slabs with foliage inlaying the edges, the interior of the lid inlaid with a central floral bouquet rising from a single flower stem, all designs outlined in black, the rear and front compartments both lockable and with their keys, 10.5cm x 32cm x 42cm. £1500 - £2000
Exhibited: Asian Art in London, An Important Group of Sculptures from India, Southeast Asia and China, at Jonathan Tucker and Antonia Tozer Gallery, 1st - 23rd November 2018.
Showing elements of both indebtedness and departure from the Gandhara and Gupta traditions, Pala Buddhist sculptures dare to expand the repertoire of represented subjects, perhaps also thanks to the influence of Vajrayana teachings. These sculptures are often instilled with a higher charge of sensuousness: forms become more elongated and slender, and a more plastic approach to human bodies is adopted. Some of these characteristics can be appreciated in our torso, in which the proportions between shoulders, waist and legs appear to be respecting natural volumes. The gently enhanced tribhanga pose hints at a nuance of movement, despite the stillness of the rock, and the rounded hips are not as exaggerated as in earlier models. A similar example to our torso can be found in Susan L. Huntington, The Pala-Sena Schools of Sculpture, 1984, fig. 116. £4000 - £6000
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A YOGINI AND A MALE DISCIPLE IN THE WILDERNESS
AN ILLUSTRATION TO A RAGAMALA SERIES: A PUJA TO A SHIVA LINGAM
Lucknow, Awadh (Oudh), Provincial Mughal school, Northern India, late 18th century
Datia, Madhya Pradesh, Central India, ca. 1725
Opaque pigments heightened with gold and silver on paper, the vertical composition depicting an ascetic, blue-skinned yogini approached by a male disciple holding a Sufi crutch in one hand and a pink turban in the latter, the meditating yogini seated on a tiger skin, in front of her a fire and her simple possessions (a green bowl and a red bottle), birds animating the trees in the foreground under a dark night sky, within golden and black rules, pasted onto cream cardboard with golden specks, 26cm x 19cm including the borders. Provenance: Artcurial Paris, The Collection of Francoise and Claude Bourelier, 12 May 2015, lot 296. The distinctive style of Awadhi painting has often been described as a fertile hybrid between European cultural influences, imperial Mughal models and indigenous traditions. The late-Mughal history of Awadh was paralleled in other provinces where painting schools, which were at first dependent upon the Mughal idiom, went on to develop their own distinctive styles (Tushara Bindu Gude, in India’s Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow, 2011, pp. 71 78). As an example, Awadhi outdoor scenes attempt to combine the formal requirements of Mughal courtly portraiture with the desire for naturalism, with lush landscapes that often embrace the characters and recede through the middle and upper parts of the pictures, suggesting thus wider and larger spaces, as in the case of our lot. For further research and information on this lot, please check the sale on our main website. £2000 - £3000 315 AN ILLUSTRATION FROM A RAMAYANA SERIES: RAMA FORGIVING SITA AFTER THE FIRE TEST Possibly Kangra, Pahari Provincial School, Northern India, 19th century Opaque pigments and gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting Rama blessing the prostrated Sita after having survived and passed the fire test, the two main characters surrounded by Lakshmana and several pundits, some pouring blessed water over Sita from conch shells, the lush nature around them in full bloom with pink and white flowers, possibly an allusion to Sita’s purity and loyalty to Rama, the recto plain, 21.5cm x 16.5cm. £500 - £700
Opaque pigments heightened with gold and silver on paper, the vertical composition depicting a Shiva Lingam Puja in a palatial shrine, on the right two attendants bringing holy water, rice and offerings to the aniconic murti of Lord Shiva, on the left two female musicians performing for the ceremony, the first playing a sitar, the latter joining in with a long drum (mridangam), an icon of Nandi the Bull lying at the base of the shrine in front of a lotus pond, parrots and birds frolicking in the rounded trees in the background, at the top a rectangular cartouche with 5ll. of black and red ink Devanagari script on ochre ground, set within bright red borders, the recto plain, mounted on a white cardboard frame, 33cm x 26.5cm excluding the mount. Similar paintings from the same Ragamala series were successfully sold in these Rooms, 26 October 2018, lots 211 and 212; and 22 April 2020, lot 266. £500 - £700 317 A PAINTED NARRATIVE SEQUENCE AT A PRINCELY COURT Punjab or Pahari Hills, Northern India, 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the large horizontal composition depicting a narrative sequence with consecutive scenes, starting from the bottom right with a courtly advisor in conversation with a Rajput prince, musicians and courtiers in the foreground observing and discussing about the meeting, in the middle a palatial door with an attendant exiting the compound, to the left the yellow-clad advisor leaving the palace on a black steed together with his attendants, in the background more palatial settings and architectural elements, set within a band of white rosettes on dark blue ground, the recto with sepia ink annotations (no. 3137), mounted on a dark green cardboard frame, 29.5cm x 40cm including the frame. £600 - £800
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A RAJPUT PRINCE SEEKING ADVICE FROM A SADHU
THE BHAKTI POETESS MIRABAI AT COURT SURROUNDED BY ASCETIC DEVOTEES
Kangra, Pahari Hills, North India, 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the horizontal composition depicting a Rajput prince accompanied by a white-clad pundit, both holding their hands tightly in the sign of greeting while in front of an ascetic seated on gazelle’s skin near his hut, next to him a water pot and holy scriptures, the prince clad in pink and showcasing all his armorial equipment including a bow, a quiver with arrows, a tulwar sword on his side, and a black shield (dhal) on his lap, a gazelle timidly approaching the scene from the right, the composition framed within a border of white rosettes on dark blue ground, set in bright red borders with polylobed cartouches filled with two to three lines of black Devanagari script against white ground, the verso with more Devanagari inscriptions in black and red, 31cm x 37cm. For a similar example offered in these Rooms and depicting an analogous scene, please see Chiswick Auctions, 3 May 2019, lot 381. £1200 - £1600
Provincial Mughal school, possibly Punjab Hills or Rajasthan, North-Western India, late 18th - early 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the horizontal composition depicting the Hindu mystic poetess and Lord Krishna’s fervent devotee Mirabai in the centre, surrounded by a large gathering of naked ascetics, with matted hair and long beards, next to them and to Mirabai a haloed, bejewelled ruler, possibly her husband Bhoj Raj crown prince of Mewar in 1516, to the left of Mirabai a vina and in front of her encrusted trays with offerings and spices, one of the ascetics in the foreground performing a full-body frontal bow to pay respect to the poetess, the scene set within ochre and black rules, and dark green borders, the recto with fainted stamped annotations “Muhammad Ali, Jaipur”, mounted on a white cardboard frame, 24.8cm x 33cm excluding the mount. Mirabai was one of the central poet-saints of the 16th-century Bhakti movement and all her poems (bhajan) advocate for a personal, almost intimate relationship with Krishna as her lover and lord. Her character became the subject of numerous folk tales and hagiographic legends, always mentioning her fearless disregard for social and family conventions, and passionate praise of Lord Krishna. Although Mirabai’s compositions are mostly written in Hindustani, an older form of modern-day Hindi, some of her poems also appear in the Prem Ambodh Pothi, a text attributed to Guru Gobind Singh and completed in 1693, in which Mirabai is mentioned as one of the sixteen historic Bhakti saints important to Sikhism (JS Hawley and GS Mann, Culture and Circulation: Literature in Motion in Early Modern India, 2014, pp. 113 - 136). £3000 - £4000
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320 BHUVANESHWARI ON A LOTUS THRONE India, late 19th century Opaque pigments and gold on wasli paper, the vertical composition depicting a Hindu goddess, most probably Bhuvaneshwari, the Queen of the Universe, the fourth of ten Mahavidyas or Shakti avataras (manifestations of the Devi), seated on a lotus throne in the centre, holding in her two upper hands her attributes, a goad and a noose / rosary, the lower two hands in meditation pose, her red complexion enhanced by her red cape and by her heavily encrusted golden jewellery and headdress, set within black and white rules and ochre and red borders, a Devanagari inscription in black ink identifying the Goddess’ manifestation at the top of the composition, the recto plain, 24.5cm x 19.5cm. Provenance: in a private UK collection since the late 1970s. £300 - £400 320
321 A SEATED PORTRAIT OF MAHARANA BHIM SINGH OF MEWAR (1768 - 1828) Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, late 19th century Opaque pigments and gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting Maharana Bhim Singh, the 25th Maharana of Mewar, seated on an ochre floorspread, holding his dhal (shield) in front of him, wearing an elaborate turban with a large emerald-encrusted sarpeech on the forehead, the portrait set within black and white rules, and ochre and lilac borders, the recto with an inscription of Devanagari script in black ink, positioned in the centre, 25.5cm x 20.5cm. £400 - £600 322 AN ILLUSTRATION FROM A RAGAMALA SERIES: BHAIRAVI RAGINI Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, Central India, c. 1750
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Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting a lady in the centre fondling a bull carrying rows of ceremonial bells around his neck, an attendant standing behind the nayika and waving a fly-whisk over her head, within narrow black and white lines, and bright red borders, the upper border with a fainted black ink Takri inscription identifying the Ragini and the type of musical mode of the illustration, the recto with one line of Takri script, mounted on white cardboard frame, 21cm x 17.8cm excluding the mount. W. G. Archer has described this Ragamala series as being noted for the use of cleanly modelled forms, suave precise design and sharply phrased faces (Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, 1973, vol.1, p. 237). Another page from this series is illustrated in A. Poster, Realms of Heroism, 1994, p. 244, no. 199. For a similar Bhairavi Ragini depiction, please see K. Ebeling, Ragamala Painting, 1973, p. 276. £1000 - £1500
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323 A FLY WHISK WITH SILVER HANDLE Northern India, 19th century Of typical shape, the handle made of solid silver, with a rounded pommel at the end, the shaft engraved with a variety of decorative motifs, including concentric vertical bands, diamond pattern lattice work, chevron bands, beading, and lush palmette leaves at the top, yielding to a plume of burgundycoloured horse hair wounded around a central core, 83cm high. £200 - £300 324 THE HINDU GOD BRAHMA AND HIS VAHANA Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, early 19th century
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Opaque pigments and gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting the multi-armed and multi-faced Hindu God Brahma, the creator of the four Vedas, standing on a lotus, holding his attributes (the Vedas, the mala rosary and a water vessel, possibly a kamandalu), next to him his vahana (vehicle), the Hamsa duck, in the background a sumptuous palatial complex with tall chhajjas
and domed buildings, and in front of it a river filled with lotus flowers, possibly the Jojari river, set within black and white rules, and gold and red borders, the recto plain, mounted on a piece of white cardboard, 19.2cm x 14cm excluding the mount. £300 - £500 325 A TINTED DRAWING OF THE TODI RAGINI FROM A RAGAMALA SERIES Pahari Hills, Northern India, mid to late 18th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold, ink, pencil and whitewash on paper, the horizontal composition depicting the nayika (heroine) of the Todi Ragini Raga in the wilderness, with an attendant flanking her, the nayika attempting to feed deer she lured, the horned male deer cautiously approaching the tuft of grass in her hand, the female deer standing behind, each female character with traditional Indian musical instruments over their shoulders, a veena and a tanpura, in the foreground a lotus pond, mounted, glazed and framed, 22cm x 22cm including the frame. In the world of Indian Ragamalas, the Todi Ragini is often considered one of the counterparts of the Hindola Raga, the name of a scene that features the male lover or lovers on a swing. Both Todi and Hindola are meant to explore the moods (rasa) of springtime and as such the natural landscape is always lush and in full blossom. Ragamala verses describe Todi as a woman with sharp eyes and a slim “extremely tender body, radiant as the frost”. She is said to “push back a deer from the edge of a forest glade”, which seems to be the moment depicted in this tinted drawing.
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£600 - £800 326 AN INDIAN MICA AND GILT WOOD FAN India, 19th century Of typical, rounded shape, divided in eight vertical cartouches filled with human figures flanked by two herons, a vegetal festoon along the rim framing the composition, the tassel crown now missing, the mica fan attached to a gilt papiermâché leafy arabesque onto a gilt wooden handle with red cotton thread at the base, 42cm long.
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£180 - £220 327 THE HINDU GODDESS DURGA SEATED ON HER MOUNT (VAHANA) Rajasthan, North-Western India, 19th century Opaque pigments and gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting the multiarmed goddess Durga riding a large tiger, her traditional mount, each hand holding one of her attributes, her face replaced by Vishnu’s boar avatara (Varaha), Shiva’s crescent moon embellishing her forehead, the scene set within black rules and bright red borders, the recto plain, mounted, glazed and framed, the panel 39cm x 28.5cm, 52.5cm x 42.2cm including the frame. The choice of depicting the goddess’ face as Varaha the Boar, one of Vishnu’s manifestations, and the presence of the crescent moon on her forehead is not unintentional. These choices indicate that this composition was conceived by the artist as a hymn in praise of the Shakti (female divinity) and a testament to her superiority over the male gods’ powers, as clearly stated in several Hindu religious manuscripts, such as the Devi Mahatmya.
