CKS23591 London Islamic

ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND

ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS INCLUDING RUGS AND CARPETS

AUCTION

Thursday 1 May 2025

One session at 10.30am (Lots 1-204)

8 King Street, St. James’s London SW1Y 6QT

VIEWING

Friday 25 April 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

Saturday 26 April 12.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Sunday 27 April 12.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Monday 28 April 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

Tuesday 29 April 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

Wednesday 30 April 9.00 am - 8.00 pm

AUCTIONEERS

Eugenio Donadoni, Olivia Ghosh and Yü-Ge Wang

AUCTION CODE AND NUMBER

In sending absentee bids or making enquiries, this sale should be referred to as MIRAJ-23591

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CONDITIONS OF SALE

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BUYER’S PREMIUM

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Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.

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SPECIALISTS

SPECIALISTS AND SERVICES FOR THIS AUCTION

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Rugs & Carpets

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Islamic and Indian Art, Rugs & Carpets

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Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam

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LOTS OF IRANIAN/PERSIAN ORIGIN

Islamic and Indian Art

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Islamic and Indian

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Tel:

2029

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FRONT COVER

Lot 35

INSIDE FRONT COVER

Lot 156

PAGE 2 Lot 29

PAGE 4 Lot 164

OPPOSITE Lot 82

INSIDE BACK COVER Lot 73

BACK COVER Lot 143

Some countries prohibit or restrict the purchase and/or import of Iranian-origin property. Bidders must familiarise themselves with any laws or shipping restrictions that apply to them before bidding on these lots. For example, the USA prohibits dealings in and import of Iranian-origin “works of conventional craftsmanship” (such as carpets, textiles, decorative objects, and scientific instruments) without an appropriate licence. Christie’s has a general OFAC licence which, subject to compliance with certain conditions, would enable a buyer to import this type of lot into the USA. If you intend to use Christie’s licence, please contact us for further information before you bid.

Sara Plumbly Head of Department

Archie Williams Junior Specialist

Emilie Frontera Head of Sale Management

+44 (0)20 7389

Phoebe Jowett Smith

Barney Bartlett Junior Specialist Islamic and Indian Art

Louise Broadhurst

Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam Head of Sale

Art

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION

1

AN IMPRESSIVE AND EARLY ILLUMINATED

KUFIC QUR'AN FOLIO

PROBABLY DAMASCUS, UMAYYAD SYRIA, 8TH/9TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on vellum, Qur'an II, sura al-baqara, vv.5-8 (part), the folio with 8ll. elegant sepia kufic, later added diagonal dashes marking letter pointing, red and green dots for vocalisation, set within knotted strapwork borders containing geometric and vegetal motifs in green, blue, yellow and brown, two edges with large palmettes and dart motifs extending into the margin, verso similar, losses to the margins and to the text, set into later paper margins

Text panel 5æ x 9Ωin. (14.5 x 23.4cm.); folio 10æ x 14in. (26.8 x 33.5cm.) at largest

£100,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 6 October 2011, lot 25

US$130,000-160,000

€120,000-140,000

Given that kufic manuscripts are often distinguished by their lack of ornamentation, this folio - the third in a now-dispersed manuscript - is remarkable for its elaborate ornamentation. The borders are interwoven rather like links in a chain, within a frame of stepped merlons with fanning pendants radiating outwards from the page. This distinctive pattern is seen on other kufic frontispieces: a smaller example in the Khalili collection, for instance, uses negative space in a similar way around the text panel to create the same illusion (François Déroche, The Abbasid Tradition, Oxford, 1992, no.68, p.124). A similar effect is also employed on a folio in the Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi, Istanbul (acc.no.ŞE 43/2), entirely using gold pigment. The design of the inner border, with a zigzag of narrow pointed leaves, can also be seen on a manuscript illustrated by Alain George, The Rise of Islamic Calligraphy, Edinburgh, 2010, p.88, no.58.

What distinguishes our folio from those two examples is the scale and density of the illumination. Far from being a simple frame, the breadth of the border is such that there is only room for eight lines of text in a manuscript which generally has sixteen per folio. An example of

(verso)

(recto)

comparable scale can also be found in Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi, Istanbul, where the illumination is applied around a spurious colophon stating that the manuscript was copied by the Rashidun Caliph 'Uthman (acc.no.457). The same combination of green, yellow, and brown also appears in the frontispiece of the famous Sanaa codex, which features a schematic depiction of a hypostyle building (illustrated George, 2010, p.80, fig.53). Though illuminated kufic manuscripts were produced, survivors are few and generally fragmentary, since their placement at the front of a manuscript meant that they were more exposed to wear and tear.

The script of this folio belongs to a group which Déroche refers to as F.1, distinguished especially by the u-shaped medial 'ayn which sits above the line, connected to it only by a thin dash, which can be seen in the second line of the recto of our folio. He describes this as a small group, typified by the presence of mashq (elongation of letters). He suggests that the group can be dated around the 2nd Islamic century based on comparable epigraphic material, and further indicates that the stylistic peculiarities of this script are only seen in examples found

in Damascus. Indeed, although the illumination on this folio has been compared to the mosaic interior of the Dome of the Rock, parallels should also be drawn with the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, in which the Qubbat al-Khazneh is decorated with mosaics including similar spiralling motifs.

76 folios from the manuscript were sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2019, lot 19, including an illuminated carpet page. That first folio had the beginning of Qur'an I, sura al-fatiha, to the verso, which continued into the recto of the following folio which was sold Sotheby's London, 8 October 2008, lot 1. Ours is therefore at least the third folio in the manuscript, allowing for the possible existence of earlier fully illuminated pages before those in the 2019 group. That ours is illuminated on both sides suggests that at least one further side of text would have been illuminated before the manuscript reverted to sixteen lines per page. Given the highly unusual script and extensive illumination, the dispersed manuscript from which this comes must be considered among the most visually striking and historically significant early Islamic manuscripts.

PROPERTY

A KASHAN LUSTRE POTTERY DISH

IRAN,

LATE 12TH CENTURY

The blue ground painted in a dark brown lustre, the centre depicting a figure playing the drum, the rim with repeating semi-circles, the exterior with six repeating roundels containing palmettes, repaired breaks 6æin. (17.1cm.) diam.

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

Excavated Kashan, 1933, by repute With Ayoub Rabenou, New York, by 1970

A similar lavender lustre dish, decorated with a seated figure, but of a larger size, is in the Ashmolean Museum (inv.no.EA1956.49).

A KASHAN COCKEREL HEAD POTTERY EWER

IRAN, 13TH CENTURY

The white ground painted under the glaze with cobalt-blue and black scrolls, a black band of reserved calligraphy around the middle, the tapering neck terminating with a sculpted cockerel head and a slightly flared mouth, straight loop handle, intact 10in. (25.7cm.) high

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

American collection, by 1971

INSCRIPTIONS:

Around the body Persian poetry, including the lines: ‘Oh, you, whose will it is to hurt me for years and months, Who are free from me and glad at my anguish, You vowed [not to] break your promise again, It is I who have caused this breach.’

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

(translation M. Bayani in Oya Pancaroğlu, Perpetual Glory, 2007, p. 103)

For full lot essay see christies.com

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTION

*4

A KASHAN LUSTRE POTTERY FIGURAL VESSEL

IRAN, SECOND HALF 12TH CENTURY

The cobalt-blue ground painted with dark brown lustre, the vase moulded in the form of a woman breastfeeding a child, repaired breaks 9in. (22.9cm.) high

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

Excavated Kashan, 1933, by repute

With Ayoub Rabenou, New York, by 1970

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

In the 12th and 13th centuries, Kashan in Iran and Raqqa in Syria were key centres of luxury pottery production, creating a variety of items with different decorating and glazing techniques. Among these, three-dimensional moulded figures, including depictions of women breastfeeding, emerged as a rare and significant iconographic theme. Dr. Melanie Gibson has studied these ceramic sculptures in depth, noting that they were either functional, with openings for liquid, or purely decorative.

The breastfeeding women were typically designed with openings in their heads, suggesting their function as storage containers or drinking vessels. One possibility is that they were meant to hold milk from a wet nurse, with the breastfeeding form symbolising protection and nourishment. Alternatively, they may have contained liquid from a holy site, associated with beliefs in healing, fertility, or safe childbirth, reflecting Christian influences. Another theory is that the figures were votive offerings in Shia devotional practices, though the exact contents of the vessels remain uncertain, "Breastfeeding Figures in Islamic Art," in Fruit of Knowledge, Wheel of Learning: Essays in Honour of Robert Hillenbrand, ed. Melanie Gibson, 2022, pp. 240-241. Comparable figures, very similar to ours, include one in the Berlin Museum für Islamische Kunst (acc.no.I.2622) and others in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc.nos. 65.194.2 and 68.223.4).

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

5

AN ABBASID BRONZE DISH

IRAN OR IRAQ, 9TH/10TH CENTURY

The dish with central rosette issuing abstract foliate motifs, the rim with incised diamond pattern, the exterior plain, break to the cavetto 15in. (38cm.) diam.

£120,000-180,000

PROVENANCE:

With London trade by 1998

US$160,000-230,000

€150,000-210,000

The shape of this dish relates to a small group - all with a rounded base with no foot, and an inverted rim with a triangular section. Though the form is quite homogenous, the decoration of the group is not. The most remarkable example is without doubt the brass dish in the al-Thani collection, inlaid with silver, copper and an unidentified black substance, which has been associated with Syria or Palestine and attributed to the 7th or 8th century. The rich figural decorative programme has been described as a celebration of the Nile, and includes many elements familiar from late Antique visual culture. It is currently being exhibited at the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale, Diriyah (acc.no.ATC635, published And all that is in between, 2025, p.248).

Though the al-Thani dish remains exceptional in terms of its decorative programme, similar to it in shape is a dish in the collection of the Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin (acc.no.I.5624). That dish does not seem to have been inlaid, and features a design of radiating arches

containing scrolling vines, around a central roundel containing a depiction of a domed building. Though attributed to the 7th or 8th century, the museum suggests that their dish was made in Iran. A further published example from the group is in the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg (V. P. Darkevich, hudozhestvennii metall vostoka, Moscow, 1976, pl.44). In 1978 that dish was the subject of an article by Boris Marshak who identified it as Iranian, having been made in the 9th or 10th centuries. It is decorated with a dense design of flowers issuing from a central vase. The rendering of the leaves is quite similar to those which appear on the Berlin dish. However, the Moscow dish is in bronze and has a chevron pattern to the rim encircling a band of paired scrolling motifs. These are surrounded by plain dotted lines around the entire circumference of the dish, all of which is very similar to that on the present lot.

If the decoration on the al-Thani dish is to be understood as typically Umayyad, then the decoration on our dish - and that in St Petersburg - is typically Abbasid. The paired curling motifs are similar to those which were excavated by Ernst Herzfeld in Samarra. According to his typology, our dish is most evocative of the 'C-style' of decoration. This was found carved in stucco, as on a large panel in the Museum für Islamische Kunst which came from a house near the palace (acc. no.I.3468.2). However, according to Herzfeld's sketches individual pairs of 'winged palmette leaves' were found on a collapsed arcade inside the main place itself (Matthew D. Saba, 'A Restricted Gaze: the ornament of the main caliphal palace in Samarra', Muqarnas, 32, 2015. fig.23, p.176). It is also known to have been carved into wood, as on some fragments in the British Museum, London (acc.no.1944,0513.2). Given the profusion of this motif across media, it is highly likely that it also found its way onto portable objects, including metalwork.

6

6

A ZIRID KUFIC QUR'AN FOLIO

PROBABLY KAIROUAN, TUNISIA, 9TH CENTURY

Qur'an XXXVII, sura al-saffat, vv.70 (part) - 73 Arabic manuscript on fine parchment, 5ll. strong black kufic, dots in red ink, hamza in green and yellow ink, gold rosette and pendant verse markers, impressive illuminated marginal medallion

9 x 12Ωin. (22.8 x 31.9cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute, Private London collection by 1975 until 2024

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

This folio almost certainly comes from a manuscript which was endowed to the Aghlabid Mosque of Kairouan by the Zirid Prince, alMu'izz ibn Badis. The gift can be dated quite precisely since the original deed survives, and refers to the prince's enmity with the Fatimids (Mourad Rammah "Page from a Qur’an" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2025). Though the Zirids began as client rulers of the Fatimid caliphs, relations became increasingly strained until the year 1045 when al-Mu'izz officially broke with Cairo and recognised the sovereignty of the Abbasids in Baghdad. The retaliatory invasion of the Banu Hilal ushered in the dynasty's decline, which was hastened by the death of al-Mu'izz in 1062.

The manuscript is written in a powerful D.II script according Déroche's classification, a script which is distinguished for the ha' written with a single 'eye' rather than two. He identifies the script on a limited number of manuscripts found in Cairo and Kairouan, and associates it stylistically to the 9th century 'or slightly later' (Francois Déroche, The Abbasid Tradition, Oxford, 1993, p.37). Interestingly, Déroche also records a juz' in the Khalili collection, also richly illuminated and also written in D.II, which bears a note saying that it was once property of a certain Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad al-Mansuri al-Husayni (Déroche, cat. no.24, p.73). A connection with the Zirid ruler, who had been born in al-Mansuriyya, can thus also be posited for this manuscript, suggesting a particular association of this script with the manuscript tradition of Kairouan.

Much of this manuscript is in the Raqqada Art Museum, Kairouan, to where it was transferred in 1983. Other folios from the manuscript have been sold in these Rooms, 13 October 1988, lot 10 and 6 October 2011, lot 23.

7

AN ABBASID 'MILLEFIORI' GLASS COSMETIC BOWL NEAR EAST OR IRAN, 9TH/10TH CENTURY

Of elongated form, the body composed of roundels of black and white glass with small touches of red, the gently sloping body on a short slightly everted foot, slight iridescence to interior 2√in. (7.2cm.) long

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

Private collection assembled in the 1960s Anon. sale, Christie's London, 11 October 2005, lot 29

A PAIR OF KHORASSAN SILVER AND COPPER INLAID SQUARE BRASS TRAYS

NORTH EAST IRAN, 12TH/EARLY 13TH CENTURY

The trays each with a central recessed eight-petalled rosette framed by an eight-sided star, narrow border and raised rim, an arabesque roundel inlaid with silver and copper at the centre of the rosette, further silver and copper inlaid geometric and palmette medallions throughout, the border with inscriptions on scrolling arabesque ground, stylised palm leaves in the corners, the reverse and interior plain 9 x 9in. (22 x 22cm.) (2)

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

With Middle Eastern Trade, 1994 London by 2003

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$52,000-77,000

€48,000-72,000

With extra letters and in some cases ta-marbuta written as alif: al-‘izz wa’liqbal wa’l-dawla wa’l-salama wa’l-sa al-sa‘ada wa a al-‘inaya wa’l-qana‘a wa a al-dawama wa’l-tamma a wa’l-tamma wa’l-qudra wa’l-qadira wa’l [a]’l-shukr wa’l-shakira, ‘Glory and prosperity and wealth and well-being and … happiness and solicitude and contentment and … endurance and completeness … and completeness and power and powerfulness and … gratitude and gratefulness’ al-‘izz wa’l-iqbal a a wa’l-dawla wa’l-salama wa’l-sa [a]l-sa‘ada wa’l-‘inaya wa’l-qana‘a wa’l-dawama wa’l-tamma wa’l-tamma wa a al-qudra wa’lqadira, ‘Glory and prosperity … and wealth and well-being and … happiness and solicitude and contentment and endurance and completeness and completeness and power and powerfulness …’

Michael Spink's recent contribution on early Iranian metalwork in the Khalili Collection draws together the corpus of trays of this type, revealing several distinct subgroups (Michael Spink, Bronzes, Brasses, and Silver of the Islamic Lands, Oxford, 2022). Broadly, they can be divided into rectangular examples with octagonal depressions and those which, like our present lot, are square with a stellar-shaped depression in the middle. Archaeological as well as stylistyic evidence indicates that these were made in the eastern Islamic world: in the collection of the Musée de Louvre, Paris, is one example believed to have been excavated in Ghazna (acc.no.AA 61) and two more excavated in Herat (acc.nos.MAO 498 and OA 6479).

In terms of decoration, these trays combine elements from several examples. The 'infinite knot' motif which appears in the four corners of the base in the interior also appear on the sloped interior sides of a tray in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (EA1974.9). However, though the Oxford example has a tightly-interwoven central roundel, the roundels which appear on our trays are closer to one in the Keir Collection (Géza Fehérvári, Islamic Metalwork, London, 1976, no.77, p.72). However, the style of calligraphy around the rim is most similar to one of the examples in the Khalili Collection, which like our trays has broad ascending letters and v-shaped foliate motifs to the corners (Michael Spink et al., Brasses, Bronze, and Silvers of the Islamic Lands, Oxford, 2022, p.298, no.213). The same motif, though somewhat rubbed, appears on the rectangular tray excavated in Herat mentioned above (acc.no.MAO 498).

The example in the Khalili collection is one of a small number of similar trays which have an inscription associating them with a particular personality, in that case a certain Shir Malik ibn Zayd, identified with the epithets dad beg (one in charge of justice), Abu'lKhazin (father of the treasurer) and Husam al-Dawlah (the sword of the kingdom). Though the individual has not been identified, these titles suggest that he was in the service of one of the Turkic dynasties which arose in Central and South Asia in the 12th and 13th centuries, such as the Ghaznavids or the Ghurids.

Though these trays often survive singly, it is unusual to have a pair. A possible parallel may be found in the two square trays, both heavily corroded, which were purchased together by the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, in 1951 (acc.nos.181-1951 and 188-1953). Though the exact function of these trays is unknown, with Michael Spink speculating that they 'were of ceremonial significance', the appearance of a pair such as this adds a further piece of information to this otherwise poorly understood group.

A KASHAN MOULDED LUSTRE AND COBALT-BLUE POTTERY TILE SPANDREL FRAGMENT

IRAN, EARLY 14TH CENTURY

Moulded with cobalt-blue scrolling vine, the ground with flowers and birds against a dark lustre ground, a white band between cobalt-blue borders along the upper edge containing an inscription in brown naskh, the lower side of the tile decorated with vegetal motifs in lustre against a white ground

8º x 10ºin. (21 x 26cm.)

£25,000-35,000

PROVENANCE:

Galerie Heidi Vollmoeller, 1. Auktion 1975 Antike Kunst, Zurich, 1975, no. 259

INSCRIPTIONS:

The upper band: Qur'an XXXVI, sura ya-sin, vv.36-38 (part)

US$33,000-45,000

€30,000-42,000

This fragment was once part of a larger, impressive tile spandrel. The remainder of the spandrel, along with its opposing side, is in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (acc.no. 466-1888). The V&A online catalogue suggests that the spandrel may have originated from the Jameh Mosque of Natanz, which was built between 1304 and 1309 during the reign of the Ilkhanid ruler Uljaytu (1304-16).

Following their conversion to Islam, the Ilkhanids built numerous mosques and Sufi shrines in cities across Iran, including Ardabil, Isfahan, Natanz, Tabriz, Varamin, and Yazd (ca. 1300–1350). The walls at the Jameh mosque were once revetted with lustre-glazed tiles, creating a dazzling effect. Many of these tiles are now dispersed around the world in museum collections, with only a few remaining in situ (Sheila Blair, The Religious Art of the Ilkhanids, in The Legacy of Chinggis Khan: Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, 1256–1353, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2003, p. 128). However, extensive research has been carried out to link known panels, fragments, and tiles scattered in museums globally to various locations within the mosque. This includes work by Anaïs Leone, who has made significant contributions to linking known fragments and providing new insights into the distribution and context of the mosque’s ceramic decoration in her research paper, "New Data on the Lustre Tiles of ʿAbd al-Samad’s Shrine in Natanz, Iran" Muqarnas, vol. 38, 2021, pp. 331-356.