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328 A MONUMENTAL CEREMONIAL WALL HANGING Possibly Udaipur, Rajasthan, North-Western India, late 19th century The horizontally joined canvas ground painted in polychromes with a narrative in irregular bands eulogising an enthroned Rajput prince, depicting him in both epic and historical battles, juxtaposed with selected scenes of mythical battles extracted from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as a heroic princely scene of a tiger hunt, witnessed by a number of Hindu gods, 140cm x 420cm. An intentional example of self-mythologising princely celebration, the present hanging deifies a ruler in less than subtle ways. It celebrates the Hindu gods and legitimises the prince by association, though the scale of the ruler leaves the viewer in no doubt about his significance. The tone may be light, but the political message less so. £500 - £700 329 TWO LOOSE ALBUM PAGES (MURAQQA’) WITH MINIATURE PORTRAITS AND PERSIAN CALLIGRAPHY India, mid to late 19th century, the outer borders 20th century Opaque pigments, gold, pencil and black ink on paper, the verso of both pages with oval portraits of rulers dressed in Mughal noble attires, framed within dark blue, green and bold red borders, all enhanced with golden floral motifs and sprays, the recto with two examples of nasta’liq calligraphic compositions of sabk-e Hindi poetry on the purity of the Beloved and the moans of the heart due to separation, within similar decorated borders, each 33.7cm x 21.5cm. £200 - £300 330 A SADHU RIDING A TIGER IN THE WILDERNESS AND A COURTLY LADY IN A PALATIAL GARDEN Possibly Pahari or Mughal Provincial school, Northern India, late 19th century Opaque pigments and ink heightened with gold on paper, the larger vertical composition depicting a naked sadhu with matted hair riding a tiger whilst holding a snake in his right hand, the scene set in a hilly natural landscape, framed within red, blue, gold and white rules, the recto with a nasta’liq poetic composition in red and black ink, 6ll. to the page, the calligraphic cartouches filled with floral sprays and colourful arabesques, 38cm x 24.8cm; and a smaller painting, the vertical composition depicting a courtly lady in conversation with an attendant and a musician in a palatial garden, peacocks and snakes in the foreground, the recto with 6ll. of nasta’liq calligraphy against a gilt ground with polychrome floral trellis, the text related to the metaphor of the bait and hunter swapping places, the dancer and the audience each proud of being the centre of attention, 26.8cm x 17cm. Inscription (recto of the sadhu folio): ‘Anyone, who is a beggar in the path of Truth, is a king despite being a beggar’. The two compositions present elements typical of the Indian Ragamalas’ pictorial tradition. Indeed, the naked sadhu riding a tiger and holding a snake reminds us of Lord Shiva, after whom the Bhairava Raga is named and inspired. Similarly, the scene with the courtly lady could be interpreted as a later adaptation of the traditional Bhairavi Ragini’s composition with the nayika worshipping the linga. As Robert Skelton explains in Ragamala: Paintings from India, when the Ragamalas started travelling through India, neither descriptive verses nor pictorial models were available. The result was that Indian painters in different ateliers and schools had to invent an entirely new iconography that often did not match the systems followed in the regions to the south of the sub-Himalayan valleys and Deccan (Ragamala: Paintings from India, Dulwich Picture Gallery 2011, pp. 27 - 28). £200 - £300
331 A BATTLE BETWEEN THE MONGOL AND INDIAN ARMIES PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE LONDON COLLECTION Provincial Mughal School, Northern India, late 18th - early 19th century Opaque pigments on paper, the vertical composition depicting the clash of two opposing armies on a hill-side, the cavalry engagement intense and lethal with chopped limbs and corpses in the foreground, a red-clad rider with a fur-lined hat looking straight at the beholder whilst piercing an enemy with his long black spear, in the middle ground a yellow-clad rider with a pyramidal purple turban attacking the rider in front of him on a dappled horse, holding a golden club, the background with trumpeters announcing the start of the battle, possibly a stylised depiction of the First Battle of Panipat (1526) between Babur and the Delhi Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, set within black and golden rules, pasted onto a later album page with concentric frames in washed red, blue and gold-sprinkled pink, mounted, glazed and framed, the folio 33.5cm x 23cm, 48cm x 38.5cm including the frame. £200 - £300 332 A LION HUNTING SCENE PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE LONDON COLLECTION Provincial Mughal School, Northern India, 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting a lion hunting scene, the main hunter in the middle ground, darkskinned, with a white turban and seated on a dappled grey horse, ready to strike his final blow to the bleeding lion attacking one of the attendants in the foreground, all the other hunters gathering around the lion in a strong centripetal motion, holding up their swords set to hit, the hilly and rocky landscape in the background animated by a variety of animals attempting to get to safety, the composition reminiscent of Persian Timurid and early Mughal paintings exploiting different shades of green for the natural elements and of purple for the gibbous rocky formations, set within red rules and goldhighlighted light blue borders, pasted on a later album page decorated with a repeating grid of yellow flowers, the recto with 13ll. of black ink nasta’liq script on gold-sprinkled paper, the text an account of government official’s dealing with foreign functionaries, set within gold-highlighted red borders, mounted, glazed and framed, the album page 34cm x 26cm, 46.5cm x 38.8cm including the frame. £800 - £1200
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TWO ILLUSTRATIONS TO A RAGAMALA SERIES (VERSO) AND TWO PLANT STUDIES (RECTO)
LORD VISHNU SUMMONED BY THE PUNDITS
Possibly Basohli or Nurpur Provincial School, Pahari Hills, North India, late 17th - 18th century Opaque pigments and gold on paper, each with a square illustration to a Ragamala series to the verso and a botanical study to the recto, comprising one composition with Lord Krishna and nayika (heroine) seated on an encrusted golden throne clapping and keeping the tempo of the dancer and musicians entertaining them, at the top a rectangular cartouche with 6ll. of red and black ink Devanagari script, within black and white rules and bright red borders, the recto with a large stylised leaf in the centre, possibly a study of the Betel (Paan) or Anthurium andraeanum (Flamingo flower) leaf, flanked by two plants of purple narcissi, all against an ochre ground, 22.8cm x 20.5cm; the latter composition with the nayika bathing and getting ready, assisted by an attendant holding a tray with ointments and a mirror, Krishna spying on them from behind a column in a palatial porch setting, the top with 7ll. of red and black ink Devanagari script on ochre ground, within black and white rules, and red borders, the recto with a large stylised plant of irises in the centre, flanked by two smaller Betel (Paan) leaves, all against an ochre ground, 21.8cm x 21cm. £2000 - £3000 334 MAHARANA BHIM SINGH (1768 - 1828) WITH A COURTESAN Deogarh, Mewar, India, 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting Maharana Bhim Singh of Mewar caught in a tender embrace with one of his courtesans, enjoying each other’s company under a sumptuous golden pavilion, two attendants flanking them, one with a tray bearing drinks, the latter with a peacock’s feathers fan, a faded Devanagari inscription in the upper portion of the horizon, the scene set within white rules, and black and red borders, the recto plain, 27cm x 19.5cm. £400 - £600 335 A PORTRAIT OF THE MUGHAL EMPEROR HUMAYUN, ENTHRONED Possibly Delhi or Awadh (Oudh), Northern India, 18th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting the Mughal Emperor Humayun on a sumptuous low throne, the lobed backrest gilt and engraved with vegetal motifs, the emperor dressed in a Safavid fashion with an orange robe and broad brocaded light blue overcoat, the headdress enhanced with a black heron feather, standing next to him an attendant with a pearl earring holding a handkerchief, stylised birds flying in the high horizon, mounted, glazed and framed, with an old label of the picture framer Ernest Wheatley at the back, 42cm x 30.5cm including the frame. £1500 - £2000
Mewar, Rajasthan, India, 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting the multi-armed Hindu God Vishnu in his omnipresence, holding his attributes in his hands, respectively a conch shell, a chakra, a mace and a lotus flower, attending discussions with several different pundits at the same time, whilst being observed by the Hindu God Shiva, identified by his attributes (the snake, the matted hair and the crescent moon), set within black rules and ochre and bold red borders, the recto plain, 25.3cm x 20cm. £500 - £700 338 AN ILLUSTRATION FROM A RASIKAPRIYA SERIES: KRISHNA AND RADHA TENDERLY EMBRACING Rajasthan or Malwa, India, 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on wasli paper, the vertical composition depicting Krishna holding Radha tightly to his side and leading her to the next room, with a low bed bedecked with gaudy textiles with floral patterns in tune with the wall and niche decorations, the scene charged with emotional suspense, emphasised by Radha’s coyness, touching Krishna’s elbow as a way to delay him and not surrender too quickly to their burning passion, to the left on top of the lush tree in full bloom a peacock spying on the couple, the scene set within white rules and red borders, the recto backed with old accounting paper with black ink annotations, 25.5cm x 17cm. Provenance: in a private UK collection since the late 1970s. £600 - £800 339 AN ILLUSTRATION FROM A RAGAMALA SERIES: MALASRI RAGINI Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, Central India, late 18th century Opaque pigments and black ink on paper, the vertical composition depicting a dear topos of the Ragini (heroine) Malasri’s Ragamala in a palace garden, plucking flowers from a tree, her melancholic expression, the dark stormy sky and a pair of white geese flying away together suggesting the heroine’s feeling of longing for union with her beloved, the bowl in the other hand and some of her accessories likely to be later additions, set within black rules and washed red borders, a washed black ink numeral and Devanagari inscription at the top, the recto plain, mounted on a white cardboard frame, backed on a brown board with an inventory sticker from the Kasmin Gallery, 30cm x 22.8cm excluding the mount and board. The scene of Malasri in the palace garden plucking petals from a lotus flower (or flowers in general) is a very common theme in the illustrations for this Ragamala. For an earlier though quite similar example, please see the Malasri Ragini illustration at the Freer Gallery, Washington D.C., USA (inv. no. F1924.7). £1000 - £1200
336 RAMA AND LAKSHMANA DEFEATING AN ELEPHANT DEMON Possibly Basohli, Pahari Provincial School, India, mid to late 19th century
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Opaque pigments and gold on wasli paper, the horizontal composition depicting Rama triumphantly walking over the carcass of an elephant, holding one of its tusks and leading the way, Lakshmana following him promptly and holding the other tusk, both characters heavily bejewelled and wearing a lotus crown, two attendants flanking them, holding thin wooden sticks, to the foreground the overthrown enemy mahout and attendant lying on the ground, the scene set within black and white rules and orange-red borders, the verso with later accounting annotations in black ink, 26cm x 31cm. Provenance: in a private UK collection since the late 1970s. £600 - £800
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340 A COURTLY LADY RELAXING ON A TERRACE PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN ESTATE Possibly Basohli or Rajasthan, North-Western India, 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the horizontal composition depicting a richly bejewelled and adorned courtly lady relaxing on a pile of cushions on a palatial terrace, smoking a huqqa, an attendant standing next to her, addressing her by joining her hands in sign of respect, the scene set within black rules and a dark red border, mounted, glazed and framed, the panel 21.5cm x 20cm, 48cm x 38cm including the frame. £1000 - 1200
them sitting closer to the entrance on the right-hand side, in the centre of the scene a Hindu pundit officiating a ceremony with Rama, both characters with their scarves tied to their knees, behind them to the left a white cow and a group of pundits witnessing the ceremony, pairs of ducks frolicking in the lotus pond in front of the scene, possibly an allusion to Rama and Sita’s wedding and marital devotion, set within red rules and ochre borders, the recto plain except for a few later pencil annotations, 20.8cm x 28cm. Provenance: in a private UK collection since the late 1970s. £800 - £1200 344 A LARGE FLY WHISK (CHAUR SAHIB) WITH IBEX HORN HANDLE
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North India, 19th century
AN INDIAN NECKLACE WITH ENCRUSTED FISH PENDANT
Of typical shape, the handle made of a full ibex horn, at the top an engraved silver mount decorated with rosettes interspersed with lush palmette leaves and further vegetal decorative bands, the top woven with dark cotton thread lattice yielding to a large plume of cream coloured horse or yak hair, 108cm high.
India, 20th - 21st century A pearl, ruby and emerald bead necklace with a diamond-encrusted caparisoned fish pendant, the back of the pendant enamelled in red, green and white, the full length 25cm. £500 - £600
For a similar lot with a gilt-copper handle, please see Christie’s London, 21 April 2016, lot 33. £600 - £800
342 A PAIR OF EARRINGS WITH FISH PENDANTS
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AN ENCRUSTED AND ENAMELLED BRACELET
A pair of Indian circular earrings with fish pendants, enamelled at the back in green, white and light blue, each 5cm long.
Northern India, mid-20th century
£500 - £600 343 AN ILLUSTRATION FROM A RAMAYANA SERIES: RAMA AND LAKSHMANA AT COURT
With nine vertical gold segments, each encrusted with four glass and three turquoise beads, the back enamelled in the typical Jaipuri palette (red, white and green), the screwed-in mechanism encrusted with turquoise cabochons on each terminal, joint on three strands of gilt copper bubbles, 20cm long when open. £500 - £600
Malwa, West-Central India, 18th - 19th century Opaque pigments on paper, the horizontal composition depicting Rama and his brother Lakshmana seated under a domed marble pavilion, Sita behind 345
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KRISHNA AND RADHA ON A TERRACE
AN ILLUSTRATION TO A BHAGAVATA PURANA SERIES: LORD KRISHNA’S FOSTER PARENTS AND LIFE IN THE VILLAGE
Pahari Provincial School, Northern India, late 19th - 20th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting the couple Radha and Krishna on a palatial terrace, Radha shyly covering her head with her shawl and looking away, Krishna with an inquisitive expression walking in the opposite direction wondering how to win his beloved’s heart, to the foreground two peacocks frolicking around, the scene set within dark blue borders and red rules, the verso plain except for a few later pencil annotations, 22.6cm x 16.4cm. Provenance: in a private UK collection since the late 1970s. £400 - £600 347 A CEREMONIAL FLASK SURMOUNTED BY SILVER LIONS Rajasthan, North-Western India, first half 20th century Reminiscent in shape of Ottoman mataras and pilgrim’s flasks, with an oblong curved and compressed body wrapped in red-dyed cotton fabric, resting on a splayed oval silver foot, with a variety of silver mounts including the central stepped and pierced roundel with a lotus flower in the centre and a row of palmette leaves to the edge; two seated silver lions resting on the shoulders; and a tubular neck with a domed, chhajja-like stopper, the chainlet secured to the base of the neck, 35.3cm high.