Our fragment exemplifies the Ilkhanid dynasty's lasting impact on Persian ceramic and architectural traditions, highlighting the exceptional craftsmanship and cultural significance of this period.

Kashan Tile Spandrel, Iran, Early 14th Century (acc.no.466-1888) © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

AN IMPRESSIVE KUFIC QUR’AN SECTION

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION *10

A KUFIC QUR'AN SECTION

NEAR EAST OR NORTH AFRICA, 9TH/10TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on vellum, comprising parts of diverse suras and some consecutive pages, 37ff. each with 16ll. of neat black kufic with red vocalisation, gold roundels to mark every tenth verse, five sura headings in gold kufic, with Persian export stamps dated dated AH 1347/1928-9 AD, unbound

Folio 7¬ x 10in. (19.4 x 25.5cm.)

£100,000-120,000 US$130,000-160,000

€120,000-140,000

PROVENANCE:

Cornelius J. Hauck (d.1967), donated Cincinnati Museum Centre

The History of the Art of the Book: The Cornelius J. Hauck Collection, Christie's New York, 27-28 June 2006, lot 58

These kufic Qur'an folios come from a group of similar manuscripts written in the D.IV script, distinguished by a compact script which is often written at 16 lines to the page. The full mushaf would have been of manageable size, suggesting that these may have been intended as personal copies. Déroche records two manuscripts written in this script with waqf dates AH 270/883-4 AD and AH 329/940-1 AD respectively, providing a terminus ante quem for the manuscripts to which they were attached. Since specimens of this script have been found in all four of the great caches of kufic manuscripts - Damascus, Cairo, Sana'a, and Kairouan - there is no reason to attribute it to any one of these centres, though the export stamps on these folios suggest that by the 19th century the group was in Iran.

Qur'an sections sold in these Rooms using this script which also share codicological features with this manuscript, such as the number of lines per page and the size of the folios, include one which was part of the Abemayor Collection, 27 October 2022, lot 1 and another from the collection of Mohamed Said Farsi, 25 June 2020, lot 1

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTION

A KASHAN TURQUOISE-GLAZED MOULDED POTTERY COCKEREL

IRAN, SECOND HALF 12TH CENTURY

The body moulded and decorated in turquoise glaze, rising from a deep foot, a hole in the lower part of the tail, repaired breaks and areas of restoration 15in. (38.1cm.) high

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

US$52,000-77,000

€48,000-72,000

Excavated Gurgan, 1949, by repute With Ayoub Rabenou, New York, by 1970

This rare turquoise-glazed cockerel sculpture is a remarkable surviving example of the production of Kashan. Produced in one of the most important centres of Islamic pottery during the Seljuq period, this piece belongs to a distinctive series of turquoise-glazed birds, characterized by their opaque glaze and moulded bodies (see Melanie Gibson, Takuk and Timthal: A Study of Glazed Ceramic Sculpture from Iran and Syria circa 1150–1250, SOAS, University of London, 2010, Vol. 2). While the exact function of such sculptures remains uncertain, it is suggested that they may have had an architectural role. The rich turquoiseblue glaze is one of the hallmarks of Persian ceramics, particularly from Kashan. This cockerel exemplifies the intricate techniques of the period, with the glaze applied over a moulded body that displays both subtle relief and tonal contrast.

The cockerel holds significant symbolic meaning in both pre-Islamic and Islamic art, often representing vitality, renewal, and divine favour. In pre-Islamic Iran, it was associated with the protection of light and the warding off of evil, while in Islamic art, it symbolised the triumph of light over darkness, regeneration, and spiritual strength. According to Chitsazian and Davoudi (2020), the rooster's symbolism reflects its role as a protector and a symbol of renewal and hope, deeply ingrained in the cultural and artistic traditions of Iran (Chitsazian & Davoudi, 2020, The Symbolic Position of the Rooster in Iranian Culture and Art Based on Pottery, Metal, and Textiles, Journal of Art Faculty, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, vol. 9, issue 19, 2020, pp. 13–20).

Comparable examples, all of the same attribution, include a cockerel sold in these Rooms, 18 October 1994, lot 283, and another sold in April 1982, lot 180, as well as pieces from the Mahboubian Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 54.152.2), and the Lewisohn Collection (all published in Gibson, Takuk and Timthal, Vol. 2, nos. 378, 379, and 381).

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

*12

A LARGE SOGDIAN SILK SAMITE FRAGMENT

CENTRAL ASIA, 7TH OR 8TH CENTURY

Woven in red, black, blue and cream silk with one large roundel containing confronted pheasants on a stylised vegetal ground, surrounded by four smaller roundels containing confronted birds, a fragmentary large roundel on the right side, mounted

29√ x 41in. (76 x 104cm.)

£40,000-50,000

PROVENANCE:

Australian collection by 1998, by repute With Christian Deydier, Paris, 2011

French private collection since 2019

EXHIBITED:

US$52,000-65,000

€48,000-60,000

Musée d’Art et d’Archéologie, Cluny, Sur la route de la soie: Étoffes, luxe & pouvoir, 20 June - 2 October 2022

LITERATURE:

Gilles Béguin, Soies d'Asie Centrale, Enigmes et Splendeurs, Paris, 2020

Confronted animals often appear in the decorative medallions on Sogdian samite textiles such as this, many of which were intended to be part of robes. The curling tail feathers on this example are similar to those which appear on a silk fragment sold Sotheby's Paris, 14 June 2024, lot 200. Like ours, on that fragment the two birds were positioned on top of a scrolling tree within an intricate border.

13

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE ENGLISH COLLECTION 13

A

MONGOL

'CLOTH OF GOLD' SILK AND METAL-THREAD LAMPAS PANEL

ILKHANID IRAN, LATE 13TH OR 14TH CENTURY

The salmon-pink ground woven with gilt-thread in a repeated hexagonal lattice pattern, each enclosing a rosette against swirling arabesques, one selvage lacking, mounted, behind clear acrylic 11√ x 21¬in. (30 x 55cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

With Lisbet Holmes Textiles, London, 1988

early 14th century copy of the Jami' al-Tawarikh in the Edinburgh University library (acc.no.MS20) includes many illustrations depicting enthroned rulers, with hexagonal textiles lining their thrones, as in the illustration of Tughril III on folio 3b.

Relatively large examples of ‘Cloth of Gold’ in good condition such as this rarely come to the market. Two Mongol robes made from ‘Cloth of Gold’ were sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2011, lots 105 and 106.

14 The geometric lattice of this lot relates particularly closely to a textile in the David Collection (inv. no. 14/1992) - the two may have originally been part of the same original. While complex geometric patterns were commonly used in architecture, metalwork and ceramics in the Islamic world, they are rarely found on textiles outside Muslim Spain or Egypt and Syria (Kjeld von Folsach and Anne-Marie Keblow Bernsted, Woven Treasures – Textiles from the World of Islam, Copenhagen, 1993, p.51, no.16). However, there is evidence of such textiles in an Iranian context preserved in the illustrated manuscripts from the Ilkhanid period. An

The illuminated sura headings, in which white thuluth appears in a rectangular panel flanked by two square panels filled with a roundel of geometric or floral design, are closely comparable to those on a manuscript which was displayed in the Ink and Gold exhibition, Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin, 14 July-31 August 2006 (published Will Kwiatkowski and Marcus Fraser, Ink and Gold, Berlin, 2006, no.23, p.86). The script employed in this manuscript belongs to a later period: it is similar to that which appeared on a manuscript sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2009, lot 10. That manuscript retained

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

θ14

A QUR'AN SECTION

ILKHANID IRAN, LATE 13TH/EARLY 14TH CENTURY

Comprising approximately the first half of the Qur'an, Arabic manuscript on paper, 356ff., each with 7ll. distinctive black muhaqqaq, tashkeel in red ink, gold and red rosette verse markers, Persian interlinear translation, the margins plain with illuminated medallions to mark divisions, sura titles in white thuluth against a gold illuminated panel with marginal pendant, some missing folios and damage to pages, in blind tooled brown leather binding with flap Folio 15¡ x 11æin. (39.1 x 29.7cm.)

£70,000-100,000

PROVENANCE: Djafar Ghazi (d. 2007)

US$91,000-130,000

€84,000-120,000

its colophon with the signature of Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Mahmud al-Tabari al-Amuli, with a date in the middle of Jumada I AH 687/June 1288 AD. That manuscript was also of comparable size to the present lot.

16 further folios from the same manuscript as the present lot were sold in these Rooms, 31 March 2009, lot 6. A section from a similar manuscript, comprising only 26 folios, was also sold in these Rooms, 10 October 2013, lot 60.

θ15

QUR'AN JUZ' I

PROBABLY IRAN, 13TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 16ff. plus one flyleaf, each folio with 7ll. black naskh, gold rosette verse markers, the margins plain with illuminated roundels to mark divisions, the opening folio with 3ll. within blue and gold illuminated margins, heading in white thuluth reserved against blue cartouche, the closing folio similarly illuminated with gold kufic above and below mentioning a certain 'Abd al-Aziz, in later marbled paper-covered binding, the doublures paper, in fabric pouch, incomplete 6¡ x 5ºin. (16.2 x 13.4cm.)

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

Private London collection since 1990s

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

The mise en page of our manuscript, which uses a combination of gold thuluth with black naskh is comparable to a folio in the Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, signed by Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-'Amid al-Imam Awhad al-Din al-Khattat and dated to AH 630/1232-3 AH. That folio has been attributed to Eastern Iran (acc. no.C-189, published Sheila S Blair, Islamic Calligraphy, Edinburgh, 2006, fig.6.14, p.219). The script in this manuscript is also comparable to that in two Qur'an volumes in the Keir Collection signed by a certain 'Ali ibn Ja'far ibn Asad al-Katib, which was endowed to a foundation in Damascus by the Zengid ruler Abu'l-Qasim Mahmud in the year AH 562/1167 AD (Basil Robinson et al., Islamic Painting and the Arts of the Book, London, 1976, no.VII.3 and 4, pp.287-8). The illumination in this manuscript can also be compared to the frontispiece of a Qur'an in the Khalili Collection, which has a similar knotted border and has been attributed to Iran (David James, The Master Scribes, Oxford, 1993, no.9, p.52). Although naskh scripts were used across the Abbasid caliphate, from Damascus to Ghazni, this manuscript is most likely to originate from the eastern Islamic world.

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN COLLECTION

θ16

QUR'AN

SELJUK IRAN OR ANATOLIA, CIRCA 1200

Arabic manuscript on paper, 318ff. plus two flyleaves, each folio with 13ll. angular black naskh, red and yellow rosette verse markers, Persian interlinear translation, sura headings in yellow thuluth, the margins plain with gold and polychrome illuminated medallions, catchwords, sura Maryam opening with 8ll. black naskh with illuminated headpieces above and below, the bismallah occasionally written in kufic-style script, the first 5ff. replaced including opening illumination, in later morocco binding, paper doublures, restoration to pages throughout Folio 13¡ x 9¡in. (34.1 x 23.9cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

Private American Collection, 1990s or early 2000s, thence by descent

The shift from kufic to 'round' scripts, though often imagined as a phenomenon which took place overnight thanks to the intervention of ibn al-Bawwab, was in reality a drawn-out process. It coincided with, and was partly driven by, wider political and social developments taking place across the Islamic world between the 11th and 13th centuries. The script used in this manuscript may be considered transitional in style. It displays some of the features of naskh, such as an overall looser approach in which letters lack the rigid conformity seen in kufic manuscripts. At the same time, the overall angularity of the script does have much in common with late manuscripts written in 'New Style' kufic, such as the evenly thick strokes used throughout and the occasional angularity of the script. A similar script can be seen in a

manuscript in the Tokat Museum, Turkey, which has a colophon stating that it was written in the year 1190 AD.

Halfway through our manuscript is an illuminated double page. Similar illumination, though less rich, can be seen in the Tokat manuscript mentioned above. Another comparable manuscript was displayed in the exhibition Ink and Gold at the Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin, 14 July-31 August 2006. As well as a comparable script to ours, the upper and lower panels were decorated with a band featuring the repeated word 'Allah' (Will Kwiatkowski and Marcus Fraser, Ink and Gold, Berlin, 2006, no.22, p.85). The same distinctive feature appears in the marginal medallions to the illumination in the middle of our manuscript.

A distinctive feature of this manuscript is how the scribe confidently combines different scripts throughout. As well as the angular naskh used in the body of the text, a looser style of naskh is used for interlinear translation, and the sura headings are in an unusual thuluth script in yellow or gold ink. Even more striking is the archaic kufic style flourishes which appear on occasion for phrases such as the bismallah. The inclusion of different scripts is something which Sheila Blair identifies as typical of manuscripts from this period. A similar kufic flourish begins the suras of a manuscript in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin (CBL1438) which was copied by 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr ibn 'Abd al-Rahim, who identifies himself as al-katib al-maliki, the royal scribe, and zarin qalam, the golden pen (Sheila S Blair, Islamic Calligraphy, Edinburgh, 2006, fig.6.13, p.217). The combination of Arabic and Persian epithets gives testimony to the multilingual age of the Great Seljuks.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A GILDED MINA'I POTTERY BOTTLE

IRAN, CIRCA 1200

The white ground painted under the glaze with turquoise and cobalt-blue, red and gilt details added over the glaze, the rounded body with an interlaced design of cobalt and gold split palmettes with raised openwork bosses around the shoulder, the narrow neck similarly decorated, rising to a flared mouth with similar openwork bosses, the interior and base plain, repaired breaks and restoration

8ºin. (21.1cm.) high

£15,000-20,000 US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

PROVENANCE:

Private London collection, 1981 until 2024

Mina'i ware is a luxurious type of Persian pottery developed in Kashan in the years leading up to the Mongol invasion in 1219, after which production collapsed. Known for its detailed overglaze enamels, it represents one of the most refined ceramics of the medieval Islamic world. The white fritware or stonepaste body is decorated with vivid colours, often including figures, and the technique involves four firings. This process, also known as haft-rang or "seven colours," was revolutionary. The technical advancements that allowed painting under and over the matt glaze contributed greatly to the success of mina'i ceramics, transforming each piece into a precious decorative object.

Potters also combined this technique with low-relief decoration, often enhanced with gilding, to create an even more opulent effect, as seen on this bottle. It features an unusual and rarely seen addition of circular gilded bosses with holes, imitating the complex design of double-skinned pierced Kashan ewers, adding to its luxurious appeal. A comparable mina’i bottle with gilded decoration is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc.no.57.61.6).

A MINA'I POTTERY BOWL

IRAN, CIRCA 1200

The white ground painted over the glaze with blue, turquoise, red and black pigment, the central roundel depicting two figures flanking a tree, a zig-zag band around, the cavetto with a band of blue and turquoise camels below a border of mock-kufic decoration, the exterior with a band of black pseudocalligraphy between two thin red-brown lines, the base plain, repaired breaks 8¬in. (21.9cm.) diam.

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

Private Collection, Japan, 1960s

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

With Japanese Trade, 1981, from which acquired by the current owner, 2008

Though the iconography on this bowl is made up of several different elements, they are all part of a well-established corpus of motifs which appear on mina'i ware. Sherds in the Metropolitan Museum of Art include a base depicting a camel, saddled yet riderless, within a similar hatched circular border (acc.no.20.120.119). Another sherd depicts a pair of figures sat by a tree with similar dotted leaves, of which the person on the right wears a striped tunic (acc.no.20.120.134 and 20.120.122). The same mock-kufic inscription, somewhat resembling the Arabic word al-dawla, often translated as 'wealth' is also found.

Complete bowls with the same decorative repertoire of figures seated by trees, hatched borders, and a mock-kufic rim have been sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2011, lot 86 and at Christie's Paris, 6 May 2015, lot 108.

A JUZ’ FROM THE ‘TA’IZZ QUR’AN’

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION

θ19

QUR'AN JUZ' XXI

SIGNED AMIR HAJ IBN AHMAD AL-SAYINI, PROBABLY TABRIZ, ILKHANID IRAN, DATED SHAWWAL

AH 734/JUNE-JULY 1334 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 30ff. plus 2 fly-leaves, each with 5ll. gold rayhani with vocalisation and tajwid in cobalt-blue, gold rosette verse markers, in gold and blue rules, the margins plain with blue and gold illuminated marginal medallions, the opening bifolio with 3ll. gold thuluth reserved against a pink ground with floral motifs and the juz' number set above and below in white thuluth reserved against cobalt-blue panels with spiralling gold arabesques, the colophon signed and dated, the folios bound but lacking covers Text panel 8¡ x 5¬in. (21.3 x 14.3cm.); folio 14 x 10¡in. (35.7 x 26.4cm.)

£80,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Sotheby’s London, 27 April 1982, lot 207

LITERATURE:

David James, Qur'ans of the Mamluks, London, 1988, no.55, pp.161-2 and 242 Masterpieces of Islamic Art from Ahuan Islamic Art, London, 1984, p.15 Oliver Hoare, The Unity of Islamic Art, Riyadh, 1985, no.19

US$110,000-150,000

€96,000-140,000

The manuscript belongs to a small group produced in 14th century Iran, which all share a similar mise en page: five lines of rayhani chrysography, with cobalt vocaliation and tashkeel, within blue and gold rules. Other examples include an impressive volume in the National Library, Cairo, which was likely made for the Ilkhanid ruler Uljaytu (r.1304-16), and was written and illuminated by a certain 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Hamdani in 1313 AD (acc.no.72; published Martin Lings, The Qur'anic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination, London, 1976, p.119, pls.52-4). Another manuscript copied for Uljaytu in 1310 also has these features, and is today in the British Library (acc.no.Or.4945, Lings, op.cit., p.119, nos.52-3). Finally, the same format can be seen in a Qur'an manuscript likely written for the Inju queen Tashi-Khatun, endowed to the Shah-i Chiragh Mosque in Shiraz, and today in the Pars Museum (acc.no.456, published David James, Qur'ans of the Mamluks, London, 1988, no.69, p.247). This particular format of Qur'anic manuscript thus seems to have been strongly associated with prestigious commissions executed for royal patrons.

The colophon of this manuscript identifies the scribe with the laqab alSayini, which David James connects to the service of the Ilkhanid vizier Rukn al-Din Sayin, who enjoyed a brief career as vizier between 1324 and 1327. The association with the Mongol court leads James to identify the manuscript with the Ilkhanid capital in Tabriz (David James, The Master Scribes, Oxford, 1993, no.27, p.114). Five juz' from the series are currently in the Chester Beatty library, Dublin (acc.no.1469, published James, 1988, no.55, p.242), and another is in the Khalili Collection James, 1993, no.27). A folio from one volume was sold, Bonhams London, 24 April 2012, lot 5.

Several volumes from this series, which would have originally had 30 parts, have a waqf inscription indicating that they were endowed to the Farhaniyya madrasa in Ta'izz by a figure identified as 'the noble lady of the eunuch Jamal al-Din Farhan', at some point in the second half of the 14th century (James, 1988, p.162). Interestingly, the manuscript copied by al-Hamdani mentioned above also moved westward soon after it was written, having been endowed to a shrine in Egypt in 1326 AD.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

20

AN IMPRESSIVE GROUP OF SELJUK GOLD JEWELLERY

NEAR EAST AND IRAN, 11TH-13TH CENTURY

Comprising a pair of large filigree earrings of hollow box construction, the rounded form enclosing a figure of a feline, a similar pair with confronted birds, two long interlocking chains each with seven elements decorated with three raised domes, two shorter chains of smaller elements similarly decorated; a pair of large bangles with plain bands fitted with decorated clasp; three rectangular fittings of similar construction each with four arch-shaped recesses below a pair of stepped merlons; five elongated belt fittings or necklace elements and five similar but heart shaped, together with a hinged element of similar size; two openwork plaques; a pair of finger rings set with turquoise stones with kufic calligraphy; another ring nielloed and set with a pearl; a pair of octahedral filigree beads; a pair of earrings with three tetradecahedronal shapes mounted with suspended pendants below; and a pair of earrings with spherical units bonded together

Large feline earrings 2¡in. (6cm.) diam.; longest chain 11in. (28.1cm.) long (35)

£150,000-200,000

PROVENANCE:

With London Trade by circa 2001

US$200,000-260,000

€180,000-240,000

Unlike that example in the Khalili collection, most of the filigree pieces in this group have granulation applied. Although Fatimid jewellery typically has rows of grains added in the groove between two twisted wires, on all of the pieces in this group granulation is applied slightly differently. On the large animal earrings, the flat belt or necklace fittings, and the four chains, granulation is added to the borders with the grains dropped into the two wells created by an S-shaped piece of wire. They are thus more spaced out than they appear on Fatimid pieces. The exceptions to these are the octahedral beads and the openwork plaques, which lack granulation altogether, and the rectangular plaques upon which grains have been added to the tieplates. This style of granulation once again finds parallels in the Khalili Collection, including two lunate earrings of Iranian origin (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., nos.97 and 98, pp.190-1). Both earrings also include granulated loops to the exterior, similar to those which appear on the large disc earrings in this group.

Though this group includes pieces with different functions, in terms of technique they are fairly homogenous. The two large pairs of earrings, the chains, and the necklace or belt fittings are of box construction with extensive use of filigree. On the decorated surfaces, the plaques are made from single flat wires manipulated into scrolling shapes within supporting frames made from twisted ropes. These elements would have been arranged on a flat surface and are held together by applied supports. On all the filigree pieces in the group, those supports take the form of circular tie-plates applied to junctions between elements, which are likely spherical granules which have been hammered flat. These circular tie-plates are most associated with jewellery of Iranian manufacture, and the combination of wires, ropes, and circular tieplates is similar to the structure of a pendant in the Khalili Collection, attributed by Jack Ogden and Michael Spink to 12th or 13th century Iran (Jack Ogden and Michael Spink, The Art of Adornment, Part One, Oxford, 2013, p.184, no.89, discussed further p.73). The radiating design in the filigree work on the obverse of that earring, in which a wire is repeatedly bent back on itself to form leaf-like motifs within a framing circle, resembles parts of the filigree work on our earrings, particularly the curved panels which enclose the feline figures on three sides on both the front and back of the large disc earrings. They also include small domical elements rather like those at each end of the octahedral beads in the present lot.

The animals in the disc earrings - the larger with lion figures, the smaller with paired birds - are constructed from 'true' filigree, using only gold wires and lacking any solid core. The structural principles are little different from the domes which appear on the pairs of chains also in this group, with the filigree bent probably around a forming mould. The body of the lion also resembles a hollow amulet case in the Khalili Collection (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., no.187, p.231). Similar paired birds appear on two earrings (acc.no.2006.273a and b) and a pendant (acc. no.2007.340) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. An earring with a single bird, also in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is known to have been excavated in Rayy (acc.no.22.201). The examples in the Metropolitan Museum of Art have loops around the circumference as with our earrings, though rather than being granulated as on ours they are plain and topped by granulated domes. Those domes, however, resemble the elements used to construct the heads of the felines in the larger earrings. The most unusual element shared by both pairs of earrings are the elaborate tails. They were constructed from shaped wires which had granulation added along the edge, arranged into pyramids, which have then been hammered flat. Though unusual and visually striking, once again the technique is rooted in other elements of the earrings. The filigree pattern in the border of the large earrings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art includes a sequence of wire-filled roundels, very similar to those in our lion earrings. Also similar are a pair of lunate earrings with inset birds in the Khalili Collection, there attributed to Egypt or Syria (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., p.143, no.49). Though the birds themselves are similar, other elements of the earrings - such as the arrangement of granulation along pairs of twisted ropes and the internal tie plates - are more typically Fatimid than the structure of our examples.

For full lot essay see christies.com

AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF FATIMID JEWELLERY FROM THE KOFLER-TRUNIGER COLLECTION

PROPERTY FROM A SWISS FAMILY COLLECTION

*21

AN IMPRESSIVE FATIMID GOLD FILIGREE EARRING

PROBABLY CAIRO, EGYPT, 11TH CENTURY

The hollow body of crescent shape, with fine filigree work forming scrolling arabesques within a border of small 's' shaped elements, in a border of powder-granulated domes with five suspension loops around the edge, the sides and reverse worked with similar filigree, the interior hollow with supporting bar across the middle, with loops at the two points of the crescent moon, one with a pin 1æ x 1¬in. (4.4 x 4.2cm.)

£30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE:

US$39,000-52,000

€36,000-48,000

Ernst Kofler-Truniger (1903-1990) and Marthe Kofler-Truniger (1918-1999), Luzern (Inv. no. K 726G).

Private Collection, Luzern, acquired from the above circa 1974; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

EXHIBITED:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler-Truniger, Luzern, Kunsthaus Zurich, 7 June-2

August 1964, no.1096

LITERATURE:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler Truniger, Luzern, Zürich 1964, p.131, no. 1096

Unlike other jewellery traditions which rely on the interplay between precious metal and inlaid stones, much of the Fatimid jewellery which survives today is constructed entirely of gold. The decoration instead is based on the realisation of complex scrolling motifs in filigree, executed using a distinctive technique. Goldsmiths would begin with a single gold wire, which they would twist into a rope and fold back on itself. The resulting paired cord could be manipulated into curving arabesques, and the effect completed with the addition of gold granulation in the valley between the two wires (for a fuller discussion of Fatimid jewellery making techniques, see Jack Ogden and Michael Spink, The Art of Adornment, Oxford, 2013, pp.124-9).

Much of our knowledge of the dating of Fatimid jewellery comes from the archaeological evidence, in particular a number of gold caches excavated in Tunisia and Israel. Filigree earrings have come to light in small containers, stored alongside Fatimid coins. These coins allow scholars to be confident in the attribution of jewellery of this type to Fatimid workshops, and in some cases allow a hoard to be more precisely dated. For instance, in the mid-20th century an assemblage was discovered in Tunisia which contained some 82 coins dated to the first half of the 11th century, of which the latest had been struck in AH 436/1044-5 AD (M. Jenkins and M. Keene, Islamic Jewelry in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1982, p.80). A few decades later came the discovery of two further hoards found in Tiberias, which are both in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Coins in those hoards gave each a terminus postquem of AH 455/1063-4 AD (acc.no.1990-12691275) and AH 426/1034-5 AD (acc.no.1974-2138 et al.). Assuming that the hoards were hidden soon after the striking of the last-dated coin,

it is likely that the jewellery in the hoard dates from roughly the same period, giving confidence in the attribution of earrings like these to the 11th century.

Some scholars believe that the rapid appearance of a homogenous Fatimid jewellery style means that it was an imported tradition. Marilyn Jenkins suggests that the finest examples of Fatimid goldwork, such as a pair of earrings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.1979.278.2a,b) were made ‘East of Egypt’, possibly in Syria where the influence of skilled Iraqi jewellers may have been more keenly felt (Keene and Jenkins, op.cit., no.51a, p.85). Ogden and Spink suggest instead an origin to the west, based on stylistic similarities with European – and particularly Spanish – jewellery traditions (op. cit., p.133). Such arguments, though they correctly indicate how deeply enmeshed the Fatimid caliphate was with its neighbours both east and west, de-emphasise the indigenous Egyptian jewellery tradition, with its roots in the Pharaonic period, which continued to develop under the Byzantines.

The particular form of this earring is typical of the period, with a crescent shape and box construction. The elements would have been assembled separately and then meticulously pieced together and soldered. The plain sheet border and threading loops around the edges of the present example resemble those on a well-preserved pair of earrings in the Khalili collection (acc.no.JLY1725, Ogden and Spink, op.cit., no.48, p.143). Like this example, that pair also features around the decorative panel on one side domes densely covered in granulation. A supporting bar through the middle of the box added strength to the finely-made structure of the earring. Based on textual references in the Book of Gifts and Rarities, Ogden and Spink suggest that box jewellery may have been filled with fragrant substances like musk or camphor. The quatrefoil opening in the top of this earring may substantiate that, since balm-soaked material could have been inserted or removed through it (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., p.133).

This earring is exceptional in at least two respects. At more than 4cm. across it is larger than other published examples which tend to be approximately 3cm. in width. This added size gives extra space for filigree decoration, which is finer and more extensive than on most other examples. There is a pair in the LA Mayer Memorial Institute for Islamic Art, Jerusalem which is similar, but at 3.5cm. wide they are not as impressive (Rachel Hasson, Early Islamic Jewellery, Jerusalem, 1987, nos.100 and 102, p.79). This level of intricacy is more commonly encountered on other kinds of Fatimid jewellery. Particularly similar are a pair of pins in the Khalili collection. To the reverse of the pins is an inset circular medallion, similar to that which frames the quatrefoil opening on the upper surface of this earring (acc.no.JLY988; Ogden and Spink, op.cit., no.46, p.140). Also similar in terms of fineness of decoration is a finger ring in the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto (acc. no.AKM595). Finally, the surface can be compared to the biconical beads associated with the Fatimid period. One such example was in a hoard contained in a small ceramic jar excavated in Caesarea, which probably dates from the Crusader period and is now in the Israel Museum (acc.no.1960-834-859). For further examples of Fatimid jewellery in this sale, see lots 22 to 27.

(actual size)

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler Truniger, Luzern, Zurich, 1964, p.131

A FATIMID ENAMELLED GOLD PENDANT

PROBABLY CAIRO, EGYPT, 11TH CENTURY

Of crescent shape, the enamel plaque with a red, yellow, and blue quatrefoil rosette on a green field with a scrolling vine, set into a gold mount, in a border of S-shaped wires, the interstices nielloed, small granules along the edges, the points of the crescent supporting an empty gemstone mount, with six suspension loops around the outside, the reverse plain

1º x 1¿in. (3.1 x 2.8cm.)

£20,000-30,000

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

PROVENANCE: Ernst Kofler-Truniger (1903-1990) and Marthe Kofler-Truniger (1918-1999), Luzern (Inv. no. K 726H) Private Collection, Luzern, acquired from the above circa 1974; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

EXHIBITED:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler-Truniger, Luzern, Kunsthaus Zurich, 7 June-2 August 1964, no.1093

LITERATURE:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler Truniger, Luzern, Zürich 1964, p.131, no.1093

The overall form, together with the enamelled design centred around a rosette, is similar in many ways to an example which sold at Sotheby's London, 5 October 2020, lot 71. Even closer in terms of enamel work is an example in the Khalili Collection, which also has a similar palmette (Michael Spink and Jack Ogden, The Art of Adornment, Jewellery of the Islamic Lands Part One, Oxford, 2013, p.146, no.55).

(reverse)

*23

A FATIMID ENAMELLED GOLD PENDANT

PROBABLY CAIRO, EGYPT, 11TH CENTURY

Of crescent shape, the enamel plaque with a green and red bird on an azure ground, set into a gold mount, in a border of S-shaped wires, small granules along the edges, eight suspension loops around the outside, the reverse finely worked with filigree

1¿ x 7/8in. (2.8 x 2.1cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

Ernst Kofler-Truniger (1903-1990) and Marthe Kofler-Truniger (1918-1999), Luzern (Inv. no. K 726J)

Private Collection, Luzern, acquired from the above circa 1974; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

EXHIBITED:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler-Truniger, Luzern, Kunsthaus Zurich, 7 June-2 August 1964, no.1095

LITERATURE:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler Truniger, Luzern, Zürich 1964, p.114, no.1100

Birds appear in the enamel work of several surviving Fatimid pendants, including examples in the British Museum, London (acc.no.1981,0707.2) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.30.95.37).

*24

A FATIMID ENAMELLED GOLD PENDANT

PROBABLY CAIRO, EGYPT, 11TH CENTURY

Of crescent shape, the enamel plaque with a red, yellow, and blue quatrefoil design comprising a split palmette on a green field, set into a gold mount, in a border of S-shaped wires, the interstices nielloed, small granules along the edges, the points of the crescent supporting an empty gemstone mount, with six suspension loops around the outside, the reverse finely worked in filigree 1¿ x 1in. (2.9 x 2.4cm.)

£12,000-18,000

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

PROVENANCE: Ernst Kofler-Truniger (1903-1990) and Marthe Kofler-Truniger (1918-1999), Luzern (Inv. no. K 726H II)

Private Collection, Luzern, acquired from the above circa 1974; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

EXHIBITED:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler Truniger, Luzern, Kunsthaus Zurich, 7 June-2

August 1964, no. 1090

LITERATURE:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler Truniger, Luzern, Zürich 1964, p.114, no.1090

*25

THREE PAIRS OF FATIMID GOLD EARRINGS

PROBABLY CAIRO, EGYPT, 11TH CENTURY

Each formed of a central sphere of fine wire-work with attachment loops at top, three domed elements around in either sheet gold or filigree, a bead mounted below, three smaller earrings each missing one domed element, one larger earring missing the bead below Largest 2in. (5.3cm.) long (6)

£5,000-7,000

PROVENANCE:

US$6,500-9,100

€6,000-8,300

Ernst Kofler-Truniger (1903-1990) and Marthe Kofler-Truniger (1918-1999), Luzern (Inv. nos. K 731 E; K 731 E I)

Private Collection, Luzern, acquired from the above circa 1974; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

A pair of basket earrings, similar to those in the present lot, was in the an assemblage of gold found in a small pottery jar in Tiberias in the late 20th century. It also included nine Fatimid gold dinars, the latest of which was dated to 1063 AD, suggesting the latest date by which the earrings could have been made.

*26

TWO FATIMID ENAMELLED GOLD PENDANTS

PROBABLY CAIRO, EGYPT, 11TH CENTURY

The larger of crescent shape, with enamel plaque in a border of gold filigree, the suspension loops partially collapsed, the reverse finely worked in filigree, the smaller pendant with a heart-shaped enamel plaque and a small crescent shaped element worked in filigree above, with suspended loops above and below, the lower with an empty mount for a gemstone 1º x 1¡in. (3.1 x 3.4cm.) and 1Ω x 3/8in. (3.9 x 1.1cm.) (2)

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

US$9,100-13,000

€8,400-12,000

Ernst Kofler-Truniger (1903-1990) and Marthe Kofler-Truniger (1918-1999), Luzern (Inv. no. K 726F; K 731G)

Private Collection, Luzern, acquired from the above circa 1974; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

*27

A GOLD ENAMELLED BRACELET

PROBABLY IRAN, 11TH-13TH CENTURY

Formed of two pieces joined by a hinge, the bracelet set with six alternating heart-shaped and circular panels, four with white and green cloisonné enamel inserts, the pin-clasp hidden by a circular roundel with dragon heads cast either side on the band, inventory sticker on inside of the band 2Ωin. (6.3cm.) maximum diam.

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

Ernst Kofler-Truniger (1903-1990) and Marthe Kofler-Truniger (1918-1999), Luzern (Inv. no. K 720F)

Private Collection, Luzern, acquired from the above circa 1974; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

EXHIBITED:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler-Truniger, Luzern, Kunsthaus Zurich, 7 June-2 August 1964, no.1100

LITERATURE:

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler Truniger, Luzern, Zürich 1964, p.114, no. 1100

INSCRIPTIONS:

The enamel roundels inscribed with the words 'izz da'im, 'perpetual glory'

Although the overall form of this bracelet is unusual, its constituent elements fit with other examples known to have an Iranian origin. The dragons' heads to either side of the pin clasp, for instance, are similar to those on a bracelet in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York which like our bracelet also includes a large amount of granulation in the design (acc.no.59.84). The exact arrangement of granulation, on a setting of twisted wire running the circumference of the bracelet, is more similar to a pair of bracelets in the Khalili Collection (acc.no.JLY 1219, published Jack Ogden and Michael Spink, The Art of Adornment, Oxford, 2013, no.288, p.315). The enamel panels are unusual, and in colour are comparable to an earring in the Khalili collection, there attributed to Syria, but which according to the cataloguing has evidence of a strong 'influence from the East, perhaps Iran' (Ogden and Spink, no.60, p.148).

Sammlung E. und M. Kofler Truniger, Luzern, Zurich, 1964, p.52

A MAMLUK ENAMELLED GLASS FLASK

SYRIA, MID-14TH CENTURY

The rounded body with tubular neck, the shoulder with three large enamelled roundels each depicting a bird combat group within a band of meandering flowering vine, the waist of the body with a band of blue roundels depicting animal combat groups alternating with drop-shaped panels, traces of similar designs around the neck, neck repaired 9¡in. (23.9cm.) high

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

Private European collection, 1980s, by repute

Bottles with long necks were amongst the most popular of glass forms produced between the late Ayyubid period and the first century of Mamluk rule. In his discussion of a dome-shaped bottle in the Corning Museum of Glass, Stefano Carboni indicates that the model for that shape may be a bottle now in the Museum für Islamische Kunst which is of a similar size to our example and datable to the third quarter of the 13th century (inv.I.2573; published by Venetia Porter, in Rachel Ward (ed.), Gilded and Enamelled Glass from the Middle East, London, 1998, p.199, fig. 21.6).

The decoration with registers of circular medallions is particularly adapted to this dome-shaped form. In each of the medallions on our bottle, a feline is attacking prey, facing left and right respectively, the two animals arranged one above the other. The motif has a long history in the Islamic world and, when looked at in the context of the Khirbat al-Mafjar mosaics in Jericho, possibly also has symbolic meaning. Combining similar enamelled medallions and a ground of vegetal motifs sketchily drawn in red, a large decanter in the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, shows a decorative program that Stefano Carboni specifically attributes to the mid-14th century (Stefano Carboni, Glass from Islamic Lands, London, 2001, p.366, fig.101). A domed-shaped bottle in the Victoria & Albert Museum bears the name and blazon of Sayf al-Din Jurji, an officer under four Mamluk sultans whose career is recorded from 1347 to 1370. It has small medallions with an eagle attacking a bird on blue ground and offers the closest comparable to our bottle and a likely date (inv. no.O624; published Carboni, op.cit.,p.361).

AN IMPRESSIVE MAMLUK CANDLESTICK MADE FOR SAIF AL-DIN ASANDAMUR (D. CIRCA 1310)

AN IMPRESSIVE MAMLUK SILVER-INLAID BRASS CANDLESTICK

COMMISSIONED BY SAIF AL-DIN ASANDAMUR (D.1310 OR 1311), SYRIA, LATE 13TH/EARLY 14TH CENTURY

The gently sloping body inscribed with bold thuluth calligraphy set against dense vegetal field, the inscription broken with two large lobed medallions containing depictions of mounted hunters, chevrons and vegetal scrolls above and below, the shoulder with rubbed inscriptions alternating with birds in flight, the drip tray with an inscription running around it, the neck with a design of roundels against a field of birds within interlaced strapwork, the wide mouth with calligraphy, the interior with later tughra-style owners mark, restoration to drip tray 13in. (33.1cm.) high; 13¡in. (33.9cm.) diam.

£150,000-200,000

PROVENANCE:

US$200,000-260,000

€180,000-240,000

Private Collection, France, 1970s, by repute, thence by descent until 2020

INSCRIPTIONS:

Around the body: al-maqarr al-'ali al-mawlawi al-kabiri al-saifi Asandamur al-silahdar al-mansuri al-nasiri, 'The high authority, the lordly, the great Sayf [al-Din] Asandamur the sword bearer, [officer of] al-Mansur [and] al-Nasir'

Around the drip tray: al-maqarr al-'ali al-mawlawi al-maliki al-mujahid al-murabiti al-mu'ayyad [...] al-kamili al-nasri al-'alimi al-'adili al-saifi Asandamur al-Silahdar al-mansuri al-nasiri, 'The high authority, the lordly, the possessor, the holy warrior, the defender, the supporter [...] the perfect, the victorious, the learned, the just Asandamur the sword-bearer [the officer of] al-Mansur al-Nasir

Around the mouth: al-maqarr al-'ali [...] al-maliki al-saifi Asandamur alSilahdar al-Mansuri, 'the high authority, [...] the possessor Sayf [al-Din] ] Asandamur the sword-bearer, [officer of] al-Mansur'

The interior incised with an Ottoman style tughra reading al-faqir ahmad ibn al-sarim fi sana 961 'the poor Ahmad ibn al-Sarim, AH 961/1553-4 AD

This striking candlestick was commissioned by Asandamur (d.1310/11 AD), a Mamluk officer who bore the rank of silahdâr or "bearer of arms". It was produced at a time when the full Mamluk style was maturing into its best-known variant, in which the script became completely dominant. As Rachel Ward notes, ‘During the fourteenth century the egocentric tendencies of the Mamluk amirs became even more explicit on the metalwork they commissioned. The titular inscriptions are larger and bolder, inlaid with wide areas of sheet silver so that their message cannot be missed' (Rachel Ward, Islamic Metalwork, London, 1993, p.113). The decoration of this candlestick presents a rare combination of the fully formed thuluth script and the figural roundels that were such a prominent feature of earlier vessels.