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE LONDON COLLECTION Possibly Malwa, West-Central India, 18th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the horizontal composition illustrating in the form of a narrative strip the early years of Lord Krishna with his foster parents, Yashoda and Nanda Baba, in their village together with the cowherds (gops and gopis), to the upper left Yashoda holding baby Krishna in her arms while conversing with Rahilee, below them the cowherds attending the cattle, in the centre the natural father of Krishna, Vasudeva, hugging Nanda Baba in the forest, the following scene to the right with Nanda bringing offerings and gifts to the evil Kansa, Krishna’s uncle and Devaki’s brother, in the lower right corner Nanda Baba and Vasudeva gathering in the forest to discuss about the upbringing and health of baby Krishna, each character and element in the scene marked with a black ink Devanagari caption, 5ll. of black ink Devanagari script (three at the top - two at the bottom) contextualising the story illustrated in the painting, mounted, glazed and framed, 22cm x 35.5cm excluding the frame, 40cm x 53.5cm including the frame. £1200 - £1600
£800 - £1200 348 A CEREMONIAL FLASK SURMOUNTED BY SILVER PEACOCKS Rajasthan, North-Western India, first half 20th century Reminiscent in shape of Ottoman mataras and pilgrim’s flasks, with an oblong curved and compressed body wrapped in vermillion red-dyed cotton fabric, resting on a splayed oval silver foot engraved with floral motifs, with a variety of silver mounts including the central stepped and pierced roundel with a rosette in the centre and a cusped floral collar to the edge; two silver peacocks protruding from the sides; and a tubular neck with a screwed-in, domed, chhajja-like stopper, the chainlet now lost, 35.5cm high. £800 - £1200
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350 AN ILLUSTRATION TO A RASRAJ OF MATIRAM SERIES PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE LONDON COLLECTION Datia, Madhya Pradesh, Central India, 1770 - 80 Opaque pigments and gold on paper, the vertical composition illustrating a typical scene inspired from the Rasraj poem by Matiram with the heroine (nayika) lying on her bed pining over her beloved whilst two attendants attempt comforting her with food and drinks, Krishna meeting one of his beloved’s sakhi (confidante) outside the palatial walls, two male attendants caught in conversation in a separate room to the left, with 5ll. of black ink Devanagari script against an ochre cartouche at the top, mounted, glazed and framed, 30cm x 20.5cm excluding the frame.
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Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 17 December 1969, lot 50. For further research and information on this lot, please check the sale on our main website. £500 - £700
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351 A HINDU COSMIC DIAGRAM Kutch, Gujarat, North-Western India, 18th - 19th century Opaque pigments and ink on paper, the large circular cosmic diagram cut in four uneven large folios, each folio folded and with Devanagari inscriptions on the recto, the square centre with a yellow flower radiating streams of blue and red lines to every corner, further rivers and energetic lines depicted running through the diagram, each line followed by a caption and often a numeral, the last folio with sketches in red ink of Kurma and Varaha, the second and third avatars of Vishnu, followed by a sketch of a human-headed bird described as Pradhana Shakti, one of the forms of the Hindu Goddess, the folio 31cm x 20cm, 32.5cm x 25.8cm including the binding. Dimensions: the folio 31cm x 20cm, 32.5cm x 25.8cm including the binding £300 - £500
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352 AN ILLUSTRATION FROM A RAMAYANA SERIES: RAMA AND BHARATA MEETING IN THE FOREST PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE LONDON COLLECTION Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, Eastern India, 18th century Opaque pigments and ink on paper, the horizontal composition depicting the moment Bharata, the eldest brother of Rama and regent of Ayodhya, after looking for Rama in the forest eventually finds him and begs for forgiveness, hoping for Rama to return from his exile and to assume the throne, on the right the crowned king depicted standing and addressing Rama, as symbolised by his stretched arm and hand with upward palm, Rama impassively standing on the opposite side with his bow and arrow in hands, two pairs of attendants in the background and a pair of sadhus in the foreground all in conversation, mirroring the distancing between Rama and Bharata, a black ink inscription on the upper left corner, pasted onto a later white cardboard mount, mounted, glazed and framed, the folio 22.5cm x 30.5cm, 43cm x 51cm including the frame.
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Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 17 December 1969, lot 166. £600 - £800 353
λ SIX INDIAN ARCHITECTURAL IVORY MINIATURES Possibly Delhi, Northern India, mid to late 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold and ink on oval ivory plaques, depicting famous architectural landmarks of India, including the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Lal Qila (Red Fort), Humayun’s Tomb, the Qutb Minar, Akbar’s Tomb at Sikandra, Safdarjung Tomb in Delhi, the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar, and more, all mounted, glazed and framed on carved wooden boards, of cusped shape, decorated with floral and vegetal sprays, the back with gilt and embossed papier-mâché wallpaper with flowers, garden scenes and geometric motifs, each panel with a rounded hook at the top, 5cm x 6cm each ivory plaque, 38.5cm x 22cm each frame. £500 - £700 357
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λ A PORTRAIT ON IVORY OF CHIKKA VIRA RAJENDRA, THE LAST RULER OF COORG (r. 1820 - 1834) PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE LONDON COLLECTOR Mysore (modern-day Karnataka), South Western India, early 19th century Opaque pigments on ivory, the vertical composition depicting a full-length standing portrait of the Raja Chikka Vira Rajendra, the last ruler of the Coorg (Kodagu) kingdom (r. 1820 - 1834 deposed), dressed with tight black trousers, a fine white muslin shirt, a red belt around his waist, an encrusted crescent-shaped pendant around his neck and a Western-inspired hat, possibly imitating British officials’ helmets in India, walking with a stick in a verdant landscape, mounted, glazed and set within an ivory frame marked with the letter ‘D’ at the top, accompanied by a handwritten provenance letter to the back, 20.3cm x 14.2cm including the frame.
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For further research and information on this lot, please check the sale on our main website. £600 - £800 355
λ A PAIR OF IVORY PORTRAIT MINIATURES OF MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH’S SONS, KHARAK AND SHER PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE ENGLISH ESTATE Punjab, Northern India, mid to late 19th century Opaque pigments on ivory medallions, depicting Kharak Singh (r. June 1839 - October 1839), the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, wearing a green turban and a heavily bejewelled sarpeech (turban ornament), and his brother Sher Singh (r. 1841 - 1843), wearing a less ornate pink turban, mounted in glazed frames with pin attachments, the names of both rulers engraved in English on the back, with suspended chains and pendant, the largest 4.5cm x 3cm. Provenance: from the estate of the present vendor’s mother, a descendant of Sir Henry Bartle Edwards Frere (1815 - 1884), Chief Commissioner of Sindh (1850 - 1859); Assistant Revenue Collector in Bombay in 1834; Governor of Bombay (1862 - 1867); and an active member of the India Council in London (1867–77). By repute in the family collection since 1860s - 1870s. £600 - £800 356 FOUR WATERCOLOURS OF SOUTH INDIAN VILLAGERS AND A CHRISTIAN PRIEST Possibly Kerala or Tamil Nadu, Southern India, 19th century Opaque pigments, pencil and white wash on laid paper, the four vertical compositions depicting portraits of South Indian villagers in their every-day outfits and activities, comprising a bejewelled Brahmin woman dressed in blue sari; a darker-skinned female villager clad in white sari, both depicted in front of village’s huts with thatched roofs; an itinerant musician carrying a flute under his arm; and a white-clad Christian priest, holding a Bible under his arm, a walking cane in one hand and a parasol in the other, in the background the profile of a Christian basilica, each with a sepia ink inventory number on the lower left, mounted, glazed and framed, approximately 50.5cm x 40.5cm including the frame.
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£800 - £1200 357 A BOTANICAL TINTED DRAWING OF A NEELAMBARI PLANT (INDIGOFERA TINCTORIA) Possibly Patna or Calcutta, West Bengal, Eastern India, late 18th - early 19th century Opaque pigments, ink and pencil on paper, the vertical composition depicting a naturalistic, botanical drawing of an Indigo plant, a deciduous spreading tropical shrub or subshrub of the pea family, with large pinnate leaves to the base and younger, smaller leaves at the top, three long pea pods depicted on one of the branches, on J. Whatman watermarked, laid paper, on the upper left corner in black ink a Persian numeral (130) and the common Indian name of the plant in Persian characters Neel Amari, 43.5cm x 28cm. For further reference on the different artists and styles of late 18th and 19th-century Indian botanical drawings, please read H. J. Noltie, ‘Indian Export Art? The botanical drawings’, in Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company, edited by W. Dalrymple, The Wallace Collection, 2019, pp. 78 - 85. £800 - £1200
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A BOTANICAL STUDY OF A CUSTARD APPLE (ANNONA RETICULATA)
A DOMED PAVILION BY THE RIVER
Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, Eastern India, ca. 1820s - 1830s
Possibly Lucknow or Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, India, 1814 - 1815
Opaque pigments, ink and pencil on laid European watermarked paper, the horizontal composition depicting a botanical study of a custard apple, Annona Reticulata, a small deciduous or semi-evergreen tree in the plant family Annonaceae, cultivated and naturalized in many parts of the world including Southeast Asia, India, Australia and Africa, the drawing including both the tree branches with hairless, oval green leaves and hard reticulated peel, and a half-cut section of the fruit to the lower right showing its core, seeds and pulp, above the fruit a note in sepia ink with the local dialect, English and Latin scientific names of the specimen, just next to the inscription a European watermark with the date 1825 (?), mounted, glazed and framed, the folio 36.4cm x 46.5cm, 54.5cm x 63.5cm including the frame.
Opaque pigments, ink and pencil on paper, the horizontal composition depicting a two-tiered domed pavilion by the river, possibly the Kudiya Ghat in the Gomti river in Lucknow, accessible via a brick bridge with several horseshoe arches, distant hills with shrubs and trees in the background, the foreground occupied on the left by a large tree bending forwards, next to it a group of locals in conversation on the river bank, a male character with a sword and shield squatting in the grass and pointing to the right, the view set within black borders, pasted onto laid paper with a watermark J. Whatman, 1794, marked in sepia ink no. 44, 20cm x 31.8cm the view, 25cm x 39.5cm including the laid paper.
The Calcutta Botanic Garden was founded in 1786 by the Scottish soldier Colonel Robert Kyd, who originally suggested recruiting artists from China, rather than Patna and Lucknow. When William Roxburgh became its superintendent in 1793, he started employing local unnamed artists to make illustrations to supplement his written plant descriptions. Under his direction, over the next 22 years, a small team of artists was built up at the Garden and their meticulous work was admired by several important contemporary visitors. Two of the most famous local artists were Vishnupersaud and Gorachand (H.J. Noltie, in Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company, 2019, p. 80). The style of our botanical watercolour shares several characteristics with Vishnupersaud and the Calcutta Botanic Garden artists’ paintings. Although the design is somehow stiff, the concurrent use of different shades of green on the leaves; the chromatic differentiation between the unripe and ripe fruit peels on the tree branches; and the use of white wash only around the central core in the half-cut section, all transmit a sense of dynamism, depth and careful observation of natural elements. The annotations of the fruit’s names in different languages also convey a sense of scientific accuracy and rigour, welcomed by the Calcutta Botanic Garden superintendents through the years. £1000 - £1500
Views similar to this, with watercolour washes and naturalistic compositions characterised by figural elongation, have often been attributed to the work of the Calcutta artist Sita Ram (J. P. Losty, ‘Sita Ram’, in Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company, edited by W. Dalrymple, The Wallace Collection, 2019, pp. 173 - 174). Many of Sita Ram’s paintings are landscapes, making him the first Indian artist that invented a free landscape style, a category of painting hitherto almost unknown in Indian art. Indeed, Sita Ram used to incorporate into his paintings a European perception of the ground receding away from the viewer to the horizon in aerial perspective, all done with soft and loose brushwork (ibidem, p. 175). In Sita Ram’s compositions, monuments become subjects of picturesque paintings with a topographical quality. £1200 - £1800
Property from a Private American Collection
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AN ILLUSTRATION TO A GITA GOVINDA SERIES: RADHA AND THE GOPIS IN CONVERSATION AT NIGHT
LAKSHMI MASSAGING VISHNU’S FOOT
Kangra, Pahari Hills, Northern India, mid to late 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on wasli paper, the horizontal composition depicting Radha and the gopis meeting in the forest, the pink-clad sakhi (confidante) holding her hands up pointing at Radha in a conversation gesture, the seated orange-clad Radha listening carefully, raising her hand next to the mouth in a gesture suggesting secrecy, the nature surrounding the two figures embracing them in a circular glade, two further gopis on the left hand-side talking to each other and standing guard, set within a white floral border against dark blue ground, and a washed light pink border, the recto plain, 21.5cm x 27.5cm.
Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting a beloved scene among the Vaishnava devotees in a palatial setting, the goddess Lakshmi seated on the floor in front of her enthroned consort, Lord Vishnu, tenderly massaging his foot with ointments, shyly looking at his foot and not daring to look at him directly, the multi-armed Vishnu holding his attributes (conch shell, club, lotus and chakra), absorbed in his thoughts and gazing the horizon beyond the palatial walls, a female attendant standing behind him and agitating a fly-whisk over the god’s head, the scene set within white rules, and blue and red borders, the recto with an old collection’s annotation Lord Vishnu and Sri Lakshmi, No 107, 29.4cm x 23.5cm.