It is through the Mosul influence that the roundels with their mounted figures appear in Mamluk metalwork. Julian Raby discusses metalwork associated with Mosul and its influences (Julian Raby, “The Principle of Parsimony and the problem of the ‘Mosul School of Metalwork’”, in Venetia Porter and Mariam Rosser-Owen (eds.), Metalwork and Material Culture in the Islamic World, Art, Craft and Text, London, 2012, pp.11-85). The article shows clearly the link between the design of metalwork figural designs and contemporaneous manuscript illustration. That Mosul craftsmen worked for Ayyubid patrons is attested by many vessels, for example a basin in the Louvre made for

© Julia Jarrett

the Ayyubid Sultan al-Adil, by Ahmad bin ‘Umar al-Dhaki (Sophie Makariou (ed.), Islamic Art at the Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2012, no.118, pp.175-7) and a ewer in the same museum made for Sultan Salahal-Din Ayyub that is signed by Husayn bin Muhammad al-Mawsili (Makariou, op.cit., no.96, pp.146-7). The continuing direct influence of Mosul through into Mamluk period metalwork is demonstrated by a tray now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York commissioned at the beginning of the 14th century for Daud, the Rasulid Sultan of the Yemen, made by Ahmad bin Husayn al-Mawsili, working in Cairo (Esin Atil, Renaissance of Islam. Art of the Mamluks, exhibition catalogue, Washington DC, 1981, no.22, pp.80-1). That tray divides a bold Mamluk inscription with cusped roundels each containing a figure on horseback. In that case there are three – an archer, a lancer and a huntsman, each bearing very close resemblance to ours – the archer in particular. The depiction of our archer also relates closely to that on the famous Baptistère de Saint Louis in the Louvre, attributed to 1290-1310 (see D.S.Rice, The Baptistère de Saint Louis, London, 1953, pl.VII). The iconography in the other roundel on our candlestick, that with the swordsman (illustrated on the opening double page of the printed catalogue), is much harder to parallel. On the back of the horse is a secondary figure, likely a servant or assistant, perching behind the hunter and seemingly under attack from a passing bird.

According to L.A. Mayer, Asandamur (or al-Saifi Asandamur Silahdâr alMansouri al-Nasiri), was an emir in Damascus, imprisoned by Kitbugha in Muharram AH 696/November 1296 AD (Saracenic Heraldry, A Survey, Oxford, 1933, pp. 79-80). He became governor of Tripoli in AH 701/1301-02/701 AD, where he built a hammam. He was later appointed governor of Hama on 18 Dhul al-Hijja AH 709/19 May 1310 AD, and then of Aleppo from Jumada I AH 710/September 1310. He was arrested and executed in AH 1310 or 1311/710 or 711 AH. The fact that Asandamur was always stationed in Syria and the Levant suggests strongly that our candlestick was made there, rather than in Egypt - in this sense it is a useful piece in helping to establish differentials between Syrian and Egyptian Mamluk metalwork.

Asandamur’s blazon was a sword or scimitar (L.A. Mayer, op.cit., p.13).

A basin bearing his name and with the same circular blazon with the sword, was in the Harari collection (no.120; detail published in Mayer, op. cit., pl. XXXVI, no. 3 or D.S. Rice, Studies in Islamic Metal Work, SOAS Bulletin, vol.14, no.3, 1952, pl.8b, pp. 564-578). The basin is also listed in Gaston Wiet, Catalogue of the Arab Museum, Metal Objects, Cairo, 1984 reprint, no.17, p. 66 and appendix 120. The cenotaph of Asandamur’s wife, also decorated with his blazon of a shield and sword, is in the museum of Damascus (Mayer, op. cit., p.80, and pl.XXXVII).

AN IVORY AND EBONY-INLAID WOODEN PANEL

MAMLUK EGYPT, 15TH CENTURY

The rectangular panel of carved wood inlaid with sections of ebony and ivory to form a repeating geometric pattern of offset rows of full and half shamsas, wooden panels above and below decorated with knotted polygonal ivory panels, set within modern painted-wooden frame 63¡ x 20in. (161 x 51cm.)

£120,000-180,000

PROVENANCE:

Monsieur Jean Paul Croisier, Geneva, Switzerland, 1960s

EXHIBITED:

US$160,000-230,000

€150,000-210,000

Treasures of Islam, The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva, 25 June - 27 October 1985

On loan to the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, 1993-2002

LITERATURE:

Toby Falk (ed.), Treasures of Islam, Geneva, 1985, 'Additional Exhibits' no.576 (height published incorrectly), p.396

The frenetic pace of building activity in Cairo between the 13th and 16th centuries encouraged the development of Egyptian decorative arts, particularly woodworking. Wood was used to produce many of the furnishings of these new buildings, especially the minbars from which the khutba was delivered in congregational mosques. Based on the shape of this panel, as well as the arrangement of the design, it is likely that this panel once former part of a door to a minbar. Complete minbars or inlaid panels were avidly sought after by Western museums: the gift of a pair of minbar doors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York by the designer Edward C. Moore was one of the earliest bequests made to the museum (acc.no.91.1.2064), while the minbar of Sultan Qa'itbay remains one of the most iconic pieces of Islamic art in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (acc. no.TN.492-2011). Other collections with Mamluk minbar doors among their holdings include the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh (acc.no.A.1884.2.1) and the Museum of Fine Art, Boston (acc.no.77.1).

Our panel is inlaid with interlocking tiles, many of which - rather than being carved - are themselves inlaid with smaller ivory and ebony tesserae. In this respect they resemble the opus sectile floors which were often found in Mamluk buildings. This technique appears on a number of Mamluk minbars made during the 15th century, particularly those commissioned by amirs rather than royal figures. This includes, for instance, the impressive minbar of Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Muzhir, today in the national Museum of Egyptian Civilisation Fustat, Cairo. Also employing a similar technique is the minbar in the Mosque of Azbak al-Yusufi, built in 1494/5 AD. Inlaid tesserae appear in combination with carved elements on the minbar of al-Nasir Muhammad in the Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo, which is presumed to have been destroyed in May 2013.

A POST-NASRID FALL-FRONT WRITING CHEST

SPAIN, 16TH CENTURY

The wooden body inlaid with ivory, bone, ebony, and silver tesserae, the front panel with a border of stellar motifs within octagons, the side and upper surfaces similar, the base and reverse undecorated, hinged handles to the sides, the front with a large lock and hinged clasp with key, the hinge at the base with elegant chasing to the interior, the front opening to reveal six equal-sized drawers and one longer one with handles, the fronts inlaid, on small knop feet

10¬ x 14¡ x 9in. (27.1 x 36.6 x 22.9cm.)

£10,000-15,000

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

For a discussion on post-Nasrid taracea inlaid furniture please refer to the lot note for lot 33. A similar fall-front cabinet, although slightly earlier in date, sold in these Rooms 10 October 2014, lot 229 and another casket of comparable scale and date to the present lot was sold at Sotheby’s London, 23 October 2024, lot 114.

A MAGHRIBI QUR'AN SECTION

SPAIN OR MOROCCO, 13TH/14TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on parchment, comprising Qur'an V, sura al-ma'idah, vv.1935 and vv.111-120 and Qur'an VI, sura al-An'am, vv.1-3 and 33-39, 12ff. plus two flyleaves, each folio with 7ll. of sepia maghribi script, sukun and shadda in blue ink, hamza indicated by green and yellow dots, with elaborate gold illuminated roundels to mark divisions, the margins with large illuminated medallions, with one sura heading in gold kufic with illuminated marginal pendant, catchwords, in later gilt-tooled pale morocco binding, parchment doublures, the quires loose

Folio 6æ x 6ºin. (17 x 15.8cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

The large scale of the script and format of the pages on this manuscript may be compared with other maghribi manuscripts, such as the famous Pink Qur'an. A folio from this manuscript was part of the collection of Stuart Cary Welch, sold Sotheby's London, 6 April 2011, lot 8.

The elaborate calfskin cover and bookplate indicate that it was formerly in the collection of Oliver Henry Perkins. According to his obituary, as well as being a businessman and 'one of the most prominent men of Des Moines', Perkins travelled around the world twice in his lifetime. His collection of books was largely acquired in London between 1894 and 1902, and was there described as 'not so much large as it is beautiful', a reflection of the 'cultured mind and taste which produced it'.

Ex-collection Oliver Henry Perkins des Moines, Iowa (d.1912)

Anderson Galleries, New York, 23 March 1926, lot 521

The Shakerine Collection, Sotheby's London, 23 October 2019, lot 2

AN IMPRESSIVE POST-NASRID FALL-FRONT CABINET (VARGUEÑO)

SPAIN, 16TH CENTURY

The wooden body intricately inlaid with ebony, bone and silver tesserae, the front with an inscribed shield blazon within two imbricated squares, the wooden surface further inlaid with stellar motifs and an overall angular strapwork design within a border of octagonal motifs, the upper surface and sides similar, the base and reverse undecorated, the front secured by a large lock and hinged clasp, the hinges at the lower end secured by scallop-shell shaped screwheads, the front opening to reveal nineteen drawers of varying sizes with small handles, the fronts inlaid, the inner surface of the front inlaid with stellar motifs

25 x 43Ω x 14æin. (63.6 x 110.4 x 37.4cm.)

£20,000-30,000

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

This impressively large fall-front cabinet is a fine example of the fashion for luxury furniture in Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries. The precisely intricate inlaid taracea micromosaic was used as a decorative technique in Spain and North Africa from as early as the 10th century

and remained popular until the late 16th century. The earliest example is the minbar of the Great Mosque of Cordoba dated to the period of al-Hakim II (r.961-978 AD) and the technique continued to be used in Caliphal marquetry workshops throughout the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties (Jerrilyn D. Dodds, Al-Andalus, The Art of Islamic Spain, New York, 1992, p. 373). The shield on the front of the cabinet imitates the heraldic device of the Nasrid kings which was a shield with a white bend containing their motto in Arabic: "There is no conqueror but God".

The inclusion of silver was a notable feature of the 16th century because it was during this period that silver from Spain’s colonies in the New World became a more abundant material in Spain (Miriam RosserOwen, Islamic Arts from Spain, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2010, p.88). The repeating stellar motif found throughout the design of this cabinet is also typical of the period and can be seen on a similarly decorated casket in the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. 530-1903). A similarly large 16th century post-Nasrid inlaid cabinet, was sold in these Rooms, 28 October 2020, lot 21.

ISFANDIYAR SLAYS THE SIMURGH

THE CALLIGRAPHY BY MURSHID IBN 'IZZ ALDIN WAZAN, PROBABLY SHIRAZ, TURKMAN IRAN, AH 887/1482 AD

An illustration from a Shahnama of Firdawsi, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, 14ll. black nasta'liq arranged in four columns above and below, heading in gold against a ground of scrolling vines, set within gold and black rules, the margins plain, the verso with 21ll. text similarly arranged, marginal catchword, mounted, framed and glazed

Painting 3¿ x 6ºin. (9.1 x 15.7cm.); text panel 9 x 6ºin. (22.7 x 15.7cm.); folio 12æ x 8¡in. (32 x 21.4cm.)

£8,000-12,000 US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

PROVENANCE:

Private Collection, New York, formed in the 1950s From which acquired by the present owner

Other folios from this Shahnama are in a number of American institutions. This includes three paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, depicting Alexander avenging Darius (acc.no.40.38.1), the death of Rustam (acc.no.40.38.2), and the fire-ordeal of Siyavush (acc.no.45.150). When the first two of these were purchased by the museum in 1940, the then-curator Hannah E McAllister wrote that she had seen the colophon of the manuscript in the collection of Nasli Heeramaneck, and that it bore the name of a scribe - Murshid ibn 'Izz al-Din Wazan - and the date Shawwal AH 887/October 1482 AD. Further folios are in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum (acc.no.41.1025) and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, Washington (acc.no.F1940.20). Another folio from this manuscript was sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2024, lot 50.

A FOLIO FROM THE MAGNIFICENT TIMURID MANUSCRIPT, THE NAHJ AL-FARADIS

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION

*35

THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD MEETS JESUS IN THE BAYT ALMA'MUR AND THE ARRIVAL AT THE FOURTH HEAVEN COMMISSIONED BY SULTAN ABU SA'ID GURKAN, TIMURID HERAT, AFGHANISTAN, PROBABLY 1466

A folio from the Nahj al-Faradis of Al-Sara'i, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, recto with the Prophet arriving in the Fourth Heaven, verso with the Prophet meeting Jesus, each with 6ll. black Uyghur above, key words in gold, within gold and blue rules, the margins plain, marginal annotations in Arabic Folio 16¿ x 11æin. (41.1 x 29.7cm.)

£2,000,000-3,000,000

PROVENANCE:

Made for Sultan Abu Sa'id Gurkan, Herat (r. 1458-1469)

Private Collection, UK (inherited through family)

With Francesca Galloway, May 2015

EXHIBITED:

US$2,600,000-3,900,000

€2,400,000-3,600,000

Jerusalem 1000-1400: Every People Under Heaven, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 26 September 2016-8 January 2017

Treasures of the Al-Thani Collection, Hôtel de la Marine, Paris, 18 November 2021-31 October 2022

LITERATURE:

Barbara D. Boehm and Melanie Holcomb (eds.), Jerusalem 1000-1400, Every People Under Heaven, New York, 2016, no.149a, p.295

Stéphane Castelluccio, Amin Jaffer and Tsuyoshi Tane, Treasures of the Al Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine, Paris, 2021, p.269; illus. pp.268, 270-71

ENGRAVED:

In kufic on top of the pavilion (verso), 'This is the House of Happiness and the Place of the Pure One and of Chastity and the Frequented House'

The Mi’raj is regarded as one of the most important moments in the life of the Prophet Mohammed. In the Qur’an, sura al-‘Isra alludes to the fact that Allah transported ‘his servant Muhammad by night from the Masjid al-Haram to the Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings we have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs’. Though traditions vary, most take this to be a reference to the Prophet being miraculously taken from Mecca to Jerusalem and thence to Heaven. According to al-Tabari (d.923 AD), this should be interpreted literally, as a physical journey made by the Prophet while awake and riding on Buraq, often depicted as a horse with a human head. Over centuries, further traditions crystalised around the Mi’raj, adding further details to the events of the night such as Muhammad’s encounter with the angel Jibra’il, Gabriel in the Judeo-Christian tradition, and introducing Buraq, who served as the Prophet’s mount to take him on his journey. Soon, the Mi’raj came to be regarded as the ultimate demonstration of the Prophet’s unique place in the divine order.

As the Mi’raj became more firmly entrenched in the Islamic tradition, so it began to appear in illustrated manuscripts. The earliest known depiction of the Mi’raj is a group of fragmentary paintings from an Ilkhanid pictorial cycle, which are found in one of the Topkapi albums (acc.no.H.2154, fol.107a, discussed in Christiane Gruber, The Timurid ‘Book of Ascension” (Mi’rajnama), Valencia, 2008, p.255).

The discussion of the Mi’raj in the Makhzan al-Asrar by Nizami Ganjavi gave artists an opportunity to further refine the depiction of the miraculous event. Illustrations to Khamsa manuscripts often included a painting of the Prophet flying above Mecca on Buraq, as on a remarkable painting in the Keir Collection (B.W. Robinson, Islamic Painting and the Arts of the Book, London, 1976, no.III.207, colour plate 19). In such manuscripts, the depiction of the Mi’raj was generally restricted to a single painting, which attempted to convey the full wonder of the Prophet’s journey – and the richness of the hadith concerning it – in one image.

This folio comes from an extraordinary manuscript, richly illustrated and entirely dedicated to the hadith about the Mi’raj. To our knowledge, it is unique apart from a ‘sister manuscript’, written around two decades earlier, in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (acc.no.suppl.turc.190). That is the Mi’rajnama of Shah Rukh, probably completed for the Timurid prince in Jumada II AH 840/December 1436 AD. In a discussion of the Mi’raj in Islamic art for the second edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islam, B. W. Robinson wrote of the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama that it is ‘one of the finest and most original sets of miniatures in the whole of Persian painting’ (B.W. Robinson, ‘The Mi’radj in Islamic art’, Encyclopaedia of Islam, second edition, 1993, Vol. VII, p.104). The manuscript from which our folio comes, a near-copy of the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama, casts further light on the art of painting in the eastern Islamic world in the fifteenth century. Though it has been only partially published, thanks to the work of Christiane Gruber and Eleanor Sims we can better understand its relationship with the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama, as well as what both manuscripts can tell us about early depictions of this pivotal moment in the life of the Prophet.

THE MANUSCRIPT

One of the reasons why this manuscript is so significant is because its patron is otherwise so poorly documented. This opening folio of the manuscript has an illuminated shamsa which indicates the patron to have been Sultan Abu Sa’id Gurakan, a great-grandson of Timur, who wrested control of Herat from the Qara Quyunlu confederation in 1458. In Herat he is reported to have established a court which – in the finest Timurid tradition – was generous in its support of the arts (Eleanor Sims, “The Nahj al-Faradis of Sultan Abu Sa’id ibn Sultan Muhammad ibn Miranhshah, Journal of the David Collection, 4, Copenhagen, 2014, p.96). The surviving evidence of his patronage, however, is very slim. Survivors include a Qur’an copied in his name in AH 845/1441-2 AD in the St Andrews University Library (acc.no. MS19(0)/29); a set of astronomical tables in the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Saint

Petersburg (acc.no.MS C1843); an illustrated copy of the Conference of the Birds in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (acc.no.SBB Oct.268); and a book of love poetry in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin (acc. no.Per.149). The quality and content of this manuscript, evident from the present lot, makes it a real outlier among his commissioned works - it must have been one of the most impressive pieces of work to have been produced at his court.

The similarities between illustrations in Abu Sa’id Gurakan’s Nahj al-Faradis and the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama are so great that Eleanor Sims suggests that the artists involved in the former must have copied directly from the latter. The main difference between the two manuscripts is textual. Abu Sa’id’s manuscript included text from the Nahj al-Faradis, which was written in the second quarter of the 14th century by al-Sara’i. Shah Rukh’s manuscript, instead, included an account of the Mi’raj in Chagatai Turkish, with an additional seven images of hell included in the text. Though the difference is hard to explain, both are essentially books of hadith concerning the Mi’raj, illustrating the events of the night in a very similar manner.

The manuscript alone does not give any explanation as to why it should have been commissioned. Christiane Gruber suggests that it may have been to celebrate of the birth of the ruler’s son, Mirza Baysunghur, in 1466. According to textual evidence, this event was accompanied by months of festivities which Gruber identifies as ‘the only large and extended ceremonial event recorded during Abu Sa’id’s rule’ (Gruber, op.cit., p.335). She particularly notes the court historian Khwandamir’s comment that a certain Khwaja ‘Ali received a reward for painting 32 different court craftspeople, and suggests that this master may well be the same ‘Ali al-Sultani who signs several of the paintings in this manuscript, including two folios in the David Collection (acc. no.14/2012r and v; published Eleanor Sims, op.cit., cat.no.s5 and 6, pp.125-8) and a third in The Al-Thani Collection (published Treasures of the al-Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine, Paris, 2021, p.277). Khwandamir’s report may therefore allow us to suggest both the name of the artist and a possible date of completion. Certainly, it must have been finished before the death of Abu Sa’id in February 1469.

Though it was completed in Afghanistan, the manuscript did not remain there long. Book stamps in the manuscript indicate that it was in the library of the Ottoman Sultan Selim I, who ruled for only a short period between AH 918/1512 AD and AH 926/1520 AD. It is likely around that time that glosses were added to the top of each page in Ottoman Turkish, explaining the contents of each scene to readers unfamiliar with Chagatai (Sims, op.cit., p.92). Since similar Ottoman inscriptions appear on the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama, Sims suggests that the manuscripts must have remained together, perhaps arriving in Istanbul with the Timurid princes who fled Herat in AH 913/1507 AD, when the Shaybanids conquered the city (Sims, op.cit., p.97).

THE ILLUSTRATIONS

The illustrations on our folio depict a crucial moment in the Mi’raj. After having met some of the earlier prophets and led them in prayer in Jerusalem, the Prophet Muhammad ascended a ladder and journeyed through the seven levels of heaven. At each level, he meets a succession of prophets: Adam in the first; Yahya and Zakariyya in the second; in the third, Ya’qub, Yusuf, Dawud and Suleyman. Leaving them, the Prophet, Buraq, and Jibra’il – the angel Gabriel in the Judeo-Christian tradition - arrive at the fourth level. In an edited translation given by Christiane Gruber, what follows is narrated as follows:

‘Gabriel knocked at the gates and cried out. The angels rejoiced and, as it opened the gate, it greeted me. It said “O Muhammad, welcome, may you be honoured by the graces of the Lord Most High’ (based on translations by Abel Pavet de Courteille, Wheeler Thackston, and Max Scherberger; published Gruber, op.cit., p.360)

The illustration on the verso of our folio depicts both Jibra’il and the Prophet extending their hands as though in supplication. Facing them, on the left-hand side of the page, is the group of angels mentioned in the text welcoming the newcomers. Marie-Rose Seguy points out that the angels appear bare-headed as a sign of deference (Miraj Nameh: Miraculous Journey of Mahomet, Paris, 1993, pl.19). This may be interpreted as a visual reference to the Qur’anic verses in which Allah commanded the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam, the first of the Prophets, another visual signifier of Muhammad’s precedence among those who had gone before (Qur’an II, sura al-Baqara’, v.34).

The verso of the folio depicts the meeting which took place in the fourth level of heaven between Muhammad and ‘Isa – Jesus in the Judeo-Christian tradition - in the bayt al-ma’mur. The scene is located in an architectural setting, with a pair of columns dividing the space into three arched sections. To the right, the Prophet – mounted on Buraq – looks in on the scene, arms crossed over his chest in respect. In the left-hand arch is a group of five bare-headed angels, with their arms folded, though the lowered position of the hands is more suggestive of submissive obedience. In the centre of the composition, Jibra’il talks to ‘Isa, who wears a brown cloak, and indicates with his right hand over his left shoulder. This tripartite composition – with the Prophet on the right being introduced to a figure on the left, with Jibra’il in between apparently explaining each one – is fairly commonly-encountered in the Nahj al-Faradis. It can be seen, for instance, on the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad encountering the angel of half-fire and half-snow in the David Collection (acc.no.13/2012v, published Sims, op.cit., p.121). That illustration finds its counterpart in the Shah Rukh manuscript, along with similar illustrations depicting the Prophet being introduced to various Prophets such as Isma’il, Nuh, and Lot.

The bayt al-ma’mur, often translated as ‘the frequented house’, is often understood to be a prototype of the Ka’ba in heaven, located directly above the Haram in Mecca. In many accounts of the Mi’raj, it is described as the place where the Prophet was tested by being presented with three cups, containing wine, honey and milk and asked to choose - having chosen the milk, he is allowed to continue on his journey (Gruber, op.cit., p.341). According to Marcus Fraser, most hadith do not mention the presence of Jesus in the bayt al-ma’mur, but the Ottoman Turkish inscription above is unambiguous that this is who the figure in the drown cloak represents (Marcus Fraser, ‘Four Folios from the Nahj al-Fardis, the Paths of Paradise’, in Treasures of The Al-Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine, Paris, 2021, p.269).

The interior of the bayt al-ma’mur is here depicted as an architectural setting. In both the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama and the Nahj al-Faradis, there are a number of scenes which take place in interiors. In the Mi’rajnama, indoor scenes include the depiction of the Prophet’s house and his leading prayers in Jerusalem. The folios of the Nahj al-Faradis which have come to light include only a small number with architectural detail, but they include an example depicting two outdoor pavilions in Paradise, which like our folio are decorated with intricate tilework with kufic inscriptions above the arches (published Treasures of the al-Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine, Paris, 2021, p.277). Sims identifies the influence of Jalayirid manuscript illustration in the rich textures of the tilework, which in its intricacy prefigures the work of Bihzad (Sims, op.cit., p.114).

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SHAH RUKH MI’RAJNAMA

Though the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama is almost complete, there is a lacuna of approximately two folios in the middle of the manuscript. These are the folios dealing with the fourth heaven, including the Prophet’s meeting with Jesus, his encounter with the angel Azra’il, and the arrival at the ‘white sea’. We know of their loss because of a description which was prepared by the French orientalist Francois Pétis de la Croix (b.1653) when the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama was in the collection of the French finance minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert (d.1683). Since Colbert acquired the manuscript in 1675, meaning that this description must have been written between 1675 and Pétis de la Croix’ death in 1713. Though it is not clear exactly when these two folios became separated from the manuscript, they must have been there in the late 17th century as they were included in the description.

A folio from the Nahj al-Faradis in the Sarikhani collection corresponds with one of the folios missing from the lacuna. The paintings on the folio depict the angel Azra’il to the recto and the White Sea to the verso (published Sims, op.cit., pp.122-3, figs.17 and 18). The paintings match precisely with Pétis de la Croix’ description of images 21 and 22 from the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama (quoted in Gruber, op.cit., p.389). It is therefore likely that the paintings on the Sarikhani folio are faithful copies of the lost paintings from the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama. As Eleanor Sims commented, it is ‘that great rarity: later Timurid versions of lost earlier Timurid paintings’ (Sims, op.cit., p.102). Our folio is another such rarity.

The first of the paintings missing from the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama, according to Pétis de la Croix, depicts Muhammad arriving at the fourth heaven with angels who meet him with deference, ‘their hands,’ he adds, ‘crossed in the manner of slaves before their masters’. This matches precisely with the pose of the angels on the verso of our folio. To the recto, he adds, he saw ‘Muhammad arriving at a palace, according to the title named the “Beit el Mamoureh”, the place of visitation and habitation, where he confers with Jesus Christ and where he finds a troupe of 70,000 angels who guard the entrance of the palace every day’ (Gruber, op.cit., p.389). Again, the description corresponds precisely with our scene, albeit with the 70,000 angels reduced to a more manageable guard of five. As with the Sarikhani folio, this folio can be used to reconstruct the now-lost paintings which were separated from the manuscript after Pétis de la Croix wrote his description.

Within the pictorial programme of the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama and the Nahj al-Faradis, the arrival scene on the recto does have a number of similar scenes. Though none of the ‘arrival’ scenes in the Nahj alFaradis have been widely published, from the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama, the arrival of the Prophet, Buraq and Jibra’il to the second heaven (f.13r, Seguy plate 11), the third heaven (f.15v, Seguy plate 14), fifth (f.22r, Seguy plate 19), sixth (f.24, Seguy plate 24) all show the group being greeted by angels with heir hands crossed in deference as on our folio. The scene on the verso is much more unusual, and lacks an obvious prototype in the Shah Rukh Mi’rajnama. Given that the prototype page was lost, this painting may be considered the only known treatment of this meeting between ‘Isa and the Prophet Muhammad by a Timurid artist to have survived to this day. Even within this unique and important manuscript, this must therefore be regarded as one of the most significant folios.

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE COLLECTION

*36

A RARE LUSTRE AND COBALT-BLUE POTTERY TOMBSTONE

TIMURID IRAN, DATED AH 897/1492 AD

The white ground painted over the glaze with extensive brown lustre naskh, narrow light blue borders, the reverse fitted with custom iron mounting bracket

17æ x 9√in. (45 x 25cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

Acquired by the father of the current owner in London, 1995

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$11,000-15,000

€9,600-14,000

In the margin in Arabic, 'Oh God bless al-Mustafa Muhammad, and al-Murtada 'Ali, and al-Batul Fatima, and the grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and Zain'l-'ibad 'Ali, and al-Baqir Muhammad, and al-Sadiq Ja'far, and al-Kazim Musa, and al-Rida Ali, and al-Taqi Muhammad, and al-Naqi Ali, and al-Zaki al-'Askari al-Hasan, and al-Ilujjat al-Qa'im al-Mahdi, may God's blessings, and His peace be upon him and them all'

In the upper panel, Qur'an, XXIX al-'ankabut v.57 followed by, 'The revered al-Murtada, the honoured Mujtaba, al-Sayyid Zain' al-'Abidin ibn al-Murtada the auspicious, al-Sayyid Jala'd-Din Murtada ibn Yahya al-Radawi, may [God] make his grave be fragrant, and paradise his abode; he died after he had lived for 90 years, on Thursday, 18 Rabi' II AH 897/18 February 1492 AD'

In the lower panel in Persian verse, 'Mir Zayn al-'abad, that Radawi, Who was like his grandfather goodnatured | and the one who put his hair on fire, In .... of God he burnt his head for a hair | He was 67 years of age, When he turned his face from the world to paradise'

A similar Timurid tombstone dated AH 891/1486 AD, only six years earlier than our example, is in the Art Institute Chicago (1916.145). It is decorated with lines of loose naskh in lustre with cobalt-blue highlights. Our tile also relates to a series associated with a building commissioned by Abu Sa’id (1424-69), the great-grandson of Timur. One of these is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (30.95.26) and another in the Keir Collection (Ernst Grube, Islamic Pottery, London, 1976, pp.298-99). They are all signed by Nusrat al-Din Muhammad and dated AH 860/1455-56 AD. Oliver Watson talks of these inscription tiles and tombstones (some of which were made for buildings in the Kashan area and which are dated from 1418 to 1560) as evidence of the link between the Ilkhanid wares and the Safavid production of the 17th century (Oliver Watson, Persian Lustre Ware, London, 1985, p.157). He comments that the use of this costly and elaborate lustre technique for tiles in a religious and funerary context, corresponds to the function of lustre tiles in the Ilkhanid period, surmising that perhaps it was that association which preserved the technique.

PROPERTY OF A LADY

θ37

MUHAMMAD 'ASSAR TABRIZI (D. AH 779/1377 AD): MIHR O MUSHTARI

PROBABLY AQ QOYUNLU SHIRAZ, DATED 5 RAMADAN AH 895/23 JULY 1490 AD

A love story in verse based on the concept of platonic love, Persian manuscript on paper, 168ff., each with 15ll. of black nasta'liq arranged in two columns with gold, blue and black rules, catchwords, headings in gold nasta'liq within plain panels, with ten fine contemporaneous paintings in opaque pigments heightened with gold, illuminated opening bifolio, colophon dated, with two owner's stamps, in brown morocco binding

Folio 6æ x 3æin. (17.2 x 9.7cm.); text panel 4Ω x 2ºin. (11.5 x 5.7cm.).

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

Hermann Frankl, Vienna, sold 1926

US$52,000-77,000

€48,000-72,000

Paul Graupe, Berlin, 13-15 April 1926, lot 1304 (illustrated) and thence by descent

Catalogue, Paul Graupe, Berlin, 13-15 April 1926, lot 1304

This manuscript is an illustrated copy of the well-known poem recounting the platonic love story between Mihr (the Sun), the son of Shahpur, and his vizier's son Mushtari (Jupiter). Composed by Muhammad ibn Ahmad 'Assar Tabrizi, who passed away around 1382, the story spans 90 chapters. The present copy, dated to 1490, was likely created in Shiraz under the Aq Qoyunlu Turkmen rule. It is remarkable for its small, gem-like size and is illustrated with ten exquisite paintings.

The paintings in this manuscript display many features associated with classic Aq Qoyunlu painting, albeit on a smaller scale. Characteristic of this style are bold, stylised figures with exaggerated features, particularly large almond-shaped eyes, and a vivid colour palette dominated by rich blues, reds, and golds. The style also incorporates intricate architectural and ornamental backgrounds, reflecting the grandeur of the period, with flat perspectives and decorative compositions. Influenced by Timurid and early Persian traditions, Aq Qoyunlu paintings often depict courtly life and royal figures, as seen in several illustrations in this manuscript. In some folios, the figures almost explode beyond the margins, radiating an immediate vigour.

The style of the paintings in this manuscript closely resembles those of the Khavarnama (Book of the East), with similar treatments of rock formations, facial features, colour schemes, and the use of vegetation and architectural elements. Several folios from the Khavarnama are housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv.nos.55.125.2-3 and 55.184.1-2), which, though much larger in size, was created only a few years earlier than this manuscript. Another folio from that manuscript was sold in these rooms on 26 October 2017, lot 189. Two further Turkman copies of Mihr o Mushtari include one in the Walters Art Museum (acc.no.W.627) and one in the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington D.C. (acc.no.F1949.3). These similarities further highlight the stylistic connections between the these manuscripts, underscoring the visual cohesion of the Aq Qoyunlu artistic tradition.

On the last page of this manuscript there are seal impressions belonging to the Ottoman prince Şehzade Mehmed bin Şehinşah bin Bayezid and another belonging to Sultan Selim I. In the 20th century, this manuscript belonged to Paul Graupe, a renowned German bookseller, antiquarian, and collector, who passed away in 1953. Based in Berlin, Graupe was highly regarded for his expertise in rare manuscripts. His gallery was a prominent hub for scholars and collectors, and his collection remains an important part of the bibliophilic legacy.

The paintings in the manuscript include:

1. Mihr and Mushtari have blood taken from their arms

2. Kayvan gives orders for the wedding of Nahid and Mihr

3. Mihr in the bathhouse

4. Mihr and his companions in the sea of Oman

5. Mushtari and his companions are rescued from the sea

6. Mushtari and Badr arrive at the castle of the highwaymen

7. Mushtari and Badr await execution before Shapur

8. Mushtari and Badr brought before Shapur after Bahram has shown Shapur Mushtari’s letter

9. Badr brings Mushtari’s letter to Mihr

10. Shapur and his vizier pay their respects to a hermit

PROPERTY FROM A NOBLE FRENCH FAMILY

*38

A CALLIGRAM IN THE FORM OF A LION

AFTER MIR 'ALI HARAVI, SAFAVID BUKHARA OR HERAT, LATE 17TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, within pink and green borders with gold meandering floral decoration, the light pink margins with gold arabesque decoration, the verso with 12ll. of diagonal black nasta'liq within clouds reserved against a gold ground decorated with polychrome flowers, the blue margins painted with gold animals and vegetation, a black seal impression in the upper margin, mounted, framed and glazed on both sides

Calligram 5º x 7æin. (13.2 x 19.6cm.); calligraphy 10¬ x 2√in. (27 x 7.3cm.); folio 15 x 10¡in. (38 x 26.4cm.)

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

Drouot-Richelieu, Paris, 5 December 1994, lot 288

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

During the Safavid period, the lion was a popular subject of zoomorphic calligraphic compositions, as a representation of 'Ali bin Abi Talib, known as 'the Lion of God'. Here, the lion is composed of the Nad 'Ali ('call upon 'Ali') supplication that honours the son-in-law of Muhammad. It is copied after a well-known calligram by the celebrated early 16th century calligrapher Mir 'Ali Haravi, in the Istanbul University Library (F1426, f. 46a; published Sheila Blair, Islamic Calligraphy, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, p. 450).

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF CHARLES AND REGINA SLATKIN

*39

A YOUTH WITH A CUP

SAFAVID QAZVIN, IRAN, LATE 16TH CENTURY

Ink and wash heightened with gold on paper, with one line of black nasta'liq arranged in three columns above and below, verso with 24ll. of black nasta'liq arranged in four columns, set within blue rules, in a narrow gold border, the margins decorated with interlaced arabesques in gold

Painting 5æ x 3ºin. (14.6 x 8.3cm.); folio 13¿ x 8ºin. (33.3 x 21cm.)

£3,000-5,000

US$3,900-6,500

€3,600-6,000

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

*40

BAHRAM CHUBINA DECAPITATES SAVAH SHAH

SAFAVID SHIRAZ, IRAN, 1571 AD

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, 5ll. black nasta'liq arranged in four columns above and below with double gold intercolumnar rules, set within gold and polychrome rules, the margins plain, the verso with 21ll. black nasta'liq on the horizontal and diagonal arranged in four columns set within gold and polychrome rules, right hand margin associated, bound to an associated fragmentary folio consisting 25ll. text similarly arranged on both sides, on red silk-covered mount, framed and glazed

Painting 7º x 7√in. (18.5 x 19.3cm.); text panel 9¡ x 7æin. (23.3 x 14.5cm.); folio 13æ x 11in. (34.8 x 27.8cm.) with extension

£4,000-6,000

PROVENANCE:

Francois de Ricqules, Paris, 22nd March 1996, lot 91F

Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 7 October 2009, lot 30

US$5,200-7,700

€4,800-7,200

This illustration comes from a dispersed copy Firdawsi's Shahnama dated to 1571 AD. It is an excellent example of the high-quality of Shirazi manuscript production in the second half of the 16th century. A group of folios from the manuscript, including the present illustration, were sold at Francois de Ricqles, Drouot-Richelieu, Paris, 22 March 1996, lots 91-93. The colophon appears on a page published in the Francois de Ricqules sale in which this folio was acquired (lot 91G.). A further twenty-one folios were sold in Sotheby's, London, 23 April 1997, lots 103-123.

A PAIR OF LACQUERED BOOK COVERS IRAN, 16TH CENTURY

The black ground painted with gold and polychrome pigments, covered with layers of varnish, with a scene depicting a landscape of real and mythical animals among elegant trees and blooming flowers, the reverse plain, localised touches of restoration

Each 10¬ x 6in. (27.1 x 15.2cm.) (2)

£20,000-30,000

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

This binding, once covering a non-religious Persian text such as an epic, is a notable example of early lacquered bookbinding. They are decorated with fantastic landscapes populated by a variety of SinoIslamic creatures including hares, leopards, gazelles, phoenixes (or simurghs), monkeys, jackals, and a dragon. All the motifs are finely executed and outlined in gold on a black ground. Sadly, the doublures are lost, but they would have originally either been illuminated or decorated in découpé leather.

A series of lacquered book bindings produced in Herat at the court of the Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn Mirza are the earliest surviving examples of the type and set the foundation for many features that continued throughout the history of this art form. Bookbinder's lacquer

was decorated with miniature paintings or illumination and coated with a lustrous varnish known in Persian as rawghan-i kamàn ('bow gloss').

The varnish was not only used to protect the paintwork but was also an integral part of the decoration, contributing significantly to the object's rich aesthetic glow. Without this finish, these objects would have appeared as mere painted boards. The earliest lacquered book bindings were initially inspired by Chinese prototypes, particularly in terms of colour combinations. However, polychrome work in the Iranian style soon emerged and dominated, making bookbinder's lacquer distinct from its Far Eastern models. By the early 16th century, the Herati tradition of lacquer bindings spread to other centres in Iran, Central Asia, and Turkey, and by the end of the century, the technique was also practiced in India. During this period, bookbinder's lacquer began to be applied to other objects beyond book bindings.