£1000 - £1500
£2000 - £3000
Kangra, Pahari Hills, Himachal Pradesh, Northern India, 1820s - 1830s
361 AN ILLUSTRATION TO A RASIKAPRIYA SERIES Bikaner, Rajasthan, North-Western India, 18th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting Lord Krishna receiving his Beloved in a courtly courtyard, the god dressed in an orange brocaded dress and lying onto a low bed, the two ladies standing to the left, one clenching the other’s hand in hesitation, the latter introducing the counterpart to the god, a pair of peacocks on the top of the arched gateway and the freshly prepared bed in the upper right corner symbols of burning desire and companionship, set within bright red borders, the recto with 10ll. of black ink Devanagari script to the page, 20.2cm x 14cm. £800 - £1000
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363 A RAJPUT NOBLEMAN ON HORSEBACK Possibly Udaipur, Rajasthan, North-Western India, late 19th - early 20th century Opaque pigments and gold on paper, the horizontal composition depicting an orange-clad Rajput nobleman on a black steed, with ceremonial braiding and gilt necklaces around the neck, the nobleman with a katar and dog-hilted dagger tied to his belt, preceded by two foot attendants, one holding a spear, the latter with a length of folded red brocaded fabric, the procession followed by a black foal trotting along, set within black rules and bright red borders, the recto plain except for a stamp in blue ink The Curious House, Arms and Ammunitions Dealers, Udaipur, 26cm x 44.5cm. £500 - £700 363
364 A PORTRAIT OF A DERVISH UNDER A TREE Possibly Awadh (Oudh), Northern India, late 19th century Opaque pigments on paper, the vertical composition portraying an elderly dervish seated under a tree, holding a rosary in his hand, next to him a Sufi crutch on one side and two manuscripts on the latter, a distant crowded village surrounded by a hilly background, within black rules, and yellow and dark blue borders, the recto plain, 18cm x 12.5cm. This painting appears to be a later, 19th-century study of an illuminated album page (muraqqa’) with the same subject and composition produced during the reign of Shah Jahan (r. 1628 - 1658) and now part of the British Museum collection (1949,0212,0.5), exemplifying the great influence of imperial Mughal models and pictorial genres in the Awadh school of painting. £500 - £700 365 MAHARAJA TAKHT SINGH (r. 1843 - 1873) ARRIVING BY ELEPHANT Jodhpur, Rajasthan, North-Western India, 1850s - 1860s Opaque pigments, gold and silver on paper, the vertical composition depicting a night scene with Maharaja Takht Singh of Jodhpur arriving by elephant to the palace for a romantic tryst with one of his lovers, the female attendant on the palatial terrace assisting her lady to climb over and reach the arms of the ruler, the colourful architecture on the right jazzing up the stillness of the river and distant palace on the left, the scene set within black, yellow and green rules, the recto with six lines of black ink Devanagari script, 30.5cm x 21.5cm.
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£500 - £700 366 SOHNI SWIMMING TO MEET HER LOVER MAHIWAL Bundi, Rajasthan, North-Western India, 18th century
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Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting a well-known scene extracted from the popular 18th-century Punjabi tragic romance Sohni Mahiwal (also known as Sohni Mehar), in the middle ground the unhappily married heroine Sohni swimming under a full moon across the river using an earthenware pot to keep afloat in the water, to meet her beloved Mahiwal herding the cattle, seated outside a yellow hut, on the right an aquatic monster appearing among the water lilies as a gloomy omen to the tragic end of the heroine’s romance, in the foreground an ascetic with a Western-looking hat and a dog paying a visit to a meditating hermit in a hut, the scene set within black rules, and green and red borders, the recto with three lines of black ink Devanagari script, 26.5cm x 21cm. For a similar painting sold in these Rooms, please see 26 October 2018, lot 231. £600 - £800
367 THE GOPIS LONGING FOR KRISHNA PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTION Odisha (Orissa), Eastern India, 19th century Opaque pigments on wove paper, the horizontal composition divided in two parts, the upper section with a nocturnal gathering of ten gopis by a lotus pond inhabited by pairs of ducks and fishes symbolising companionship, each woman showing a different state of mind and reaction caused from the separation and longing for the Beloved, Krishna, some ecstatic, some happy, some dreamy, some annoyed, some still burning of passion, the lower section with 6ll. of black and red ink Devanagari script and numerals, set within bright red borders, the recto plain, 24.7cm x 37.4cm. £400 - £600
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368 A PORTRAIT OF A JAIPUR PRINCESS Jaipur, Rajasthan, North-Western India, late 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on wasli paper, the vertical portrait depicting a close-up to a Jaipuri princess, with seductive hazelnut fish eyes, long black hair, fair skin, on her forehead the tripundra associated with the cult of the god Shiva, her necklace, earring and nose ring heavily encrusted suggesting a high position in the social ladder, the recto with various black ink annotations in Devanagari script, 19.6cm x 15.2cm. £300 - £400 369 AN ILLUSTRATION TO A RAGAMALA SERIES: THE LOVERS MEET Bundi, Rajasthan, North-Western India, 18th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting the moment the two lovers are finally introduced to each other and meet, the coy green-clad nayika (heroine) pushed to the doorsteps of the palace by her elderly attendant, awaiting her with a welcoming gesture a younger attendant standing on the entrance of the female quarters, a second lady in the courtyard feeding the doves and a third by the window, the nayak awaiting at the jharokah (window parapet) with a flower in his right hand, the lush nature overflowing from the outside walls symbolising fertility and abundance, the coloured windows suggesting musical modes (rasas), the recto with one line of black ink Devengari script, 32cm x 20cm.
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£600 - £800 370 A NAYIKA PERFORMING A SURYA PUJA
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Lucknow or Faizabad, Mughal India, ca. 1760s - 1780s Opaque pigments, ink and pencil heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting a nayika (heroine) in the wilderness performing a pray to the sun (surya puja), in front of her a golden tray with offerings and blessed water ewer, the cloudy sky above her clearing up and rays of sunshine appearing to the right, on the left a solitary tree bending over the nayika in an almost sheltering mode, pasted onto layers of later, wove paper, the recto plain, the panel 15.8cm x 9cm, the folio 29.3cm x 20.4cm. For a very similar style of tinted drawing attributed to the Faizabad school, please see Chiswick Auctions, 25 October 2019, lot 367. £600 - £800
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371 AN ILLUSTRATION TO A RAMAYANA SERIES: RAMA AND LAKSHMANA DEFEATING THE EVIL KING RAVANA Hyderabad, Deccan, Central India, first half 18th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting the hero Rama and his brother Lakshmana attempting to kill the semi-divine King of Lanka, Ravana, in the final battle of the epic poem Ramayana, Rama shooting multiple arrows at the ten-headed Demon King, cutting off an eleventh head of blue monster-like appearance, Lakshmana standing behind Rama ready to shoot his arrows, the ten-headed and twenty-armed Ravana holding a full military arsenal in his hands, such as tulwars (swords), khanjars (daggers), katars (push daggers), ankus (elephant goad), dhal (shield), tabar (axe) and gurz (mace), his size larger than Rama and Lakshmana’s as often the case in Ramayana series illustrations, in the foreground two purple rocky formations with trees, inspired by earlier Persian paintings, within gold, black, white and red rules, the recto plain, 22cm x 15.5cm. This illustration encapsulates a pivotal moment in the unfolding of events narrated in Valmiki’s Ramayana. The painting illustrates the final battle between Rama and Ravana, described in the Yuddha Kanda (the final book of the epic). According to the poem, Rama pursues Ravana in his chariot and starts firing golden arrows at him, which turn into snakes as they reach the Demon King. The arrows cut off Ravana’s many heads but they immediately grow back again. After days and nights of this endless battle, Rama decides to shoot the dreaded arrow of Brahma, given to him by Agastya, which pierces Ravana in the heart and kills him. A slightly earlier illustration (ca. 1652) with analogous composition is part of the British Library collection (shelfmark Add.15297(1) f.166). £600 - £800 372 A PADMINI NAYIKA WITH A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS Guler, Pahari Hills, Northern India, early 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting a pink-clad Padmini Nayika (Lotus Lady) in a garden picking flowers, in her hand a bouquet of red flowers, possibly carnations or poppies, hovering over her a flower-less tree with young new leaves, in front of her a bush of budding roses, the attendant behind the nayika bearing a golden tray with an encrusted casket and a similar fly-whisk symbolising abundance and wealth, the composition a hymn to spring, fertility and renewal, set within a floral border on dark blue ground, and a red-speckled pink border, the recto plain with later annotations and stamps, 26cm x 19cm.
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374 AN EQUESTRIAN PORTRAIT OF MAHARAO RAM SINGH OF BUNDI (r. 1821 - 1889) Bundi, Rajasthan, North-Western India, mid to late 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold and silver on paper, the vertical composition depicting Maharaja Shri Ram Singh Ji Bahadur of Bundi with a halo and a long spear on horseback of a chestnut steed, dressed in full ceremonial attire with heavily encrusted bazubands, necklace and turban ornaments, surrounded by several attendants on foot, some carrying flywhisks, others with brocaded textiles, and some others with arms, the scene set within black rules, and orange and blue borders, the recto with brown speckles and black ink Takri inscriptions, 32.5cm x 24.5cm. Provenance: Christie’s London, 23 April 1981, lot 43. £600 - £800 375 THE DEATH OF TIPU SULTAN, KING OF MYSORE Possibly England, late 18th - early 19th century
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Pencil and ink on wove paper, the central roundel depicting a crucial moment in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War culminating with the death of Tipu Sultan, the King of Mysore (r. 1782 - 1799), on 4 May 1799 while defending his fort in Seringapatam, a British soldier grabbing him from the belt, the wounded Sultan rising his sword to hit the opponent, more British soldiers in the background, mounted, glazed and framed, the back of the frame with an old annotation in sepia ink ‘Death of Tippoo Sultan by Henry Singleton 1766 - 1839’, the page 12.5cm x 11.5cm, 23cm x 22cm including the frame.
A PORTRAIT OF SHRI KUMAR BHIM SINGH OF BIKANER
£200 - £300
For a similar painting attributed to the same school and period, please see Sotheby’s London, 8 October 2014, lot 261. £1,000 - £1,500
Bikaner in late Jaipuri style, Rajasthan, North-Western India, second half 19th century Opaque pigments and gold on wasli paper, the vertical composition portraying Shri Kumar Bhim Singh of Bikaner receiving pan at the coronation of Shri Shambhu Singh of Udaipur, both young rulers dressed in a princely attire, with several strings of pearls and precious stones around their necks and on their turbans, both holding their dhal (shield) against their knees, with three lines of black ink Takri script at the top, set within black, orange and yellow rules, the recto plain, 28.7cm x 20.6cm. Published: Shanane Davis, ‘The Bikaner School: Usta Artisans and Their Heritage’, 2008, p.416. The style of this painting is an interesting fusion of different pictorial styles present in Rajasthan in the mid-19th century. Indeed, at the time many Jaipuri artists migrated to Bikaner to find work resulting in a hybrid style in which the imported style was often not the dominant one. £300 - £500
376 A MINIATURE OF SULTAN HYDER ALI KHAN, KING OF MYSORE (r. 1761 - 1782) Possibly England or Mysore, Southern India, end of 18th - early 19th century Opaque pigments and white wash on paper, portraying the Sultan of Mysore, Hyder Ali Khan, seated against a large cushion on top of a hill, in front of him a military camp with one of the tents with a striped flag, possibly the painter’s interpretation of the flag of Mysore, the subject and pose inspired from an engraving of the Sultan sitting in his durbar produced for The European Magazine (1782 - 1826), glazed and once mounted, 7cm diam. A copy of the engraving Hyder Ally (Ali) Khan, 1722 - 1782. Ruler of Mysore (sitting in his Durbar) that inspired this miniature can be seen in the National Galleries of Scotland Online Archive (inv. no. UP K 34). £300 - £500
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375 377 A PORTRAIT OF MAHARANA RAJ SINGH II OF MEWAR (1743 - 1761) Mewar, Rajasthan, North-Western India, ca. 1750s - 1760s Opaque pigments heightened with gold and iridescent beetle wings on paper, the vertical bust portrait depicting the haloed and bejewelled ruler facing right, reclining on a bolster and leaning on a jharokah (window parapet) adorned with a bright red brocaded textile with gilt floral decoration, holding a lotus bud in his left hand, wearing an orange turban and red tunic, an encrusted katar in his green sash, in double oval black rules, with yellow spandrels and wide red borders, the reverse with a line of black ink Devanagari script, 27.5cm x 23cm. £200 - £300 378 AN OVAL MINIATURE OF MAHARAJA RAOL TAKHTSINGHJI JASWANTSINGHJI, THAKUR SAHIB OF BHAVNAGAR (1858 - 1896) Possibly England or Gujarat, West India, ca. 1880s Opaque pigments and polychrome enamels on copper plate, the miniature portraying Maharaja Thakur of Bhavnagar in his official attire and full regalia opulence, wearing his heavy red turban, heavily bejewelled with emerald and diamond-encrusted sarpeeches, a military decoration with a star on the left side of his chest, the miniature possibly inspired by the illustration from the London-published magazine The Graphic, volume XXIX, no 740, February 2, 1884, set in a silvered locket with an engraved monogram ‘C. E. H.’ at the back, 3.5cm x 2.8cm. £200 - £300
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379 A MEETING IN THE GARDEN
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Possibly Bundelkhand, Central India, mid to late 19th century Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the small horizontal composition depicting a prince meeting his lover in a garden at night, the two lovers overseen by a sakhi (confidante) standing behind them, the lollipop trees in the background reminiscent of Kota Rajasthani paintings and the outfits reminiscent of Rasikapriyas series, the recto with a faded design of a different painting and lines of black ink Devanagari script on wasli paper, 12cm x 17.5cm. £400 - £600 380 SEVEN ILLUSTRATED LOOSE FOLIOS FROM A JAIN MANUSCRIPT Gujarat, West India, 15th century Opaque pigments, gold, cobalt blue, black and red ink on paper, each folio with 7ll. of black ink Jain Prakrit nagari script, the text interrupted in the centre by a square gold, blue and red pothi hole, repeated on each side of the page as decorative illumination, each folio with illustrations of deities and Mahavira’s mother on one side, most probably taken from a Kalpasutra manuscript, one of the most important and popular texts in the Svetambara tradition of Jainism, formed of a first part dealing with the lives of the Jinas as princes, each folio 10.5cm x 26cm. The scenes illustrated are the following: Queen Trishala, Mahavira’s mother, Reclining The God Indra Enthroned with a Deva and Generals Devananda’s Fourteen Dreams Foretelling the Birth of Mahavira (x 2) The Fourteen Auspicious Dreams The God Indra Revering the Embryo of Mahavira Mahavira’s Bath and Lustration at Birth Similar illustrated Jain folios successfully sold at auctions, please see Christie’s South Kensington, 20 April 2007, lot 426; Christie’s New York, 20 March 2012, lot 333; Christie’s London, 10 June 2013, lot 58; and these Rooms, 25 October 2019, lot 335. £2000 - £3000 381 A PORTRAIT OF MAHARANA SANGRAM SINGH II OF MEWAR (1690 1734) Mewar, Rajasthan, North-Western India, 18th - early 19th century Opaque pigments and gold on paper, the vertical composition portraying Maharana Sangram Singh II (r. 1710 - 1734) standing in front of one of his royal attendants, the halo highlighting his divine power to rule, wearing several strings of pearls around his neck, the attendant listening to the ruler and holding his hands in a honorific gesture, the recto plain, 22cm x 15cm. £400 - £600
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AN ILLUSTRATION FROM A SHAHINSHAHNAMA SERIES: AN AUDIENCE AT FATH ‘ALI SHAH’S (r. 1797 - 1834) COURT
AN ILLUSTRATED LOOSE FOLIO FROM A SHAHNAMA: MEHRAB AND HIS WIFE SINDOKHT ON A THRONE
Qajar Iran, first half 19th century
Possibly Qazvin or Shiraz, Iran, second half 16th century
Opaque pigments and ink heightened with gold on paper, the vertical composition depicting the Qajar king Fath ‘Ali Shah (r. 1797 - 1834) during an audience at his court, seated on the Sun Throne in the middle of the room, fully bejewelled, showing off his exquisitely encrusted golden royal paraphernalia, in discussion with his two sons, wearing the princely crown and standing on the right, to the left of the throne two attendants wearing a tall black Astrakhan fur kaj-kolah hat, one holding an encrusted shield, the latter an encrusted club, two symbols often present in portraits of the Shah as emblems of his royal leadership, in front of the Shah a group of emissaries getting ready for the audience, wearing tall turbans and floral overcoats lined with fur, the scene re-sized and pasted onto later, thicker paper, the recto plain, the illustration 24cm x 16cm, the folio 34cm x 25.8cm.