Comparable bindings include those in the Khalili Collection (acc. No. MSS948), a binding in the National Art Library at the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc.no. 3393 & 3393A-1883 I.D.), and a similar binding sold in these Rooms 17 April 2007, lot 89.

42

†42

A YOUTH READING POETRY TO HIS BELOVED

SHAYBANID BUKHARA, MID-16TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set within gold rules with grey decorated borders above and below, laid down on card with salmonpink inner borders with floral scrolls, the indigo outer margin with gold split palmettes, a rubbed inscription at the bottom, the reverse plain, mounted, framed and glazed

Painting 5º x 3Ωin. (13.3 x 8cm.); folio 7√ x 5ºin. (19.9 x 13.2cm.)

£7,000-10,000

US$9,100-13,000

€8,400-12,000

Our painting is a stunning example of the Bukhara school of painting, featuring vibrant colors, intricate details, elongated figures, and elaborate costumes. It also highlights the classic bold use of gold in the background, along with dynamic floral elements. This painting is particularly similar to a scene of an amorous couple with attendants in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (acc.no. 14.584), and a loving couple in the British Museum (inv.no. 1948,1009,0.57).

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF CHARLES AND REGINA SLATKIN

*43

THE ASSASSIN FLEES

BUKHARA, UZBEKISTAN, CIRCA 1570

An illustration from 'Abdullah Hatifi's Khusraw and Shirin, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, two panels containing black nasta'liq reserved in a cloud against gold within the painted area, set within narrow blue and gold borders, black and blue rules, laid down within gold-sprinkled margins, '29' in the upper left margin, the verso with 24ll. black nasta'liq arranged in four columns with gold intercolumnar rules, heading in red, within gold and blue rules, the margins plain, catchword

Painting 9 x 6Ωin. (22.7 x 16.5cm.); folio 13Ω x 8Ωin. (34.2 x 22.5cm.)

£8,000-12,000

€9,600-14,000 43

US$11,000-16,000

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A CUERDA SECA POTTERY TILE PANEL

SAFAVID IRAN, 17TH CENTURY

Comprising six tiles painted in green, yellow, blue, orange, brown, white and black, the panel depicting part of a court scene with one panel of black nasta'liq on a white ground, the yellow border along the left edge containing stylised flowerheads between leafy vines stemming from white ground cartouches with black arabesques, minor chips to the edge, some restoration

Each tile 9¿in. (23.2cm.) square; panel 27º x 18ºin. (69.5 x 46.5cm.) (6)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

Boisgirard Antonini, Paris, 10 June 1997, lot 54

The cuerda seca (‘dry cord’) technique was one of the most extensively used forms of tile decoration in Safavid Iran. The method developed alongside tile mosaic in Central Asia in the latter part of the 14th century but was favoured during the reign of Shah ‘Abbas I because of its speed which allowed for monuments in Isfahan and nearby Na’in to be erected and decorated incredibly quickly (Venetia Porter, Islamic Tiles, London 1995, p. 175). While mosques and madrasas employed the traditional style of repeating geometric and vegetal designs, larger narrative scenes made up of individually painted tiles were a significant innovation for secular settings. These scenes could be purely bucolic or illustrate scenes from popular Persian poetry. Such scenes typically depicted outdoor settings with characters in garden landscapes and were commonly used in royal garden pavilions during the reign of Shah 'Abbas I and later through to the 1680s. Notable examples of such compositions can be found in the Metropolitan Museum (acc.no.03.9a), the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc.no.139:1 to 4-1891) and the Louvre (OA 3340).

Unlike the three panels mentioned above, the present lot includes written poetry within the composition. A very closely related tile to the present panel was sold in these Rooms, 28 October 2020, lot 36, and would have been part of a similar figural composition. That tile shared the same yellow floral border as the present panel and was decorated with verses from Khosraw va Shirin written in black nasta’liq. Although the text on our panel does not fit to the same poem as the 2020 tile, it is very possible that the two panels adorned the same pavilion or monument.

θ45

QUR'AN

SAFAVID SHIRAZ, MID-16TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 293ff. plus one watermarked flyleaf, each folio with 12ll. black naskh on gold-speckled paper, tajwid marked in red ink, gold floral verse markers, in gold and polychrome rules, the margins plain with illuminated roundels, sura headings in white thuluth against gold and blue illuminated panels, the opening bifolio with two illuminated shamsas, the following bifolio with sura al-fatiha in white thuluth inside two cusped medallions with floral illumination, against a cobalt-blue field of cloudbands and spiralling vines, the margins illuminated, the following folio with illuminated headpiece and the text reserved against gold illuminated cloudbands, the manuscript closing with dua' al-khatm and an illuminated falnama, in contemporaneous Safavid gilt-tooled leather binding with flap, the doublures with découpé medallions and spandrels

Text panel 9 x 5¡in. (23 x 13.6cm.); folio 14 x 8¬in. (35.4 x 21.9cm.)

£70,000-100,000

US$91,000-130,000

€84,000-120,000

The bustling artistic milieu of Shiraz in the mid-16th century is recorded by the traveller and calligrapher Burdaq Qazvini, who visited in AH 984/1577-8 AD. He wrote that ‘should anyone want to obtain a thousand illuminated books, they could be produced at Shiraz within a year’. He also added that such was the level of professionalisation among the scribes and illuminators of Shiraz that the manuscripts they produced ‘all follow the same pattern, so there is nothing to distinguish them’ (Sheila Blair, Islamic Calligraphy, Edinburgh, 2008, p.461).

Though this manuscript does not have a colophon, the overall layout of the second bifolio of the Qur’an, which contains the Fatiha, finds a close comparable in a Qur’an in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection which bears a date of AH 972/1564-65 AD (David James, After Timur. Qur'ans of the 15th and 16th Centuries, London, 1992, pp.186-187, no.45). Even more similar is a manuscript which was exhibited at the Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin, 14 July - 31 August 2006 (Will Kwiatkowski and Marcus Fraser, Ink and Gold, Berlin, 2006, no.35, p.118). That manuscript bore a waqf inscription indicating that it has been endowed by Huseyin Paşa during his stint as governor of Damascus between 1582 and 1583. The accompanying note by Kwiatkowski indicates that that manuscript is also similar to an example sold Sotheby's London, 12 October 2000, lot 17, which is believed to have been presented to Selim II by Shah Tahmasp in 1586. Collected by Ottoman sultans and ministers, the fame of the Shirazi school of Qur'anic illumination extended beyond the borders of the Safavid Empire even in the 16th century.

PROPERTY

A VELVET PANEL

SAFAVID IRAN, LATE 16TH OR EARLY 17TH CENTURY

The cream ground with a repeating pattern of large floral motifs, comprising a large flowerhead rising from a stem flanked by stylised leaves, mounted behind perspex

28¡ x 27¡in. (72 x 69.5cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute, Ada Small Moore

By descent to Edward Small Moore, Sr. With London trade, 1981

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

The artistic production of Iran flourished under Shah ‘Abbas I and the production of textiles was no exception. Luxurious silks and velvets were produced in workshops in Yazd, Kashan and Isfahan, and production reached a peak in the mid-17th century. As well as proving popular in Iran, Safavid velvets were highly sought after abroad and were some of the first fabrics to be sold on the international market (Nazanin Hedayat Munroe, “Silk Textiles from Safavid Iran, 1501-1722”, Metropolitan Museum of Art website, May 2012). The large size of the flower group on this textile is something that would have been technically difficult and time-consuming to achieve.

A Safavid floral velvet panel with a similar cream ground and palette, albeit with a more irregular design, was sold in these Rooms, 23 October 2007, lot 176.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

θ47

QUR'AN JUZ' XXV

SAFAVID IRAN, 17TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 28ff. plus four watermarked flyleaves, each folio with 8ll. black muhaqqaq, the word 'Allah' and the bismallah picked out in gold, tashkeel in red ink, gold roundel verse markers, three sura headings in gold thuluth reserved against polychrome illuminated panels, set within gold and polychrome rules, the margins plain with occasional illuminated medallions, the opening bifolio with 5ll. alternating black and gold muhaqqaq reserved against blue illuminated cloudbands with thuluth titles in cartouches above and below, in a contemporaneous gilt-tooled leather binding with flap, the brown leather doublures with découpé illuminated spandrels and medallion

Text panel 9æ x 6¡in. (24.7 x 16.1cm.); folio 13√ x 9ºin. (35.2 x 23.5cm.)

£25,000-35,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Christie’s London, 16 October 1980, lot 44

The Shakerine collection, Sotheby’s London, 23 October 2019, lot 30

US$33,000-45,000

€30,000-42,000

Several other volumes from this Qur'an have come onto the market in recent years. These include Juz' XI which sold in these Rooms, 8 April 2008, lot 193, Juz' XXI on the 10 April 2014, lot 76, and Juz' XXIII which sold Sotheby's London, 9 October 2013, lot 63.

AN IMPORTANT COMPLETE COPY OF THE RASA’IL IKHWAN AL-SAFA’ FOR THE SAFAVID GOVERNOR OF MASHHAD

θ48

RASA'IL IKHWAN AL-SAFA' ('EPISTLES OF THE BRETHREN OF PURITY')

SIGNED BY MUHAMMAD BAQIR IBN HAJJI MUHMMAD AL-HAFIZ, PROBABLY MASHHAD, SAFAVID IRAN, DATED AH 1041-42/1631-33 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 536ff. plus one flyleaf, each folio with 21ll. fine black naskh, divisions and subheadings in red ink, diagrams, various astrological charts and a drawing of the Nile river, all outlined in red, gold and polychrome rules, each risala with a gold and polychrome illuminated heading with white thuluth reserved against a gold cartouche and a colophon, the margins plain, catchwords, opening with a later fihrist, a shamsa with dense calligraphy signed and dated, the following bifolio with the text reserved against gold clouds with gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece and illuminated margins, in contemporaneous gilt-stamped Safavid binding with flap, the doublures with découpé medallion and spandrels

Text panel 10√ x 6ºin. (27.5 x 15.9cm.); folio 14¬ x 9¿in. (37.2 x 23.1cm.)

£130,000-150,000

PROVENANCE:

US$170,000-190,000

€160,000-180,000

Library of Abu al-Fath Manuchihr Khan (d.1636), Safavid Governor of Khorassan

Faridun Jah, Mansur 'Ali Khan Bahadur (1830-84), Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa (1838-1880)

With Richard Kelton (d.2019), California, by repute before 1990, From whose estate acquired by the present owner

Though the Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa' remains one of the most important philosophical works to have been produced in the Islamic world, much about it remains frustratingly vague. Its authorship remains disputed, and though it has been associated with both the Isma'ili and Mu'tazili schools, certain parts of the text do not fit easily into either.

Nonetheless, the style of the writing and ideas expressed remain consistent throughout, suggesting that the epistles were written by a tightly-knitted group over a short space of time, probably in the third quarter of the 10th century. The text is intended as a summary of knowledge produced in the previous millennium by direct revelation from God and the work of philosophers, who are themselves regarded as divinely-inspired. However, rather than being regarded as a work of reference, André Miquel suggests that the epistles 'incite not only to knowledge, but also to action', urging its readers to draw nearer to God through the pursuit of knowledge (Encyclopedia of Islam, New Edition, Leiden, 1986, volume III, p.1076). This ideal was steeped in philosophical traditions from across the Abbasid world: it includes quotations from the Torah, Babylonian Astrology, and the works of the Greek philosophers. Its Neoplatonist emphasis on divine unity and the striving of human souls to reach that state of unity has had an enduring impact on mystic movements within the Islamic intellectual tradition.

THE SCRIBE

The shamsa at the opening of the manuscript includes a lengthy note, providing details about the work and establishing the credentials of this manuscript as an authoritative copy. It details the names of five of the scholars to whom the scribe attributes authorship of the rasa'il. Abu'lHasan 'Ali ibn Ramnias [?], Muhammad ibn Ma'shar al-Muqdisi, Abu Ahmad al-Naharjuri al-Busti, Zayd ibn Rifa'i, and 'Ali ibn Harun al-Sabi. This broadly lines up with the authors identified by the contemporary writer al-Tawhidi, though with some slight alterations: he ascribes the laqab al-Busti to Muhammad ibn Ma'shar, and identified 'Ali ibn Harun as al-Zandjani. Only ibn Ramnias is not mentioned by al-Tawhidi, though he may be identified as al-'Awfi, the only figure mentioned by al-Tawhidi whom the colophon neglects to mention. The scribe of our manuscript identifies the chancery scribe Zayd ibn Rifa'i as an author and not only a compiler.

The note also states that the manuscript was copied from another which had been copied by Abu'l-Nasr Muhammad ibn Mansur ibn Sadr al-Din al-Hussaini al-Hassani al-Farsi dated to 12 Shawwal AH 955/13 November 1548 AD. This may be associated with the grandson of the Shi'i philosopher Sadr al-Din al-Dashtaki, founder of the Mansuriyya madrasa in Shiraz. It is only after this lengthy preamble that the scribe introduces himself by name, identifying himself as Muhammad Baqir al-Hafiz. He is also known from two further signed manuscripts: a Persian translation of the Suwar al-Kawakib al-Thabitah in the New York Public Library (acc.no. Spencer MS.6) and of the Kitab alHashayish reportedly in the Gulistan Library, Tehran. The scribe has signed the manuscript repeatedly at the end of letters - not just in the shamsa - over the course of AH 1041-42/1631-33 AD. Despite this being a huge project across two years the hand is impressively strong and consistent throughout.

THE COMMISSION

The text of the Suwar al-Kawakib was translated by Hasan ibn Sa'd Qa'ini at the behest of the Governor of Mashhad, the Georgian ghulam Manuchihr Khan (Sonja Brentjes, "Safavid Art, Science, and Courtly Education in the Seventeenth Century'', in Nathan Sidoli and Glen Van Brummelen (eds.), From Alexandria, through Baghdad, New York, 2014, p.494). Given the quality of that manuscript, it is likely that it was produced directly for Manuchihr Khan's own library. This is reflected not just in the strength and neatness of the hand but the high quality of illumination. The large illuminated headpieces and panels at the beginning of each letter is of the fineness associated with the best 17th century Safavid manuscript production. The similarities between our manuscript and this one in New York are several: both are dated throughout to AH 1041, written in a similar hand by the same scribe, and are of the same size. The illumination to the opening bifolio is also extremely similar with a floral lattice to the margins and a very similar headpiece above the incipit. It is interesting to note that although the New York manuscript, together with the Golestan Kitab al-Hashayish mentioned above, are Persian translations of Arabic classics, this manuscript is an untranslated work. Either way, it suggests that Manuchihr Khan was compiling for himself an impressive library of philosophical and scientific classics. This patronage foreshadowed that

of his son, Qarajaghay Khan II, who is most famous for commissioning the 'Windsor' Shahnama, perhaps hoping to liven up his father's library of scientific and philosophical works with some more literary texts.

A bookstamp towards the beginning of our manuscript identifies it as having formerly been part of the library of Faridun Jah, the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa (r.1838-80). The same book stamp has been identified on a Shahnama manuscript sold Sotheby's London, 23 October 2024, lot 175, and a Qur'an sold Bonhams London, 2 October 2012, lot 30.

THE TEXT

The manuscript includes an introduction and all 51 of the canonical rasa'il, with the 13th and 14th combined to form a single letter. Ours seems to be remarkable for its completeness, it includes all the four books (the mathematical sciences, the natural sciences, the rational sciences and the theological sciences), with no abridged or shortened letters. In the discussion of geography, there is an additional section dealing with places beyond the 'seven climes' of traditional Avestan geography. This is explained on p.177, where there is a note stating that 'whenever you want to copy this epistle for one of our brothers (may God protect them!), if he does not deal in astronomy [...] spare him from this addition', though for those who do 'you cannot withhold anything from the epistle'. As the patron of a manuscript of Suwar al-Kawakib, which the scribe was working on at the same time as this manuscript, Manuchihr Khan's interest in astrology was beyond dispute. Other unusual features of this manuscript include a diagram of the river Nile from the legendary 'Mountains of the Moon' to Alexandria, as well as a discussion of alphabets which includes diagrams with approximations of letters in languages including Himyarite, Greek, Hindustani, and Nabatean. Neither this nor the diagram of the Nile have been widely recorded in other Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa manuscripts, and indicate that this manuscript is unusual, not only for the quality of its commission, but also for its completeness. Given further study, this manuscript may prove to contribute further previously-unknown sections to this keystone text of early Islamic mysticism.

A 14th century Rasa'il manuscript, comprising only the first book on mathematics, was sold Sotheby's London, 10 April 2016, lot 35.

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF CHARLES AND REGINA SLATKIN

*49

A WHITE-EARED BULBUL

AFTER REZA 'ABBASI, BY ONE OF HIS STUDENTS, SAFAVID ISFAHAN, IRAN, RABI' I AH 1046/AUGUST 1636 AD

Ink and wash and opaque pigments on paper, signed and dated in black nasta'liq in the lower right-hand corner, set within red rules 8Ω x 6ºin. (21.6 x 15.9cm.)

£15,000-20,000

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

Upper inscription: huwa dar ruz-i chahar-shamba [sic] ghurra-yi rajab almurajjab sana 1037 az karha-yi ustad bihzad ‘alayhi al-rahma naql shuda raqam-i kamina riza-i 'abbasi ghafara ‘anhu, ‘He. It was copied from the works of Ustad Bihzad, (God’s) mercy be upon him, on Wednesday the first day of Rajab al-Murajjab 1037. Drawing of the lowly Riza-i ‘Abbasi, may (God) pardon him'

Lower inscription: huwa dar ruz-i 3 shanba dahum-i shahr-i rabi’ al-awwal sana 1046 az ru-yi tarh-i [sic] ustadam charba(?) shuda, 'He. It was traced(?) on Tuesday 10th of the month Rabi’ I year 1046 by way of my master’s design’

For full lot essay see christies.com

*50

A PORTRAIT OF MUHAMMAD 'ALI THE GILDER

ATTRIBUTED TO MU'IN MUSAVVIR, SAFAVID ISFAHAN, IRAN, DATED RAMADAN AH 1020/NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1611 AD

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, with 8ll. of black nasta'liq above arranged in 2 columns on a gold ground, inscribed, signed and dated below, set within gold and red rules, with narrow three-quarter border around the portrait in pale and dark blue with a foliate design, the margins with floral design, the verso with 24ll. black nasta'liq from a Shahnama of Firdawsi arranged in four columns with gold intercolumnar rules, set within narrow gold border and blue rules, the margins plain with catchword, mounted

Painting 6º x 3æin. (16 x 9.6cm.); folio 12¬ x 7¬in. (32 x 19.4cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 20 July 1960, lot 374

LITERATURE:

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

Rudolf M. Riefstahl, Catalog of an Exhibition of Persian and Indian Miniature Paintings forming the Private Collection of Dikran Khan Kelekian, New York, 25 November 1933 - 31 January 1934, no.82

INSCRIPTIONS:

Shabih-i nadir al-‘asri mulla muhammad ‘ali muzahhib, 'Likeness of the rarity of the age, Mulla Muhammad 'Ali the Illuminator (Muzahhib)' ba-tarikh-i shahr-i ramazan al-mubarak sana 1020 ustadam riza-i ‘abbasi sakhta bud, 'My master Reza-i 'Abbasi had created [it] on the date of the month of Ramadan al-Mubarak, year 1020 (1611)' 50

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A LADY ON HORSEBACK

ATTRIBUTABLE TO MU'IN MUSAVVIR, PROBABLY SAFAVID ISFAHAN, IRAN, DATED 1 JUMADA II AH 1115/12 OCTOBER 1703 AD

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set within magenta rules, the reverse plain, mounted, framed and glazed

7√ x 3√in. (19.9 x 9.9cm.)