Persian manuscript on gold-sprinkled paper, with 12 - 14ll. of crisp black ink nasta’liq script to the page, the text accompanied by three rectangular illustrated cartouches, the central one with Mehrab Kaboli and his wife Sindokht caught in a tender embrace, drinking from an encrusted gold cup, seated on a gold throne, in front of them trays with fruits and encrusted ewers, the background with a lobed arch filled with 15th-century Timurid Herati decorative influences such as scrolling cloudbands amidst interlocking split palmette sprays, the spandrels with stylised lotus flower sprays and rosettes with pseudo-saz leaves reminiscent of Shah Quli’s painting style, at the top two bands of polychrome floral borders, the lateral extensions of the main illustration with female attendants, either in animated conversation overseen by a pair of magpies or bringing further drinks to the couple with ducks flying high in the golden sky, mounted within an album border (muraqqa’) finely illuminated with scrolling floral sprays amidst roundels of birds and cusped cartouches filled with hares and foxes, in the same style of borders in the Mughal Farhang-i Jahangiri (Persian-language dictionary) compiled by Jamal al-Din Husayn Inju Shirazi (d. 1035 AH / 1625-1626 AD), the recto with up to 25ll. of black ink nasta’liq script to the page, with a heading in red ink, set within thin green, gold and blue rules, with an old inventory sticker of the early 20th-century IranianAmerican collector Mirza Raffy, the text panel 24cm x 13cm, the folio 37cm x 24.5cm.
This scene shares several features of loose illustrated folios known to have been created for the Shahinshahnama (The Book of the King of Kings), an ambitious epic poem with over 40,000 couplets commissioned by Fath ‘Ali Shah himself to his favourite court poet, Fath ‘Ali Khan Saba, and produced between 1806 - 1810. The aim of such work was to legitimise the Qajar dynasty as the rightful rulers of Iran, and what better way to do so than creating a sequel to the great Book of Kings by Ferdowsi, the Shahnama. Several copies were produced in the 19th century. They were not only wisely distributed in the wider Iranian territory, but also presented as diplomatic gifts to foreign European ambassadors and kings, such as Sir Gore Ouseley in 1812 and the Emperor of Austria, Francis I (1804 -1835) in 1818 (Carol Guillaume, in L’Empire des Roses: Chefs-d’oeuvre de l’art persan du XIX siècle, Louvre-Lens, 2018, pp. 124 - 125). For further research and information on this lot, please check the sale on our main website. £600 - £800
For further research and information on this lot, please check the sale on our main website. We would like to thank Eleanor Sims for her assistance and advice with this lot. £2000 - £3000
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384 A SILVER-GILT COCONUT PORTABLE QALYAN (WATER PIPE) BASE Indonesia or Malay Archipelago, South East Asia, 18th century Of elongated oval shape, the lower part carved out of a coconut, plain on the exterior, the upper part enhanced with chased and engraved silver-gilt mounting with a reinforced circular mouth and tubular spout on the shoulder, the decoration consisting of a scrolling vegetal spray interspersed amidst rosette bouquets, foliate trellis and lush palmettes against a gently ringpunched ground, around the shoulders a floral collar with beaded motif and small oval leaves, mounted on a black metal stand, the mouth 3cm diam., 16cm high excluding the stand. Coco-de-mer and coconuts were an exotic commodity in the Islamic and Indian Empires of the 16th - 18th centuries. Originating mostly from the Seychelles and Maldives in the Indian Ocean and from the shores of South East Asia, they soon became an essential possession to showcase at court. Most portable huqqas / qalyans bases in both Iran and India during the 17th and 18th centuries were made from coco-de-mer. The small size and light weight would have facilitated its transportability, allowing for the patron to easily hold the water pipe in one hand. It is believed that some of these models have been in use in South East Asia as well, from where our example is presumed to come, given the typical South East Asian style of the decoration on the parcel-gilt mounting. £600 - £800 385 A SILVER-INLAID COPPER PORTABLE LIME PASTE BOX Sri Lanka (Ceylon), late 18th century
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λ A FINE THAI OFFICIAL IVORY SEAL Thailand, dated 1866 Of typical circular shape, finely carved in intaglio with substantial traces of red ink, with a badge in the centre bearing a monogram with two Thai letters equivalent to ‘MJ’ in Latin alphabet, at the top a winged tiger flanked by two leafy sprigs, possibly laurel or barley, the bulbous handle and stepped base worked in the shape of a Buddhist stupa or chedi, 6cm diam. and 9cm high. Seals of this quality and refined craftsmanship would have only been used by major officials and members of religious orders. The symbol of the winged tiger is associated with blessings for successful people and the “Chao Khun” ranks and offices. The Thai date engraved on the seal (1228) corresponds approximately to 1866 AD, during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV) of the current Chakkri dynasty.
£200 - £300 Of circular shape, the two copper halves joint within an engraved silver mounting decorated with stylised vegetal and floral motifs, the silver-inlaid decoration in the centre consisting of a stylised lotus flower surrounded by 389 concentric decorative bands with fretwork and geometric patterns, 8cm diam. AN OPENWORK BRASS TRAY £400 - £600 Possibly Thailand or Indonesia, mid to late 20th century 386 A JAVANESE WAYANG PURWA SHADOW PUPPET WITH MONSTERS Java, Indonesia, 19th century Of rectangular shape, with a conical top, made of leather and painted with opaque pigments, white wash and gold, the layout of the body and limbs of the demons pierced, the openwork top with birds amidst vegetal branches, the panel attached to two wooden sticks running through its centre, approx. 89cm long. £100 - £150 387 TWO COPPER AND SILVER-OVERLAID DISHES Tamil Nadu, South India, 20th century
Of elongated octagonal shape, the pierced centre with three roundels filled with dvarpalas and yakshas, surrounded by Hamsa ducks and makaras, all against a ground of scrolling vegetal sprays, within concentric bands of geometric lattice work, two scalloped handles to the sides, 35cm x 65cm. £200 - £300 390 A THAI GILT NIELLOWARE FOOTED BOWL Thailand, South East Asia, 19th century Of circular shape, resting on four bracket feet, with a reinforced rim, the gilt exterior decorated with a grid of diamond-shaped flower heads framed within two geometric fretwork bands, each flower head with subtle engraved lines radiating from the central ring-punched corolla, 20.5cm diam. and 5cm high.
Comprising two circular brass dishes, each on a gently rounded, plain base, the repoussé and high-chased silver and copper-overlaid decoration typical of Tamil Nadu metalware production, one dish with a central repoussé silver roundel with Krishna playing the flute next to a cow, the latter with Shiva Nataraja squashing the dwarf of ignorance, each roundel surrounded by several concentric decorative bands with birds, elephants, flowers and vegetal motifs interspersed by a band of copper beading, the smaller dish 31cm diam. the larger dish 33cm diam.
For similar Thai gilt nielloware vessels and their uses, please see P. Bromberg, Thai Silver and Nielloware, 2019, p. 102, cat. 3.47. Bromberg discusses in depth the history and evolution of nielloware in Thailand, hypothesising that the technique was probably imported by the Portuguese during the midAyutthaya period. One of the greatest and most ancient centres of production for this art was located in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Thus why, niello is often known in Thai as thom Nakhon or Nakhon niello (ibidem, pp. 44 - 46). For further reference, a Thai footed tray worked in the same technique was recently sold successfully in these Rooms, 22 July 2020, lot 193.
£250 - £350
£700 - £900 91
The Art of War: Arms and Military Accessories From the Islamic and Indian Lands 93
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λ A BONE AND MICROMOSAIC-INLAID OTTOMAN MIQUELET-LOCK
λ A GOLD-DAMASCENED OTTOMAN FLINTLOCK PISTOK (KUBUR)
RIFLE
Ottoman Turkey, mid to late 19th century
Ottoman Turkey, late 18th - 19th century
With a cylindrical gold-damascened steel barrel, enhanced with three nielloed silver bands engraved with vegetal scroll and floral motifs, similar nielloed decorative bands on the walnut wood stock next to the lock, the protruding rounded pommel possibly bone or walrus ivory, 44.8cm long.
With a long, faceted watered steel barrel, with an octagonal section, retained by six silver bands, the barrel marked STP and stamped in unreadable Arabic characters within a niche-shaped cartouche towards the lock, the figured walnut fullstock extending into a pentagonal section widening butt, inset with silver studs arranged in geometric layouts, variously shaped bone and ivory panels, further decorated with inset khatamkari (micromosaic) roundels and brass nails forming lozenge and various geometric designs, the marquetry work extending to reach the portion of the stock below the lock, silverdamascened scrolling vegetal motifs next to the bolt handle, the lock part silver-inlaid and part silver-covered engraved with leafy motifs and meandering vine, 107cm long. Provenance: Christie’s South Kensington, Arms & Armour, 30 November 2009, lot 19. £1500 - £2000 392
λ AN INDIAN SILVER AND GOLD-DAMASCENED (KOFTGARI) LONG MATCH-LOCK RIFLE (TORADAR) Possibly Lucknow, Awadh, Northern India, 19th century With a long, faceted, silver and gold-damascened steel barrel, the breech and muzzle inlaid with vertical panels of scrolling rosette sprays and intertwined split palmette trellis, next to the lock six ivory side-panels, below them openwork steel plaques with floral and vegetal motifs and a pierced trigger with foliate sprays, hardwood three-quarter stock overlaid with silver plaques engraved with pair of Lucknow fishes (mahi-ye maratib) and fretwork bands, another pair of fishes above the trigger, 170cm the full length. For a similar though less ornate example, please see Christie’s South Kensington, 23 November 2011, lot 35. £800 - £1200
£600 - £800 394 A MINIATURE STEEL MACE HEAD WITH BRASS STUDS Possibly Deccan or Northern India, 17th - 18th century The mace head of compressed onion-like shape, with ribbed sides and a flat top, brass studs on each side, resting on a tapering faceted steel stand, mounted on a black metal base, 28.5cm high including the base. Provenance: Christie’s, London, 15 October 2004, Lot 136. £200 - £300 395 A NORTH AFRICAN NIMCHA SWORD Possibly Morocco or Algeria, late 19th - 20th century With a single-edged, later-joint, plain steel blade, the silver hilt of typical curved and sinuous shape, engraved with vegetal motifs and a band of nielloed crosses all around the hilt’s spine, the guard engraved with rosettes and a stylised, cross-like flowerhead in the centre of a square cartouche, bud-shaped protruding decorations to the sides of the guard, the scabbard with engraved silver fittings with diamond grid patterns and large floral roundels in the style of Maghribi Qur’an illuminations and opening folios, a strip of light brown leather enhancing the centre, 82cm long including the scabbard. £500 - £700
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396 A GOLD-DAMASCENED (KOFTGARI) STEEL TULWAR (SWORD) Northern India, 19th century With a single-edged steel blade, with two deep ridges at the top below the flattened spine, the typical koftgari tulwar handle inlaid in gold and designed with a T-shaped forte with bulbous terminals, with a ribbed grip and sinuous handguard, at the top a decorative disc with a hemispherical pommel with bulbous finial and floral collar, 84.5cm long. Provenance: Bonhams London, 19 April 2007, lot 396. £300 - £400 397 A BRASS-HILTED MALAY PISO PODANG SWORD Possibly Sumatra, Malay Archipelago, South East Asia, late 19th century With a single-edged steel blade, with deep medial ridge and flat tang, the T-shaped brass hilt with a compressed globular pommel hollow around the finial’s centre, engraved with foliage, lotus flowers and rosettes, the wooden scabbard fittings made of repoussé silver sheets and decorated with interlocking and scrolling vegetal meanders, 89cm long including the scabbard. £500 - £700 396
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λ AN IVORY-HILTED MOROCCAN DAGGER (KOUMMYA) Morocco, North Africa, 20th century With a double-edged steel blade, the forte with a thick unsharpened tang and pierced with a motif in the shape of a baton with two circular ends, the ivory handle of typical shape with a flattened oval pommel surmounted by a parcel gilt white metal frame with rosettes and scrolling vegetal sprays, the scabbard similar to the white metal frame in terms of decoration and material, engraved at a later stage with a name in Arabic characters and a date in Western format 8th March 1963, 39.4cm long including the scabbard. £300 - £500 95
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A LARGE SILVER-PLATED QAJAR SHIELD
A POLYCHROME-PAINTED, GILT AND LACQUERED LEATHER CEREMONIAL SHIELD (DHAL)
Iran, 19th century
Northern India, 18th - 19th century Of deep convex and circular shape, with an everted rim, the stretched leather painted in polychromes, gilt and lacquered, the decoration consisting of a central golden roundel filled with floral blossoms and surrounded by leafy vegetal trellis, radiating from the centre a grid of cusped golden cartouches with foliage and flower buds, the rim with a golden vegetal band similar to the one in the centre, the back mirroring the same decorative patterns except for an even lusher and more opulent central roundel, with a golden lotus flower in the centre and intertwined, scrolling vegetal sprays all around, 45cm diam. £200 - £300
Of convex circular shape, with reinforced rim and four applied bosses with floral collars, in the centre a repoussé face of a Qajar youth, with almond-shaped eyes and thick locks of hair, stylised sun rays radiating from the centre to the rim filled with engraved vegetal and floral sprays, the negative spaces filled with cusped cartouches with portraits of Qajar soldiers and birds, rosette festoons below them, the outer band next to the rim decorated with cusped calligraphic cartouches framed within bands of fretwork and scrolling vegetal meanders, 52cm diam. £600 - £800 404 A PAIR OF GILT AND LACQUERED LEATHER CEREMONIAL SHIELDS
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Possibly Rajasthan, North-Western India, 19th century
TWO INDIAN POLYCHROME-PAINTED AND LACQUERED LEATHER SHIELDS (DHAL)
Each of convex circular shape, with four applied flower-shaped bronze bosses, in the centre a gilt medallion with concentric decorative bands, the same decoration repeated around the rim, the back with a hatched fretwork band around the rim and four iron hoops for the padding, now lost, mounted on black metal stands, the largest 28.5cm diam. excluding the stand.
Rajasthan, North-Western India, 19th century Comprising a larger circular shield, the polychrome-painted and lacquered leather stretched in the round, four applied bronze bosses to the centre, each one with a gadrooned body and floral collar, the decoration consisting of a central floral medallion with vegetal meanders against a bright red ground, framed within a floral festoon against white ground, interlocking vegetal sprays on dark ground, and more vegetal and floral decorative bands to the rim, the back lacquered in bright red and gold, with parts of its original padding and holding straps, 65cm diam.; and another smaller shield, similar in taste and design, with modern padding, 59cm diam. £500 - £700 401 A QAJAR GILT-COPPER SHIELD Iran, late 19th century Of convex circular shape, with four applied bosses with floral collars and a reinforced rim, in the centre a star-shaped calligraphic cartouche with the motto of the Safavid king Shah ‘Abbas ‘The servant of King of Trusteeship, ‘Abbas’ in Persian script, radiating from it several other cartouches of different shapes filled with pairs of birds and animals, such as hares, foxes, lambs, lions and gazelles, and youths seated in the wilderness, the negative space filled with flowers and foliage, the outer rim with oblong cartouches filled with calligraphy against vegetal sprays, the interior with part of the original lining, the padding now lost, 44.3cm diam. Provenance: Bonhams London, Knightsbridge, Antique Arms & Armour, 4 April 2007, part of lot 38. £400 - £600
£400 - £600 405 A BRAIDED STRAW CEREMONIAL SHIELD AND A LEATHER SHIELD Northern India, late 19th century Comprising a circular two-tone braided straw ceremonial shield, with four applied brass bosses and leather rim, 47cm diam.; and a plain, blacklacquered leather shield, with four applied steel bosses, the back with the original padding, 41.5cm diam. £150 - £180 406 A BRASS-OVERLAID STEEL HAND SHIELD WITH SPIKES India, 19th century Of typical convex circular shape, with four applied brass bosses with floral collars, the same brass embattled collar running around the rim, with three tall spikes protruding from the centre and two more spikes at the top and bottom, the back with a plain handle, mounted on a black metal stand, 40.5cm x 18.5cm excluding the stand. Provenance: Hotel Drouot-Richelieu Paris, Vente Courante, 11 May 2006. £180 - £200
402 THREE INDIAN PARADE SHIELDS Kashmir and Northern India, late 19th century Comprising a pair of circular iron shields, painted in black and gold, the convex centre gently raised, reminiscent of Indian shields used in training and battle practice, the back plain with a simple iron handle, without any padding, each 40cm diam.; and a decorative ceremonial Kashmiri brass shield, with four raised bosses, engraved with typical Kashmiri motifs, the central medallion filled with a stylised flowerhead against intricate vegetal meanders, on each side of the central roundel four vases sprouting lush floral bouquets against vegetal sprays within cusped cartouches, further vegetal motifs on the outer band closer to the rim, the back plain without any padding, 37.4cm diam. Provenance: Bonhams London, Knightsbridge, Antique Arms & Armour, 4 April 2007, part of lot 38. £300 - £500
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407 A JAPANESE STEEL ARROW HEAD WITH ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY OPENWORK 412
Japan for the Islamic market, 19th - 20th century Of typical pointed, ogival shape, with reinforced edges and tip, the medial plaque with extensive openwork decoration consisting of two stylised cherry blossoms and a cartouche of intertwined Islamic calligraphy, 12cm long excluding the stud. £150 - £250 408
λ A BONE-HILTED CHILD PESH KABZ DAGGER Qajar Iran, 19th century With a single-edged steel blade, with a thick and flat spine all the way to the tang locked into two slabs of bone making the handle, the forte carved with Safavid-revival floral sprays, the tang engraved all around with rosettes and auspicious calligraphic cartouches, 19cm long. £250 - £350
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409 A PIERCED AND ETCHED STEEL AXE HEAD (TABAR) Iran, 19th - 20th century Of typical shape, with a straight cutting edge and lobed flanges, the head pierced with a trefoil motif, the butt with a protruding rectangular element, the exterior intricately and finely etched with interlocking vegetal sprays, birds, geometric bands and decorative volutes, 17cm x 17.3cm. £300 - £500 407 410 A QAJAR GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL BAZUBAND (ARMBAND) Qajar Iran, 19th century Of typical oblong shape, with two smaller, rectangular side fittings interlinked with iron chain mail, the exterior finely engraved with a variety of floral motifs and enhanced by interlocking bands of gold-damascened vegetal sprays, four floral bouquets filling arabesque-like cartouches in the centre, engraved rosette bands framing the central composition, 36cm long. £200 - £300 411 A COPPER ALLOY PROCESSIONAL STANDARD FINIAL (‘ALAM) Possibly Deccan, India, late 19th century 410
Of typical drop-like shape, the rounded base rising to a flared top with two pointy spikes, reminiscent in design of the double-bladed, scissor-like sword of Ali, Zulfiqar, on each side a talismanic Hamsa (palm-shaped amulet) as a sign of protection against evil eye, mounted on a black metal stand, 48.5cm high including the stand. Provenance: Bonhams London, Antique Arms and Armour, 24 Apr 2013, part of lot 28. £100 - £150 412 A SILVER AND IVORY SWAGGER STICK Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, South India, late 19th - 20th century Of typical tapering tubular shape, the rounded pommel engraved with a lotus flower in the centre and a fretwork band around the rim, opening to one side as a snuffbox, the silver panels coarsely engraved with floral motifs and geometric bands, interspersed with rounded ivory decorative elements, once polychrome painted, 52cm long.
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413 A SILK AND METAL THREAD BELT WITH NIELLOED SILVER BUCKLE AND FITTINGS Caucasus and St. Petersburg, Russia, last quarter 19th century Of typical shape, the ochre silk band woven with metal thread, backed with light brown calf leather, enhanced with a nielloed silver buckle and fittings, the buckle decorated with an articulate vegetal motif in the front and a cartouche framing a bird amidst vegetal sprays and a Cyrillic monogram at the back, stamped with the silver mark “ ф I” and the date 1888, the fittings with similar vegetal and floral decorative motifs, each one stamped with the silver mark “Aш” and 84 (916 purity), from the silversmith Aleksandr Shevyakov, active in St. Petersburg,1895 - 1898, 37cm long waistline. £150 - £200 414 A NEAR PAIR OF OTTOMAN BRASS STANDARD FINIALS Ottoman Turkey, 19th century Both of similar shape, with the Ottoman star and crescent moon symbol in the centre, the base with volutes filled with lush rosettes and foliage, the top engraved with a long rosette stem and further leafy designs, one engraved with thuluth calligraphy, the back of each with the same decoration of the front but inverted and darkened, each 57cm high. Provenance: Bonhams London, Antique Arms and Armour, 24 Apr 2013, part of lot 28. £150 - £200
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415 AN INDIAN WOODEN CANNON MODEL India, 19th century Of typical tubular shape, the cannon carved with palmettes around the mouth, decorative bands on its whole length and with an elephant on its base, the sides reinforced with iron strips and studs, carved with foliate motifs on each terminal, 27cm x 14cm. £300 - £500 416 A NIELLOED AND HORN-HILTED DAGGER
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Possibly Caucasus or Western Ottoman Provinces, mid to late 19th century With a double-edged gently curved steel blade, with a thick medial ridge on both sides, the tip reinforced, the handle made of two slabs of horn framed within nielloed silver bands with scrolling floral and vegetal sprays, the top of the handle engraved with a central roundel depicting a hunting dog attacking a wild boar, the scabbard lined with dark brown calf leather and enhanced with two pierced silver fittings with vegetal motifs, 31.5cm long including the scabbard. Provenance: Purchased in 2011 from a UK auction house. £300 - £500 417
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A SINHALESE POLYCHROME-PAINTED AND LACQUERED BOW Possibly Kandy, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), 18th - early 19th century A fine Sinhalese lacquered longbow of round cross-section, with tapering ends and thicker centre, the padded grip showing traces of worn red velvet cloth and silver thread-embroidered decorative cotton bands, the full cane painted in vermillion red, orpiment yellow, green and black, with bands of beaded and geometric fretwork, the string now missing, 203cm long. The Sinhalese people had a long and well-established archery tradition. A few longbows similar to this can be seen in private and museum collections, such as the National Museum in Colombo. The lacquered decoration on this longbow is called matale work, also referred to as niyapoten veda or “finger-nail work”. This refers to the fact that the lacquer is not applied with a brush. Instead, the highly viscous hot lacquer is pulled in strings using a stick, and the string is applied directly to the desired surface, its end cut off by the lacquer masters’ fingernail. The resulting work is very distinctive, as explained by Ananda Coomaraswamy in Mediaeval Sinhalese art, 1908, pp. 215 - 217. An interesting and well-written blog on the art of Sinhalese lacquer can also be found on the website of Mandarin Mansion Antiques: https://www. mandarinmansion.com/article/sinhalese-lacquer-work. £800 - £1200 418 TWELVE INDIAN ARROWS India, 19th century Comprising twelve arrows, each made of cane, some hand-painted, ten with spiky points, two flat, some of the knocks uneven, the painted 418
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£300 - £500 419 AN ENCRUSTED PUSH DAGGER (KATAR) India, mid to late 19th century With a tapering double-edged steel blade with a reinforced tip, a thick medial ridge and openwork vegetal decoration to the centre of the blade, the handle engraved with floral and vegetal scrolls and encrusted with turquoise and glass beads, mounted on a metal stand, 41cm long excluding the stand. £400 - £600
420 A WATERED-STEEL PUSH DAGGER (KATAR) Northern India, early 18th century With a tapering double-edged blade with reinforced tip and a plain forte, the finely worked lotus bud-shaped curved handle with stylised rosebuds on each side, the grip with two pyramidal-shaped ribs in the centre, 48.2cm long. For comparable daggers, please see G. N. Pant, Indian Arms and Armour, vol. 2, New Delhi, 1980, pp. 162-173. Christie’s South Kensington sold an almost identical example on 10 October 2014, lot 28. £500 - £700 421 A PAIR OF GOLD-INLAID STEEL SPURS Possibly North Africa, Ottoman Provinces, 18th century Of typical shape, the steel yokes thin and shaped as a narrow horseshoe, the neck with a gold-inlaid circular medallion, engraved with a Mamluk-inspired interwoven geometric motif, the centre with a long sharp spike also gilt and engraved with rosettes and chevrons, the reddyed cotton heel band possibly a later addition, 26.8cm long. £1200 - £1800 422
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A SOUTHEAST ASIAN SILVER YALI-HILTED SWORD Possibly Burma or Malay Archipelago, South East Asia, late 19th century With a single-edged crucible steel blade, and a flat tang, the silver hilt designed in the shape of a mythical yali with frightening fangs and bulging eyes, the handguard engraved with stylised lotus scrolls and vegetal sprays, a pierced decorative plaque with volutes and stylised scrolling motifs covering the forte on one side, 66cm long. £600 - £800
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Terms and Conditions for Buyers at Chiswick Auctions 1. BEFORE THE SALE 1.1 Agent for the seller Unless otherwise agreed, Chiswick Auctions Ltd, hereafter referred to as CA LTD acts as agent for the seller. The contract for sale of the property is therefore made between the Seller and the Buyer. 1.2 Definitions For the purposes of the current Terms and Conditions, the Seller shall be defined as the owner of the Goods. It is implied that the Seller is the legitimate owner and is authorised to sell the Lot. The Bidder is any registered person participating in the auction, and the Buyer is the successful Bidder for a particular Lot. The Lot means the item(s) put up for sale by CA Ltd and to which the present Terms and Conditions apply. 1.3 Catalogue descriptions Any representation in any catalogue or otherwise as to the origin, date, age, attribution, authenticity or estimated selling price of any lot is a statement of opinion only. Such statements do not constitute a representation warranty or assumption of liability by CA Ltd in relation to the Lot. Any prospective Buyer should satisfy themselves prior to the sale as to the reliability of the catalogue description. The absence of mention related to prior restorations in the catalogue descriptions does not imply that the good is exempt thereof. Photographs of any Lot provided by CA Ltd are for indicative purposes only and are not deemed to be a precise representation of the said Lot. The Buyer is advised to seek independent expert advice in order to be assured of the authenticity and true state of the good. 1.4 Inspection Prior to auction, prospective purchasers are strongly advised to personally examine any property in which they are interested to satisfy themselves in relation to matters which may concern them. 1.5 Condition report CA Ltd may issue a Condition Report on request prior to the sale. This Condition Report is for identification purposes only and cannot be considered as giving a precise account of the Lot’s true state. Thus, some imperfections and faults may not be accounted for in the Condition Report. As aforementioned, and in the absence of any contractual value of the Condition report, it is the Buyer’s sole duty to inspect in person the Lot in order to be assured of its true condition and CA Ltd shall not be responsible for assertions within the Condition Report hereto. 1.6 Electricals All electrical items are sold as seen and CA Ltd offers no guarantee as to the working condition of such items or their safety. It is the Buyer’s duty to take necessary steps to be assured that the Lot is safe for normal use. 1.7 Estimates Estimates are based on various factors inherent to the situation of the market at the time of the sale, as well as considerations such as the condition, rarity, or quality of the item etc. Estimates are only indicative and represent the opinion of CA Ltd. Estimates provided by CA Ltd cannot constitute a guarantee as to the value of the good. Subsequently, goods may sell at prices lower or higher than the provided estimates. 1.8 Reserves Many Lots are offered subject to a reserve, which is the confidential minimum sale price. The reserve will never exceed the low estimate printed in the catalogue. CA Ltd may open the bidding on any Lot below the reserve by placing a bid on behalf of the seller, and may in their discretion continue to bid up to the reserve price. This can be achieved by bidding in response to other bidders or alternatively by placing consecutive bids. 1.9 Registration to the sale New bidders will need to register prior to the sale. It is strongly advised bidders register at least 24 hours before the sale. Registration thereafter shall be at the auctioneer’s entire discretion.