£20,000-30,000 US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

INSCRIPTIONS:

The inscription reads ruz-i jum’a ghurra-i jumada al-thani 1115 ba-itmam rasid, ‘It was completed on Friday 1st day of Jumada al-Thani 1115 (12 October 1703)

The painter of this elegant lady is Mu‘in Musavvir (ca.1630s-1697), Reza Abbasi’s most celebrated and talented student, who was taken on as a pupil at an early age. Mu'in was one of the most prolific and renowned artists in 17th century Iran, particularly active from the 1630s to the 1690s. Known for his illustrated manuscripts, such as Shahnamas, he also produced numerous single-page drawings and paintings on a variety of subjects. Our painting exemplifies his distinctive style, which encompasses the European and Indian influences that became popular at the Safavid court after the 1640s.

This portrait, depicting a courtly lady adorned in an elegant outfit, jewels, and a fur-lined hat, highlights Mu'in's skillful brushwork. The lady's horse is also decorated with a gold jewelled neck strap, further enhancing the richness of the composition. The artist’s love for shades of pinks, purples, and oranges is apparent in her attire. Recent works sold at auction by Mu'in include two paintings from the Peggy and David Rockefeller Collection, sold at Christie's New York on 10 May 2018 (lots 1009 and 1001), and two works recently sold in these Rooms, 27 April 2023, lot 52 and more recently, 24 October 2024, lot 75.

A PAPIER-MÂCHÉ LACQUERED PENCASE

(QALAMDAN)

SIGNED MUHAMMAD ZAMAN, SAFAVID IRAN, DATED

AH 1081/1670-1 AD

With sliding tray, the top with a woman standing in a European landscape, the sides with a continuous design of flowers and fruits, the red base with a gold tracery floral meander, the interior plain, signed and dated on the top, overall very good condition 9¬in. (24.3cm.) long

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Private London Collection, 1990s-2023

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

The top of this qalamdan suggests a confluence of elements from contemporary European art. Muhammad Zaman and his contemporaries were known to have been interested in and influenced by European painting. The scene in the background - with its riverine landscape, tall church steeples, and figures in broad-brimmed hands riding over a rickety bridge - evokes the miniaturised backdrops of Renaissance portraiture. A European landscape also features on the interior of another Safavid qalamdan in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.2000.491a,b). The signature on that example indicates that it was painted by Hajji Muhammad, the brother of Muhammad Zaman whose signature appears on our qalamdan, suggesting that the two brothers may have studied the same scenes together.

The combination of a European landscape and standing female figure can also be seen on a qalamdan dated to AH 1121/1709-10 AD which was signed by Muhammad Yusuf and sold in these Rooms, 27 April 2017, lot 124. A difference between that example and ours is that

here the woman in the foreground is depicted leaning on a tree for support as she slides her left foot out of her shoe and up to her hand. This stance may suggest that she is engaged in removing a thorn from her foot, a subject which was also popular among the artists of the European renaissance, which goes back to classical antiquity. It appeared most famously on the walls of the bathroom of Cardinal Bibbiena, which were decorated with frescoes by Raphael in 1516, as part of the myth in which the goddess Venus pierced her foot on a rose thorn and stained the petals red. The scene was reproduced as bronze statuettes, such as one in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (acc.no.A.13-1964), and in prints, one of which is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc.no.49.97.322).

A very similar composition appears on an Indian pencase signed by a certain Manohar in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc. no.2002.416a,b). Though this is the name of an artist active at Akbar's court, the museum dates their pencase to the late 17th or early 18th century, making it probably slightly later in date than ours. A pencase with this design may have been used as a model by the Indian artist, or an artist may have travelled from Iran to India in search of patronage, perhaps hoping for more reliable patronage than they could find in an ever more unstable Iran.

θ53

QUR'AN

COPIED FOR AQA'I AQA MIRZA NASRULLAH, SIGNED MIRZA MUHAMMAD 'ALI KHANSARI AND MUHAMMAD 'ALI ISFAHANI, QAJAR IRAN, DATED AH 1278/1861-2 AD

Arabic manuscript on burnished paper, 315ff. plus two flyleaves, each folio with 15ll. fine black naskh, tashkeel in red ink, gold rosette verse makers, sura headings in gold thuluth against gold and polychrome illuminated panels, set within red and gold rules, the margins plain with annotations in cartouches at the beginning of each sura, sura title in illuminated palmettes in upper corner of each folio, catchwords, illuminated marginal pendants to indicate divisions, the opening and closing bifolios with cusped medallions of gold thuluth, the following bifolio with 6ll. black naskh with densely illuminated and pricked panels above and below and illuminated margins, the following folio with the text reserved against gold cloudbands, colophon signed and dated, in contemporaneous lacquer binding, red lacquer doublures with gold stencilling Text panel 7¿ x 4¡in. (18.2 x 11.2cm.); folio 10Ω x 6¬in. (26.6 x 16.7cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

Private American collection by 1997

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

by his successor (khalifa) Muhammad ‘Ali Isfahani, who finished it in AH 1278/1861-2 AD. Mehdi Bayani records a number of copies of the Qur’an and prayer books in the Golestan Palace Library copied by a certain Muhammad ‘Ali Khwansari between AH 1238/1822-3 AD and AH 1263/1846-7 AD. These include two Qur’ans made for Fath ‘Ali Shah in AH 1240/1824-5 AD and AH 1249/1833 AD respectively (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Navisan, vol. 4, Tehran, 1358 H.sh., p.180). There were a number of calligraphers called Muhammad ‘Ali Isfahani, including the calligrapher awarded the title Sultan al-Kuttab (Sultan of Calligraphers) by Nasir al-Din Shah, whose dated work is recorded by Bayani for the years AH 1268/1851-52 AD to AH 1317/18991900 AD (Bayani, ibid., pp. 175-6).

The marginal text was copied by Ibn Muhammad ‘Abd al-Husayn Isfahani in AH 1278/1861-2 AD. This can be identified as the celebrated shikasteh calligrapher ‘Abd al-Husayn Isfahani. A copy of the Kulliyat by ‘Abd al-Husayn Isfahani was sold in these Rooms, 27 October 2022, lot 60. The marginal text in a copy of the Qur’an in Harvard Art Museum is presumably also by him (acc.no.2014-394).

This richly illuminated Qajar Qur’an was copied for Aqa’i Aqa Mirza Nasrullah. The first section, up to sura Yusuf, was copied by Mirza Muhammad ‘Ali Khwansari. Following his death the rest was completed

The most likely identification for the patron of our Qur’an is E'temadal-Dawla, Aqa Khan (originally Nasr-Allah) Nuri Mirza, Prime Minister of Persia under Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar (1851-58). Aqa Khan Nuri was the second son of Mirza Asad-Allah Nuri, the chief army accountant under Aqa Mohammad Khan and Fath 'Ali Shah.

A MAGNIFICENT QUR’AN PRESENTED TO THE LIBRARY OF AMIR-I JANG (HISHMAT AL-DAWLAH) IN MASHHAD

θ54

QUR'AN

COLOPHON WITH THE NAME OF AHMAD AL-NAYRIZI (FL.1682-1722 AD), SAFAVID ISFAHAN, IRAN; THE ILLUMINATION AND BINDING, QAJAR MASHHAD, IRAN, DATED RAJAB AH 1285-RAMADAN 1287/NOVEMBER 1868-DECEMBER 1870 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 384ff. plus one flyleaf, each with 12ll. strong black naskh reserved against gold cloudbands, gold rosette verse markers, tajwid in red ink, sura titles in turquoise ink reserved against illuminated panels, in gold and polychrome rules, the margins plain with occasional illuminated medallions to mark divisions, the name of the sura and number of juz' in maroon ink to the corner of each folio with illuminated rococo floral swags beneath, catchwords, red outer rules, the opening bifolio with 9ll. gold thuluth within blue cusped medallion reserved against an illuminated field, the border with the names of each sura in alternating gold and blue boxes, the margins illuminated in gold, the following bifolio with illuminated heading on the right hand page and cobalt and gold illuminated margins, the following bifolio and f.343v and 344r with gold illuminated margins, the final bifolio with colophon with the name of Ahmad Nayrizi and date of renovation of manuscript with gold and polychrome illuminated margins, in Qajar lacquer binding, the doublures with inscribed medallions with date of restoration and name of patron Text panel 5√ x 3¬in. (14.9 x 9.3cm.); folio 10Ω x 6æin. (26.7 x 17.2cm.)

£80,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute Dr. Mohammad Baqir Alwan, Massachusetts

With London trade by 1995

US$110,000-150,000

€96,000-140,000

Combining strength with elegance, Nayrizi's hand, as described by Raby, is 'a confident one, characterized by exceptionally well-formed letters. Its most striking features are its relatively large size and the wide spacing of the lines of text' (Nabil Safwat, The Art of the Pen, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London, 1996, p.212). It is with Ahmad Nayrizi that we find the development of a distinctly Iranian powerful naskh that went on to be used as the standard Qur'anic hand throughout the 19th century.

A prayer book copied by Nayrizi is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (inv.2003.239; illustrated in Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2011, no.191, pp.272-274). Notable copies of the Qur’an by Ahmad Nayrizi sold in these Rooms 10 April, 2014, lot 97 and more recently 27 April, 2023, lot 40.

The colophon of this magnificent Qur’an states that it was copied by the famous scribe Ahmad al-Nayrizi. Nayrizi (fl. 1682-1722 AD) was born in the town of Nayriz in Fars. His primary master in naskh was Muhammad Ibrahim bin Muhammad Nasir Qumi, known as Aqa Ibrahim Qumi (fl.1659-1707 AD). In the late 17th century Nayrizi settled in Isfahan where he came to the attention of Shah Sultan Husayn (r.1694-1722 AD) who became an important patron and by whom Nayrizi was given the honorific surname Sultani. He produced work for royal patrons for almost two decades.

The colophon to this Qur’an states that it was illuminated and refurbished in Mashhad on the orders of Hamza Mirza Hishmat al-Dawla. He was the son of Crown Prince ‘Abbas Mirza, a cousin of Nasir al-Din Shah, and one of the most prominent military officers in the reigns of Muhammad Shah and Nasir al-Din Shah. He served as governor of numerous provinces including Zanjan, Khorassan, Isfahan, Azerbaijan, Yazd, Khuzistan and Luristan. This colophon is complimented by the information in the cartouche on the inside of the back cover, which is dated Ramadan AH 1287/NovemberDecember 1871 AD. Here it states that the Qur’an was bound, burnished, illuminated and gilded for the library of the Amir Jang (“Commander of War”). Some sources report the title Amir Jang to have been awarded to Hishmat al-Dawla in AH 1288 in connection with his campaign to Tbilisi to confront the invading Russian army (Marjam Arjah, “Hamzah Mirza Heshmat al-Daulah”, Daneshname-ye Jahan-e Eslam, vol. 14, online version, https://rch.ac.ir/article/Details?id=8042, accessed 7 March 2025). This cover indicates however that Hishmat al-Dawla was already ennobled with this title by AH 1287. At the time the manuscript was refurbished, Hishmat al-Dawla was governor of Khorassan, which explains why the task was completed in Mashhad. The left-hand page of the illuminated frontispiece bears the slightly later date of AH 1289/1872-3 AD.

55

'ABBAS MIRZA LEADING HIS TROOPS AT THE SIEGE OF ERIVAN

QAJAR IRAN, MID-19TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, an inscription cartouche to the upper edge, laid down on card, the reverse plain 15º x 21¿in. (38.9 x 53.7cm.)

£12,000-16,000

US$16,000-21,000

€15,000-19,000

56

A DIAMOND-SET ENAMELLED MINIATURE POCKET WATCH

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND FOR THE IRANIAN MARKET, CIRCA 1895

The case set with an enamelled portrait of Sultan Muhammad 'Ali Shah (r.190709), the reverse with the words 'Malekeh Jahan' in diamond-set nastaliq against blue enamel, within a ring of diamonds, a button in the crown to release the catch, the watch face with the hours marked in Roman numerals with the seconds marked to the outer rim in western Arabic numerals, case number 366, movement number 34633, movement with balance wheel escapement, case stamped with makers mark of Société Général des Monteurs de boîtes en or' (active 1882-1933) 1in. (2.4cm.) diam.

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

Collection of Prince Sultan 'Ali Mirza Qajar, grandson of Sultan Muhammad 'Ali Shah

Sold Kapandji Morhange, Paris, 19 April 2012, lot 251

Muhammad 'Ali Shah, the sixth Qajar shah, reigned between 8 January 1907 and 16 July 1909 during the turbulent period of the Enghelab-e Mashruteh, the Persian Constitutional Revolution. His father, Mozzafar al-Din Shah Qajar (1896-1907), ratified the constitution in 1906 which was opposed by Muhammad 'Ali Shah upon coming to power. In 1908 the Shah attempted to remove parliament by force resulting in a year long period of unrest resulting in Muhammad 'Ali Shah's abdication following the capture of Tabriz by pro-constitutional forces. Muhammad 'Ali Shah would live in exile in Odessa until 1920 before moving to Istanbul and finally Sanremo in Italy until his death in 1925. The reverse of our watch bears the name of his wife Malekeh Shah who was mother to Ahmad Shah Qajar (1909-25), Muhammad 'Ali Shah's successor and the final Qajar shah. The small size of the watch indicates that it was made for a woman, very possibly for Malekeh Shah herself.

This watch comes from the collection of Muhammad 'Ali Shah's grandson and Head of the Qajar Imperial Family Prince Sultan 'Ali Mirza Qajar. Sultan 'Ali Mirza was born in Beirut before moving to Paris where he served as a barrister. Due to the brief reign of Muhammad 'Ali Shah, objects commissioned during this period are very rare and those with a royal provenance are even scarcer. A Swiss pocket watch intended for the Persian market with a portrait of Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar was sold in these Rooms 27 October 2022, lot 63.

*57

FATH 'ALI SHAH QAJAR

AFTER MIHR 'ALI, QAJAR IRAN, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Oil on canvas, depicting Fath 'Ali Shah Qajar standing with a jewelled red coat and high jewelled hat, framed 7ft. 3in. x 4ft. 1in. (221 x 124cm.)

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

US$52,000-77,000

€48,000-72,000

Collection of Iskander Aryeh Anon. sale, Christie's London, 12 October 2004, lot 168

More large-scale paintings of Fath 'Ali Shah (r. 1797-1834) survive than of any other Qajar monarch, a direct result of an enormous effort to replicate images of the ruler for display throughout his empire. This widespread reproduction was in part driven by the establishment of the Dar al-Funun, a school where students studied the arts, including the painting of portraits of the Shah and other court figures. Many of these later works were created by students who sought to honour Fath 'Ali Shah, venerating his image as a symbol of power and divinity. The later reproductions produced by these students or their followers reflect the idealised, official court style of the period.

This painting follows what Layla Diba describes as the "official metropolitan court style" (Layla S. Diba: Royal Persian Paintings, New York, 1998, p.183). It directly copies a work by Mihr 'Ali, the most celebrated of Fath 'Ali Shah's court artists, which is now in a private American collection. The original Mihr 'Ali painting depicted the Shah holding a bow and arrow; however, these were later painted out and replaced by beads in his hand. Our painting, which also shows the Shah holding beads, must have been painted after this adjustment was made.

These efforts to replicate the image of Fath 'Ali Shah demonstrate not only the importance of the ruler’s image in the Qajar period but also the artistic training and influence of institutions like the Dar al-Funun, where the skills of painting and reproduction were passed down to the next generations.

A RASHT EMBROIDERED AND APPLIQUÉED WOOLEN PANEL

QAJAR IRAN, CIRCA 1875

Red, purple, green, blue and black felted wool panels embroidered with floral decoration, boteh decorating the outer border, overall good condition

13ft.6Ωin. x 7ft.2Ωin. (413 x 220cm.)

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

US$9,100-13,000

€8,400-12,000

By repute, private German collection since the 1980s

Though often referred to as embroideries, panels of this type were created using several different techniques. This included the cutting out of parts of the ground fabric and the insertion of identical-shaped pieces of felted material, a technique known as resht-duzi. In the late 19th century, Major R. Murdoch Smith, the director of the Persian Telegraph Department, recalled that although the technique had originally been used for 'showy horse clothing,' by the 1870s Rasht embroideries were being used 'for table, sofa, and chair covers, where intercourse with Europeans has introduced such articles of furniture' (quoted by Jennifer Wearden, "Rasht Textiles", HALI 59, p.121).

A textile of very similar design to the present lot, with a near identical border, was sold by Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 31 May 2014, lot 160. However, that textile was less than half the size of the present lot. A comparable example in terms of size was sold in these Rooms, 15 April 2010, lot 72. As well as a similar design, that panel was inscribed with the name of the patron, 'Awn al-Mamalek via the courtier Sayyed Razi Mustafawi, and dated AH 1291/1874 AD.

A STILL LIFE

QAJAR IRAN, 19TH CENTURY

Oil on canvas, depicting a table laid with bowls of food with a cat and a rabbit before a palace garden, framed

62º x 33√in. (158.1 x 85.9cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

By repute, private UK collection since the 1980s

Still life as a genre entered Persian painting in the late 18th century, when the artist Mirza Baba began to fill the foreground of architectural paintings with arrangements of oversized ripe fruit - a natural counterpoint to the lavish manmade wealth of palace architecture beyond (see S.J. Falk, Qajar Paintings: Persian Oil Paintings of the 18th and 19th Centuries, London, 1972, pl.3). Replete with the kind of imagery and allusions expected of their European models, these paintings accentuated the richness and succulence of the fruit through exotic touches such as Chinese porcelain bowls and sumptuous brocaded tablecloths. Contemporaneous photographs attest to the use of these paintings within reception rooms and garden pavilions reflecting and enriching the surrounding landscape.

A recent example of a Qajar still life sold in these Rooms, 31 May 2022, lot 66. For further examples using similar iconography see Sotheby's sale of the Berkeley Trust, 12 October 2004, lots 19 and 29; Layla Diba, Royal Persian Painting: The Qajar Epoch 1785-1925, New York, 1998, nos.64a-b, pp.21415; and B.W. Robinson, Qajar: La pittura di corte in Persia, Milan, 1982, p.31.

THREE FOLIOS FROM A SULTANATE MANUSCRIPT

60

GUL FALLS IN LOVE WITH HURMUZ IN THE GARDEN

SULTANATE INDIA, 15TH CENTURY

An illustration from a Khusrawnama of 'Attar, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, with 8ll. black naskh arranged in two columns above, heading picked out in gold thuluth, set within gold and blue rules, the reverse with 19ll. black naskh, margins repaired

Painting 6 x 5¬in. (15.4 x 14.2cm.) max.; text panel 8Ω x 4√in. (21.6 x 12.5cm.); folio 11 x 6æin. (27.8 x 17.2cm.)

£7,000-10,000

US$9,100-13,000

€8,400-12,000

This folio and the two in the following lot are from a manuscript which has been attributed to Sultanate India based on the style of the figures, as well as similarities with the script of the late 15th century Ni’mat-nama in the British Library (IO Islamic 149). The square format and style of figures in the painting relates to four Shahnama illustrations made in India and dated to the second quarter of the 15th century (S1986.144; S1986.145, and S1968.146; National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC). A copy of the Javami’ al-hikayat dated to 1438-9 in the British Library (Or.11676) also has square illustrations in a similar style, of which one (f. 46) has similar gold spandrels in the top corners to the painting of Khusraw and the daughter of Zangi in following lot from this sale. Both the British Library and Washington DC manuscripts have previously been attributed to Southern Iran which reflects the movement of artists from Tabriz, Shiraz, or Herat to the new ateliers of the Indian subcontinent under the patronage of the Delhi Sultans.

Three leaves from the present manuscript sold at, Sotheby’s London, 12 December 1972, lots 175-5. More recently folios have sold at Sotheby’s London, 28 April 2004, lot 50 and 9 October 2013, lot 211 and Bonhams London, 17 September 2014, lot 184. Further folios have also been sold in these Rooms, 16 October 1980, lot 55; 13 April 2010, lot 70; 6 October 2011, lot 118; and 27 April 2023, lot 59.