International bidders may be required to register 48 hours before the sale and to submit bank details. A deposit may be requested prior to each sale. Failure to register shall result in the impossibility for the bidder to purchase a Lot. 1.10 Proof of identity Bidders not previously known to CA Ltd will be required to provide: • Official proof of identity in the form of a passport or photocard driving licence. No other forms of ID are acceptable. • Proof of address of main residence. Only official documents showing name and address will be accepted. • Both landline and mobile telephone numbers • A bank reference for foreign bidders may be requested • Corporate clients will have to provide a certificate of incorporation prior to the auction, along with the representative’s ID in accordance with the above-mentioned requirements for proof of identity. Any Bidder that does not match the provided identity for registration may not purchase during the sale. 2. DURING THE SALE 2.1 Attendance at auction Attending the auction in person is recommended. CA Ltd has the right at their absolute discretion to refuse participation in any auction, to reject any bid, and to refuse admission to the premises. Bidders are not obliged to be present in person at the auction. Absentee bidders shall be required to make necessary arrangements with CA Ltd prior to the sale. 2.2 Personal bidding Bidders attending the auction in person shall be required to collect a unique bidding paddle prior to bidding in the sale. 2.3 Commission bids CA Ltd will use reasonable efforts to carry out Commission bids received by them prior to the sale for the convenience of clients who are not present at the auction in person. Execution of Commission bids is a free service provided to help clients and CA Ltd does not accept liability for any failure to execute a Commission bid or for errors and omissions in connection with it. Commission bids shall be executed at the lowest possible price, subject to competing bids and reserves. Although CA Ltd will endeavour to inform Buyers, it is the Buyer’s responsibility to check if they have been successful in purchasing a Lot. In the event of multiple commission bids set at the same price, the first registered commission bid will take priority. 2.4 Telephone bids If a bidder is not able to attend in person an auction, CA Ltd will use reasonable efforts to contact prospective Buyers who make arrangements prior to commencement of the sale to bid by telephone. CA Ltd cannot be held responsible in the event of issues affecting connectivity, resulting in the loss of a chance of purchasing the Lot for the Bidder. 2.5 Internet bids Some sales may be available to internet bidding, as well as personal attendance. In this event, CA Ltd shall not be held responsible for issues affecting connection. In addition to having our own in-house online bidding platform, some sales are also offered with online live bidding by third party platforms, CA Ltd is not responsible for any issues that may arise during registration or utilising said platforms. CA ltd encourages prospective bidders to bid directly with Chiswick Live or via traditional direct in-house means wherever possible. 2.6 Bidding on behalf of someone A Buyer may bid by proxy. In this event, proof of identity of both the Buyer and the proxy must be communicated to CA Ltd prior to the sale. A copy of the mandate shall also be required.
2.7 Bidding on an item Bid incrementation is at the auctioneer’s entire discretion. 2.8 Video transmission For the purpose of the sale, Lots may be displayed on video during the auction. In the event of transmission issues, CA Ltd shall not be held responsible for any subsequent outcome. 2.9 Online-only auctions Some auctions may only be available to bidders via an online platform sale. In this event, Buyers have a 14 day period from the receipt of goods to withdraw from the sale, in accordance with EU Consumer Law. This returns policy relates only to lots where physical viewing of lots prior to sale is not offered by CA Ltd. 2.10 Dispute resolution during the auction Any dispute shall be settled at the auctioneer’s absolute discretion. Under no circumstances will a sale be cancelled after the fall of the hammer, except at the auctioneer’s entire discretion. 3. CONTRACT FORMATION AND EFFECTS 3.1 Contract of sale The contract of sale is between the Buyer and the Seller. The Buyer shall be the bidder at the highest price at the fall of the hammer. The sale is deemed complete once the auctioneer announces its completion by the fall of the hammer and the contract shall be binding thereafter between the Buyer and the Seller and CA Ltd. When a Buyer purchases multiple Lots, each Lot is the subject of a separate contract of sale. 3.2 Transfer of property Property of the goods shall pass to the Buyer only once CA Ltd has received full payment for the goods, this includes the price at the fall of the hammer as well as Buyer’s premium, relevant taxes, and costs in relation to shipping. 3.3 Transfer of risks Purchased Lots shall be at the Buyer’s risk in all respects from the fall of the hammer, and neither CA Ltd nor their agents shall be responsible for any loss or damage of any kind, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. 3.4 Cancellation of the sale At the fall of the hammer, the contract is formed between the Buyer and CA Ltd and is binding thereafter. Under no circumstances can the Buyer cancel the sale. CA Ltd may at its entire discretion, during or after the auction, cancel the sale of the Lot or reoffer and resell the Lot if it becomes aware of any error or dispute of any nature, whether or not title has passed to the Buyer, and up to a period of 6 months after the said sale. Grounds for cancellation under the present section shall include but not be limited to any dispute relating to the attribution or provenance of the Lot, ownership and title, fraud or deceit, lack of relevant licences or certificates, any subsequent changes in domestic or international legislations restricting the sale of export of goods etc. In the event of internet-only auctions (where are no offered advanced physical viewing times), the Buyer shall have a 14 day right to retract, after receipt of the Lot, under EU Consumer Law. Public auctions are not covered by this right to retract. 4. AFTER THE SALE 4.1 Payment All purchased lots must be paid for on the day of the auction. Commission bids must be paid for no later than the day after the auction. Payment must be made by cash, debit, credit card or bank transfer. We do not accept cheques. We do not currently accept American Express. CA ltd adheres strictly to current anti-money laundering regulations and reserves the right to refuse payment or cancel the sale of any lot, should suspicion or evidence of regulation infringement arise. The 2020 guidelines reference ‘Art Works’, but are as yet to be fully defined. As such, CA Ltd reserves the right to adapt buying/selling rules at any time, in order to maintain compliance. Cash payments shall not be receivable for amounts over €10,000, regardless of the payment being for one or multiple Lots. As of 2020, new directives also extend to other forms of payment where the amount is in excess of €10,000 and this may require further information sharing covering both buyers and sellers. Should it encounter contravention of said regulations, or is unable to bring buyers/sellers into line with said regulations through advice and support, CA ltd reserves the right to cancel any lot transaction and offer said lots to underbidders and where applicable will notify the relevant authority of the suspected contravention if deemed intentional.
Payments made by someone other than the registered Buyer shall not be accepted. Title will not pass to the Buyer until CA Ltd has received all amounts due to them in cleared funds even if the Lot has been released to the Buyer. 4.2 Buyer’s Premium The Buyer will pay CA Ltd a premium of 25% on the hammer price plus VAT on that commission on the first £500,000 and 12% plus VAT on the balance thereafter. A Buyer’s Premium of 21% plus VAT is charged on Wine & Spirits Lots. The VAT payable varies by symbol as below: No Symbol: The standard rate of VAT is charged on the premium under the Auctioneers Margin Scheme in accordance with Art. 333 of 2006/112/EC. Standard UK VAT will be charged on the buyers’ premium and invoiced on an inclusive basis. †: Normal VAT rules apply and the standard rate of VAT will be charged on both hammer price and premium. *: These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on the invoice. In order to receive a refund of VAT amounts/Import VAT (as applicable) non-EU buyers must: (a) have registered to bid with an address outside of the EU; and (b) export the lot from the EU within 30 days of collection for * lots and 3 months of collection for all other lots and immediately afterwards provide us with satisfactory proof of export. (c) Details of the documents which you must provide to us to show satisfactory proof of export/shipping are available from our Finance team. A processing fee of £35.00 per invoice is charged to check shipping/export documents. (d) No VAT amounts or Import VAT will be refunded where the total refund (after deducting the processing fee) is under £35. (e) If you are re-exporting a * lot outside of the EU, you must either use Chiswick Auctions Ltd TA Shipper or arrange for us to transfer the TA from our shipper to your own TA or bond account. 4.3 Taxes The Buyer is responsible for paying VAT on any Lot, above hammer price and Buyer’s premium. The rate applicable shall be the legal rate at the date of the sale. Goods such as books and antique books, music, maps and charts etc. are subject to zerorated VAT. In addition, any import taxes that may be incurred shall be paid by the Buyer above hammer price, VAT and Buyer’s premium. The present paragraph applies in particular to imports within the United-States and Australia. The Buyer is advised to verify such matters prior to the sale. 4.4 Artist Resale Rights / Droit de Suite Lots marked with ‘ARR’ may be subject to a levy. Droit de Suite is a royalty payable to a qualifying artist or to the artist’s heir each time a work is resold during the artist’s lifetime and up to a period of 70 years after the artist’s death. Royalties are calculated on a cumulative sliding percentage scale based on the hammer price excluding the buyer’s premium. The royalty does not apply to Lots selling below the sterling equivalent of €1,000 and the maximum royalty payable on any single Lot is the sterling equivalent of €12,500. Royalties for Droit de Suite are as follows: • From 0 to €50,000 4% • From €50,000.01 to €200,000 3% • From €200,000.01 to €350,000 1% • From €350,000.01 to €500,000 0.5% • Exceeding €500,000 0.25% 4.5 Remedies for non-payment If the Buyer fails to make full payment in cleared funds within the time required as aforementioned, CA Ltd shall be entitled to exercise any one or more of the following rights or remedies additional to such other rights or remedies available: • To cancel the sale • To charge interest at 4% per annum above the base rate of Lloyds Bank Plc. • To resell the Lot on such terms by auction or otherwise entirely at CA Ltd’s discretion. The Buyer will be liable for all costs including legal fees incurred in the sale and will remain liable for any shortfall arising upon sale. • To offset against any sums which CA Ltd may owe the Buyer the outstanding sums unpaid by the said Buyer
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• Where the Buyer owes sums to CA Ltd in respect of different transactions, to discretionarily apply any sum paid by the Buyer for discharge of any owed sums. • To refuse entry to the Buyer at any future auction and/or reject any future bids by the Buyer and/or seek a deposit from the Buyer entirely in the discretion of CA Ltd. • To exercise a lien over the Buyer’s property in the possession of CA Ltd as collateral for any outstanding sums owed and to exercise all the rights and remedies of a person holding security over any such property, whether by way of pledge, security interest or in any other way to the extent permitted by Law. • To commence legal proceedings for the recovery of the total amount due together with interest, legal fees and costs. • To take such other action as is permissible by Law and in the discretion of CA Ltd. 4.6 Collection Purchased Lots can be collected from the auction room after the sale has ended or between 10am and 6pm up until close of business on the Friday following the sale. Special arrangements may be made for collection on Saturday at CA Ltd’s discretion. Any delay in collection must be communicated clearly to CA Ltd in advance of the collection deadline and CA Ltd reserves the right to impose charges thereafter at its utter discretion (see 4.7). 4.7 Storage CA Ltd offers a discretionary 14 days free storage on purchased and unsold Lots from the date of the sale. Thereafter Lots not collected shall incur storage charges of £5.00 per lot, per day or part thereof for smalls and pictures (defined as anything that can be handled by one person) and £10.00 per lot, per day for furniture and other larger lots. CA Ltd shall be entitled to retain said Lots until all sums due have been paid to CA Ltd. If any lot remains uncollected 21 days after the sale, storage charges shall thereafter be £10/£20 (smalls/larger items) per day and CA Ltd shall, in accordance with the Law, have the right to sell the purchased Lot to recover payment of storage charges outstanding. Any balance proceeds of sale received after payment of all sums outstanding and due to CA Ltd shall be held for the account of the Buyer. 4.8 Shipping Any shipping costs that may arise subsequent to the sale shall be at the Buyer’s expense. Such costs may include but not limited to postage, import and export permits where required and any other licence necessary for goods to be shipped outside of the European Union. CA Ltd does not offer insurance for shipping. However, CA Ltd may arrange insurance upon the Buyer’s request and at the Buyer’s expense. CA Ltd cannot be held responsible for any damages that may be incurred to goods prior to the fall of the hammer. 4.9 Loss or Damage CA Ltd does not accept liability for loss or damage occurring to Lots after the sale. CA Ltd will use reasonable efforts when handling Lots, but shall not be responsible for any loss or damages that may occur whilst the said Lot is in any third party’s care. 4.10 Cultural Goods import and export restrictions Cultural goods may be subject to import and export restrictions. Under EU Regulations related to the trade of cultural goods, export licences may be required for export outside of the European Union if the item’s value exceeds the EU threshold. Under UK Law, a licence may also be required for intra-EU trade. Licenses are issued by Arts Council England and it is the Buyer’s duty to obtain them. Some countries restrict the import of specific cultural goods. For example, the United States prohibits the import of pre-Columbian monumental or architectural sculpture or murals, as well as any cultural goods in provenance from some countries subject to armed conflicts. The Buyer must verify local legislation prior to the sale in order to be assured that import or export is possible. 4.11 CITES Import and export restrictions Certain endangered species are listed in the CITES Convention. Listed specimens and any parts or products thereof are subject to issuance of an export permit when leaving the European Union. Appendix I species, are also subject to issuance of a prior import permit from the country in which the goods are to be imported. Such permits are necessary before applying for export permits and it is the Buyer’s duty to initiate the proceedings with the relevant authority. The Buyer must be aware that certain countries prohibit the import of some species or any parts or products derived thereof. For example, the United States prohibit all import of African elephant ivory, and any item containing parts that may merely resemble African elephant ivory must be accompanied by relevant documentation stating it is not the latter. Worked items that are dated before 1947 are exempt from import restrictions for intra-EU trade and shall not require export licences. Please be aware that all Lots marked with the symbol λ are subject to CITES regulations.
4.12 Limitation of liability regarding CITES export licenses Where licences are required for importing or exporting outside of the European Union, it is the Buyer’s duty to obtain them. CA Ltd cannot be held responsible if the Buyer’s application for an export permit is unsuccessful. Subsequently, in the event of failure thereof, CA Ltd shall not permit cancellation or rescission of the sale. 4.13 Warranties CA Ltd does not provide the Buyer with warranties relating to any Lot, unless required by Law. 4.14 Authenticity warranty In the event of a Lot being sold as authentic under the catalogue description and the Buyer provides evidence in the form of a written report by a recognised expert or test results that the said Lot is not authentic, CA Ltd will refund the purchase price. The Buyer shall give notice to CA Ltd within 28 days from knowledge or any event giving reasons for suspecting that the item is not authentic, and within one year of the said sale. Any claim thereafter shall not be receivable. For the purposes of the present paragraph, authenticity shall be defined as the state of a Lot that is genuine and not a forgery or a copy. 5. ANTIQUITIES AND TRIBAL ART 5.1 Import and export restrictions and regulations Archaeological goods over 100 years of age, unless covered by exemption of limited scientific interest, will require an EU Licence for export to a third country, regardless of their value. It is recommended that the Buyer contact the Export Licensing Unit at Arts Council England in order to be assured the good is or not of limited archaeological or scientific interest. Archaeological goods found on United-Kingdom soil or in UK territorial waters over 50 years of age shall require a UK Licence regardless of their value and regardless of the export destination. Other archaeological objects regardless of their origin will require an Individual Licence or OGEL depending on their value. Both European-Union and UK Licences may be required simultaneously for some items. It is the Buyer’s duty to undertake the necessary steps. CA Ltd cannot be held responsible and the sale cannot be cancelled in the event of failure to obtain the relevant licences. 6. JEWELLERY 6.1 Gemstone treatment and estimates Many gemstones on the market have been treated so as to augment their appearance, in a reversible or permanent manner. Treatments under the present section may be but not limited to: • Heat treatment to enhance sapphires and rubies’ clarity and colour • Oil and resin treatments for emeralds applied in different ways, to enhance clarity of the stone • Staining • Irradiation • Coating Estimates provided by CA Ltd are deemed to be based on the fact that the gemstone may have been subject to any type of treatment in the past. CA Ltd shall not be responsible in the absence of mention thereof. A certificate may be issued by a laboratory, providing with detailed information on the condition of the gemstone and any treatment applied thereto. The Buyer must be aware that different laboratories have different approaches as to the degree or type of treatment for a particular gemstone. If a certificate accompanies the Lot, the Buyer must be aware that it is merely a statement of the laboratory’s opinion and in no way can CA Ltd be held responsible for any mentions therein. Such certificates are deemed to be delivered with the Lot for informative purposes only. 6.2 Estimated weights If a stone’s exact weight appears within the body of the description, the stone has been unmounted and weighed by CA Ltd. If the weight of a stone is stated to be approximate, the stone has been assessed by CA Ltd within its setting, and the defined weight is a statement of opinion only. This information is given as a guide and bidders should satisfy themselves with regard to this information as to its accuracy. 6.3 Signatures ‘A diamond ring, by X’: When the maker’s name appears in the title, in Chiswick Auctions’ opinion the piece is by that maker.
‘A diamond ring, signed X’: Has a signature that, in Chiswick Auctions’ opinion, is authentic but may contain gemstones that are not original, or the piece may have been altered. ‘A diamond ring, mounted by X’: Has been created by the jeweller, in Chiswick Auctions’ opinion, but using stones or designs supplied by the client. ‘Maker’s mark for X’: Has a maker’s mark which in Chiswick Auctions’ opinion is authentic. Some items may include parts or products derived from endangered species, such as ivory or coral. Such items may be subject to import or export restrictions. See section on CITES regulations for more details. 7. CLOCKS AND WATCHES All Lots are sold as seen. Clocks and watches are therefore not deemed to be sold in working condition. Absence of reference thereof in the description does not imply that the Lot is in good condition and without defects, or has been subject to repair or restoration. CA Ltd makes no representation or warranty that any clock or watch is in working order. As clocks and watches often contain fine and complex mechanisms, bidders should be aware that a general service, change of battery or further repair work, for which the Buyer is solely responsible, may be necessary. Most clocks and watches are likely to have been repaired in the past, and as a result may include parts that are not original thereto. The United-States restrict the importation of watches such as Rolex, Frank Muller or Corum. Such models can only be imported personally by the Buyer and CA Ltd cannot assist with shipping thereof. Some watches may include leather straps derived from endangered species. Buyers may be required to obtain appropriate permits for import or export purposes in accordance with CITES regulations. CA Ltd acts in compliance with such legislations and shall take necessary steps where required. Subsequently, watches may be deemed sold without their straps. 8. FURNITURE 8.1 Upholstered furniture after 1950 According to The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988, furniture that was upholstered after the 1st of January 1950 is subject to restrictions in the United-Kingdom. Exempt upholstered furniture that does not meet such requirements is deemed sold for purely aesthetic purposes. CA Ltd shall not be responsible for later alterations to the furniture, making it unfit for sale. 9. GLOSSARY OF PICTURE CATALOGUING TERMS Any Statement as to authorship, attribution, origin, date, age, provenance and condition is a statement of opinion and is not to be taken as a statement of fact. The Company reserve the right, in forming their opinion, to consult and rely upon any expert or authority considered by them to be reliable. 1 JMW Turner: In our opinion a work by the artist. When the artist’s forename(s) is not known, a series of asterisks, followed by the surname of the artist, whether preceded by an initial or not, indicates that in our opinion the work is by the artist named. 2 Attributed to JMW Turner: In our opinion probably a work by the artist, but less certainly as to the authorship expressed than in the preceding category. 3 Studio of JMW Turner: In our opinion probably a work by an unknown hand in the studio of the artist, which may or may not have been executed under the artist’s direction. 4 Circle of JMW Turner: In our opinion a work by an as yet unidentified but distinct hand, closely associated with the named artist and of the period, but not necessarily his pupil. 5 Style of; Follower of JMW Turner: In our opinion a work by a painter working in the artist’s style, but not necessarily his pupil. 6 Manner of JMW Turner: In our opinion a work in the style of the artist and of a later date. 7 After JMW Turner: In our opinion a copy (of any date) of a known work of the artist. 8 The term ‘signed’ and/or ‘dated’ and/or ‘inscribed’ means that in our opinion the signature and/or date and/or inscription are from the hand of the artist. 9 The term ‘with signature’ and/or ‘with date’ and/or ‘with inscription’ means that in our opinion the signature and/or date and/or inscription have been added by another hand than that of the artist. 10 Pictures are framed unless otherwise stated. 10. ASIAN ARTS 10.1 Import and export restrictions When dealing with Asian Arts and more specifically with items made of exotic wood (e.g. all species of rosewood) or elephant ivory, the Buyer must be aware of import and export restrictions in accordance with CITES Regulations. As aforementioned in the Section relating
to such matters, import and export permits or re-export certificates may be required. Verification letters will be required for re-export of worked Rhinoceros items. 10.2 Fine Chinese Paintings Current scholarship in the field of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy does not permit unqualified statements as to the authorship or date of execution. The limited right of rescission contained in the present terms and conditions does not apply to Chinese paintings. Notwithstanding, if within 28 days of the sale of any such Lot, the original purchaser gives written notice to CA Ltd that the Lot is a forgery and within fourteen days after giving such notice, the original purchaser returns the lot to us in the same condition as at the time of sale and demonstrates to our satisfaction that the lot is a forgery, CA Ltd will rescind the sale and refund the purchase price received. For this purpose, a ‘forgery’ is defined as a work created with the intent to deceive. 11. BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS Books and manuscripts sold as incomplete are not subject to returns. Printed books may be returned for a full refund only if they prove to be defective in text or illustration. This shall not apply to the absence of blanks, half titles or advertisements, to unnamed books or to books sold under the heading of ‘binding’ or ‘bindings’. 12. WINES AND SPIRITS In accordance with agreed standards in the trade, estimates shall be deemed to have taken into account the fill level. For the purposes of the present Terms and Conditions, the ‘Fill Level’ refers to the space between the base of the cork and the liquid in the bottle. Fill levels may vary with age or depending on the condition of the wine or spirit. Lack of mention thereof in the description is not a representation of an ‘acceptable’ fill level from CA Ltd. CA Ltd offers no guarantee as to suitability for drinking of the wine or spirit. The Buyer must be aware of the risk that the taste of a wine or spirit may be altered due to factors such as age, storage conditions, oxidation, etc. 13. COPYRIGHT CA Ltd shall own the copyright on all images, illustrations and written material produced by or for CA Ltd relating to a Lot, including catalogue contents. Such copyright shall remain at all times the property of CA Ltd. Neither the Buyer nor anyone else shall use the abovementioned materials without the prior written consent of CA Ltd. Some Lots may be subject to copyright protection, CA Ltd does not guarantee said Lots are free thereof. 14. DATA PROTECTION The Buyer agrees that personal information transmitted to CA Ltd may be disclosed exclusively for the purposes of business, or as required by Law. CA Ltd shall not use personal information for any other purpose without the Buyer’s prior consent. CA Ltd never sell, lend or trade in personal data provided by any Bidder. 15. SEVERABILITY Whenever and to the extent that any provisions of these terms would or might contravene the provision of any relevant legislation, such provision is to take effect only in so far as it may do so without contravening such legislation and the legality, validity and enforceability of any of the remaining provisions are not in any way to be affected or impaired as a result. 16. AMENDMENTS The current Terms and Conditions may be amended, verbally or in writing, prior to the sale. 17. LAW AND JURISDICTION The rights and obligations of the parties with respect to these Conditions of Sale and the conduct of the auction and any matters related to any of the foregoing shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the Law of England and Wales. For the benefit of CA Ltd all bidders and sellers agree that the Courts of England are to have exclusive jurisdiction to settle all disputes arising in connection with all aspects of all matters or transactions to which these Conditions of Sale and Authorship warranty relate or apply. All parties agree that CA Ltd shall retain the right to bring proceedings in any court other than the Courts of England.
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