†61

TWO ILLUSTRATIONS FROM A KHUSRAWNAMA AND ASRARNAMA OF 'ATTAR SULTANATE INDIA, 15TH CENTURY

Both opaque pigments on paper heightened with gold, one folio from the Asrarnama of 'Attar depicting the Prophet Muhammad in conversation with 'Ali, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and Bilal, with 2ll. black naskh arranged in two columns above and 3ll. below, within gold and blue rules, margins repaired; the other from the Khusrawnama of 'Attar depicting Khusraw and the daughter of the Zangi, 9ll. black naskh arranged in two columns below, within gold and blue rules, marginal annotations, each pasted onto mount, framed and glazed Largest 6¿ x 4æin. (15.5 x 12cm.); text panel 8Ω x 4æin. (21.8 x 12cm.); folio 11 x 7in. (28 x 17.5cm.) (2)

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE: Muhsin Sayyid Mahdi, Massachusetts (1926-2007)

US$9,100-13,000

€8,400-12,000

Although the folios from this dispersed manuscript have always been catalogued as the Khusrawnama it is more likely that the manuscript from which they came was a compendium of poetry of ‘Attar Nishapuri (d. circa 1221). The previous lot and the painting here of Khusraw and the daughter of the Zangi are illustrations from the Khusrawnama. However, the painting of the Prophet Muhammad in conversation is from the Asrarnama. Unlike the Khusrawnama which is a narrative epic poem, the Asrarnama contains brief anecdotes to reflect on the transience of existence and the vanity of material things. Another illustration from the same Asrarnama was sold in these Rooms, 27 April 2023, lot 58.

A LACQUERED BOOK BINDING

PROBABLY HYDERABAD, DECCAN, INDIA, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY

Two lacquered boards, each with a central panel depicting maidens in a garden, set between a narrow inner gold border and wider black borders with gold and polychrome floral illumination, within a border with meandering gold vines on a brown ground, the reverse black with double gold stripe and dot motif, some restoration Each board 10Ω x 6√in. (26.5 x 17.5cm.) (2) £8,000-12,000 US$11,000-15,000

€9,600-14,000

Figural lacquer from the Deccan is extremely rare. Our binding relates to a lacquered jewel box in the Victoria & Albert Museum painted by the artist Rahim Deccani, and attributed to Golconda, last quarter of the 17th century (inv. 851-1889; Mark Zebrowski, Deccani Painting, London, 1983, nos 169-174, pp.20203). The box painted by Rahim Deccani has an unusual depiction of a man with long curly hair in European dress playing a flute. This interest in other cultures is also illustrated on our binding with the depiction of a man in a large Ottoman-style turban holding a rose standing in a doorway on the left hand edge of the panel. The tall female figures wearing small floral pattern motif lenghas and cholis are very similar to Hyderabadi painting of the first half of the 18th century. For a painting attributed to Hyderabad of that period with female figures very similar to those found on our binding see Mark Zebrowski op.cit. no.226, p.253.

A SILK-EMBROIDERED PANEL

DECCAN, INDIA, CIRCA 1800

The cotton ground vividly embroidered in silk, the field with columns of ascending paired flowering vines, enclosing a central roundel with a peacock encircled by pairs of parakeets, the spandrels similar, the inner border with lions and deer within a similar flowering vine, the outer border with large spiralling flowerheads, applied fringes, unlined 10ft.2in. x 8ft.4in. (309 x 254cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

Our textile is unusual among this group, which is generally accepted to have been woven in the Deccan and exported to Europe via Goa, because it lacks almost any metal thread. Stephen Cohen suggests that such examples may have been woven in 'different, as yet unidentified, centres in south India', rather than the centres normally associated with this group (Stephen Cohen, 'Deccani Embroidered Floor Spread', HALI 186, p.48). However, there are a number of similarities which allow our piece to be connected to examples which have this metal thread. The pale ground and open border is similar to an example sold as part of the Ann and Gordon Getty Collection, Christie's New York, 24 October 2022, lot 1130. The design with a peacock in the central medallion also relates to examples in the Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts (acc. no.2012.22.3).

TWO FOLIOS FROM THE MONGOLSCHE KEYSERS ALBUM

*64

SULTAN ABU SA'ID MIRZA

PROBABLY GOLCONDA, DECCAN, INDIA, CIRCA 1700

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the verso plain with identification inscriptions in black nasta'liq, sepia Latin and light red devanagari, mounted 16√ x 10¬in. (43 x 27cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 13/14 April 1976, lot 267 (part lot), Waddington and Tooth Galleries, London, 1977

LITERATURE:

Indian Paintings from the 17th to 19th centuries including examples from Rajasthan, the Punjab Hills, the Deccan and other areas, Waddington and Tooth Galleries, exhibition catalogue, London, 1977, no.4

Abu Sa'id Mirza was the Timurid ruler between 1451 and 1469. Following the death of Shah Rukh in 1447 Abu Sa'id Mirza turned against his cousin Ulugh Beg, in whose court he had been serving. Although Abu Sa'id brought a period of relative stability in the twilight of Timurid rule, he died in a failed invasion of western Iran. Despite his failure to restore the former glory of the Timurid Empire, his grandson and first Mughal Emperor Babur would establish Timurid rule in India.

This portrait and the following lot both come from a now dispersed album commissioned around 1700 by a Dutch traveller, perhaps Cornelius le Bruyn. The album was entitled ‘Mongolsche Keysers’ and contained nineteen large-scale portraits of Mughal rulers, princes and their ancestors. As with our portraits, each is identified on the reverse in Dutch and/or Latin and in Persian.

Portrait albums of Mughal and Deccani rulers proved popular amongst European – and particularly Dutch – travellers in the late 17th and early 18th century. The Witsen Album contains very similar albeit smaller portraits and is in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (RP-T-00-3186) whilst other comparable albums are in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (Estampes, Od 32 and Od 61, see Hurel 2010, nos.230 and 234, pp.167-173) and the British Museum (1974.0617,0.2). Cornelius de Bruyn, the possible patron of ‘Mongolsche Keysers’, published Voyages de Corneille le Bruyn par la Moscovie en Perse, et aux Indes Orientales, in Amsterdam in 1718. The work recounted le Bruyn’s travels and was illustrated by a number of engravings which are similar to the present portraits. Single portraits from the present album have sold in Sotheby’s, London, 12 October 1981, lot 34; 15 October 1997, lots 72 and 73; 26 April 2017, lot 127 and 128; Sotheby’s, New York, 21 March 2002, lot 218. Others were sold in these Rooms 27 October 2023, lots 65 and 65 and 24 April 1990, lots 85 and 86.

THE EMPEROR AURANGZEB AT AGE

PROBABLY GOLCONDA, DECCAN, INDIA, CIRCA 1700

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the verso plain with identification inscriptions in black nasta'liq and black latin script, mounted 16√ x 10√in. (43 x 27.8cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 13/14 April 1976, lot 267 (part lot), Waddington and Tooth Galleries, London, 1977

LITERATURE:

Indian Paintings from the 17th to 19th centuries including examples from Rajasthan, the Punjab Hills, the Deccan and other areas, Waddington and Tooth Galleries, exhibition catalogue, London, 1977, no.5

‘Mongolsche Keysers’, the album from which both this portrait and the preceding lot come from, is not dated but the present painting is inscribed on the reverse in Dutch as depicting the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb at the age of 80. Since Aurangzeb was born in 1618 it would suggest that the portrait must have been painted in or after the year 1698. The album as a whole was sold in Sotheby’s, 13/14 April, 1976, lot 267 before it was broken and the paintings sold individually by London based art dealer Arthur Tooth and Sons.

The portraits are of an impressive size which suggests that they were painted in Golconda. A painting of comparably large size depicting Jahangir offering jewels to Asaf Khan which was probably painted in Golconda in the late 17th century was sold at Sotheby's London, 26 April 2017, lot 126. That painting is painted in a stiff but precise style similar to that of our two portraits which relates to other Deccani paintings produced following the Mughal conquest of the Deccan in the 17th century, with Golconda only falling to the Mughals in 1687.

A FOLIO FROM A ROYAL ALBUM MADE FOR SHAH JAHAN

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION 66

A NASTA'LIQ QUATRAIN

THE CALLIGRAPHY SIGNED 'ABD AL-RAHIM 'ANBARIN QALAM, MUGHAL INDIA, DATED AH 1030/1620-21 AD; THE MARGINS MUGHAL INDIA, MID-17TH CENTURY

Persian poetry on gold-sprinkled paper, with 4ll. gold-outlined black nasta'liq in clouds reserved against a gold ground decorated with polychrome floral illumination, two further lines written at the vertical either side and a further line in a triangular panel beneath the signature and date, laid down between blue and cream gold-illuminated borders with red, black and blue rules, the buff margins finely decorated with goldoutlined polychrome floral sprays and clouds, mounted on card

Text panel 7Ω x 3¬in. (19.1 x 9.3cm.); folio 15º x 9√in. (38.8 x 25.4cm.)

£60,000-80,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute, UK art market, in 1970s

Anon. sale, Christie's, London, 6 October 2011, lot 261

INSCRIPTIONS:

Oh, the nine skies are exemplars of your exalted status

Old times have grown young in your time

Your heart forgives not and seeks purpose only in kindness

Many lives will be sacrificed for your kind heart

The humble 'Abd al-Rahim 'Anbarin Qalam

US$78,000-100,000

€72,000-95,000

'Abd al-Rahim (active 1590-1625) originally came from Herat, but later joined Jahangir's court as one of his great master calligraphers. Amongst his album pages are fifteen collected for an album made for Shah Jahan (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Nevisan, Vol. II, Tehran 1346 sh., pp.389-91).

It seems he came from a talented family. His grandfather is mentioned in a note by Shah Jahan as the likely calligrapher of a diwan in his royal library. 'Abd al-Rahim was granted the title, Anbarin Qalam (musk pen), by Jahangir who so admired him that he commissioned a portrait of him by the Mughal artist Daulat to be added to a copy of Nizami's Khamsa finished by the calligrapher in 1595 AD (British Library, Or. ms. 12208). Among his album pages are 15 collected for an album made for Shah Jahan, which were signed in the same manner as ours faqir 'abd al-rahim 'anbarin qalam sana 1030 (Bayani, op.cit p.389-391) For further reading on this calligrapher see Toby Falk (ed.), Treasures of Islam, exhibition catalogue, Geneva 1985, p.170, no.150 and Abolala Soudavar, Art of the Persian Courts, New York 1992, pp. 120, 339.

This album page is closely linked to a series of well-known albums of paintings and calligraphy produced for the Mughal Emperors, Jahangir and Shah Jahan with distinctively elaborate decorated borders. The incorporation of a wide variety of blooming plants as a border ornament is a classically Mughal practice and one probably inspired both by European botanical prints that increasingly found their way into the court in the first half of the 17th century.

Another calligraphic folio from the same album also signed by 'Abd al-Rahim 'Anbarin Qalam and also dated AH 1030/1620-21, sold in these Rooms, 26 April 1994, lot 14. Two folios from the same album sold at Sotheby's as part of the Berkeley Trust sale, 12 October 2004, lots 4 and 5. More recently a page from the 'Late' Shah Jahan Album with a calligraphy by 'Ali Al-Katib was sold at Sotheby's, London, 27 October 2020, lot 435.

A GILT GLASS HUQQA BASE

MUGHAL INDIA, 18TH CENTURY

Of spherical form with a short cylindrical neck, the body gilded with five flowering irises above a band of floral meander, the neck with borders of scrolling vine and leaf decoration, repeating leaves extending into the body, the neck with four further irises, crack to the body

8¿in. (20.5cm) high

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

London art market by 1980

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

The production of glass huqqa bases in India began in the late 17th century, coinciding with the introduction of tobacco into the Mughal empire and the rise in popularity of smoking through huqqas. As tobacco use spread across the empire, the craft flourished, leaving a distinctive legacy of artistic glasswork. Known centres for Mughal glass production included Lucknow, Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Sind (Hyderabad). However, it is often difficult to attribute a specific workshop to most known huqqa bases (Stefano Carboni, Glass from Islamic Lands, The Al Sabah Collection, Kuwait National Museum, Thames & Hudson, London, 2001, p. 381).

This exquisite huqqa base features beautiful gilt relief decoration, similar to a piece at the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv.no.IS.90-1948). Other examples include those in the British Museum (inv.no.1961,1016.1) and one with gilt poppy flowers at the Cleveland Museum of Art (inv. no.1961.44). Another notable example of a Mughal glass huqqa base sold at Bonhams London, 15 April 2010, lot 432. For the most recent publication on Mughal glass refer to Tara Desjardins, Mughal Glass: A History of Glassmaking in India, Roli Books, New Delhi, 2024.

PORTRAIT OF A PRINCE

MUGHAL INDIA, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set between a narrow gold border and buff margins with gold illuminated floral sprays, painting pasted onto card and set into later mount, framed and glazed

Painting 7√ x 3æin. (20 x 9.5cm.); folio 13æ x 10¿in. (34.8 x 25.8cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

69

A RARE GOLD BROCADE ROBE

MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1700

Gold and silk threads, brocaded, the gold ground decorated with a repeating design of red floral sprays, red and blue silk lining 39¡in. (100.1cm.) long

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

Possibly Henry Vansittart (1732-1770) when Governor of Bengal from 1759 to 1764 or his brother George Vansittart (1745-1825 when in Bengal from 1761 to 1776

Thence by descent to the late Sir John and Lady Smith

This magnificent metal-thread brocade garment is a rare survival of the Mughal silk ateliers, and would have been worn by a courtier. The textile is decorated with gilt-metal thread interwoven with coloured silk. The Persian-style rose bushes seen here are a decorative motif widely found in Mughal textiles, from carpets to shawls and velvets. Contemporaneous Mughal paintings provide accurate visual references in to the fashion of the time and the type of garments and textile designs used at the courts. An example of such is a folio from The Late Shah Jahan album sold in these Rooms (26 October 2017, lot 180), which depicts Mirza Raja Jai Singh Kachhwaha of Amber (r.1621-67), a Mughal courtier dressed in a jama constructed from a gold brocade very similar to our example.

The shape of this robe classifies it as an angarkhi, which is a shorter form of an angarkha. An angarkha (from a Sanskrit term meaning ‘body protector’) is a type of robe characterised by an inserted panel

over the chest. Angarkhis are less commonly depicted in painting than angarkhas. The Victoria & Albert has two paintings from the 1760s which depict angarkhis worn by the main subject (inv. no. D.1180-1903 and IM.24-1917).

The use of precious material such as silver and gold and the expensive and lengthy procedures involved in creating brocade textiles made them highly valued and valuable. As a result, we come across garments, such as ours, where an older brocade has been re-used and re-fashioned into a newer style of courtly attire.

The provenance of this robe is noteworthy for it is believed to have belonged to either Henry Vansittart (1732-1770) who was the Governor of Bengal from 1759 to 1764 or his brother George Vansittart (17451825), who was in Bengal from 1761 to 1776. Henry was preceded by Robert Clive, also known as Clive of India. Both Henry and George collected many objects during their time in Bengal. A painting of Nadir Shah Afshar was amongst one of the noteworthy purchases made by Henry Vansittart which was later presented to the East India Company by his son Rt. Hon. Nicholas Vansittart.

The existence of the rather large body of portraits of English officials in Indian attire, particularly those associated with the East India Company illustrates the fascination of the European visitors with the Indian style and traditions of the time. A great example of such a practice is the painting of John Foote, Captain of the British East India Company, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1761 housed in the York Museum, along with the actual Mughal garment that he is depicted wearing (inv. no. YORAG:2003.4.a). Another Mughal robe from the same provenance was sold in these Rooms, 27th April 2023, lot 68.

†70

THE CAPTURE OF A PRISONER

ATTRIBUTED TO MAHESH, MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1595

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, text panels overpainted above and below, set between a gold border, black, white and red rules, mounted onto gold-speckled cream margins, the verso plain, pasted within gold-sprinkled brown mount

Painting 10º x 6√in. (26.2 x 17.5cm.); folio including mount 15Ω x 11Ωin. (29.7 x 39.8cm.)

£40,000-60,000 US$52,000-78,000

€48,000-71,000

PROVENANCE:

Dorothy Bohm (1924-2023)

The style of the faces and the jagged rocky outcrop seen here suggest an attribution to the artist Mahesh (Mahesa). An important artist in Akbar’s atelier, he is one of the seventeen artists noted as having ‘attained fame’ by Abu’l Fazl in the A’in-i Akbari (translated by Blochmann, London, 1873 (reprint 1989), vol.I, p.114). Mahesh is known to have worked on the Hamzanama, the Baburnama, the Victoria & Albert Akbarnama (notably comparable illustrations are IS.2:41-1896 and IS.2:99-1896), the Jaipur Razmnama and a number of paintings from the Darabnama which is now in the British Library (Add. Or. 4615; notably comparable illustrations are folios 5b and 90a). In describing a painting of Capricorn from the Eva and Konrad Seitz collection John Seyller notes the distinctive treatment of rocks by Mahesh which are nearly always smooth in curving shard-like outcrops coloured in violet and green as found in the present lot (Mughal and Deccani Paintings, Zurich, 2010, no.1, pp.32-4). A painting by Mahesh from the Sven Gahlin Collection was sold at Sotheby’s London, 6 October 2015, lot 9.

The overpainting above and below the 16th century work obscures text which makes it difficult to tie the work to any specific dispersed illustrated manuscript from the Akbari period. However, it was likely intended to be part of a royal commission given the quality of the painting and the other manuscripts that Mahesh is known to have worked on. The width of the present painting immediately precludes a number of Akbari manuscripts and the format of the page, which appears to have had large text panels above and below possibly with the painting extending around, ruling out other contenders. A similar painting dated circa 1590-95 from an unidentified Mughal manuscript depicting two armies in combat and of comparable size and format was with Francesca Galloway (A Prince’s Eye, London, 2013, no.1J). That painting has a text panel within the

painting plane which has been obscured in gold. A number of similar folios are known including two in the Khalili Collection (inv. nos. MSS 569 and MSS 637), which were all in the collection of Hagop Kevorkian sold in Sotheby’s London, 6 December 1967, lot 117; 1 December 1969, lot 117; 7 April 1975, lot 98; 12 April 1976, lot 70; and 2 May 1977, lots 98 and 101. The Kevorkian group include figures from early Islamic history and the Old Testament and so it has been suggested it could be an abandoned history or perhaps a Qisas al‘Anbiya. The subject of the present painting

and figures within are difficult to identify from a contemporary Mughal history and the overly large ceremonial gem-set mace held by the figure on the left does not seem to feature in other Mughal paintings of contemporary court scenes. Therefore it is tempting to think that this painting could have been from the same manuscript or a similar history to the defaced ex-Kevorkian group.

We would like to thank John Seyller for his assistance with cataloguing this lot.

71

AN ALBUM PAGE

MUGHAL INDIA, THE PAINTING LATE 16TH OR EARLY 17TH CENTURY, THE CALLIGRAPHY AND MARGINS MID-18TH CENTURY

Verso with a composite painting of a portly scribe with a yogi on the left and a Mughal officer on the right, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the scribe identified in black nasta'liq, laid down within gold and black rules on margins with gold floral scrolls, the recto with a nasta'liq quatrain laid down with later illumination, the margins decorated with a gold floral lattice Painting 5Ω x 8Ωin. (13.6 x 21.4cm.); album page 12 x 8ºin. (30.3 x 21cm.)

£30,000-50,000

PROVENANCE:

US trade by 1980

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$39,000-65,000

€36,000-60,000

In nasta'liq above the scribe pisar-i farrukh fal, 'The son of Farrukh Fal'

The central figure in the painting of this album page is identified as the son of Farrukh Fal, who was an officer at the Mughal court of Agra in the second half of the 17th century noted for his unattractive appearance and obesity. However, our figure is shown with almond-shaped eyes, piercing rounded pupils and small mouth more typical of late Akbar-era portraiture. Therefore, the attribution is likely a later erroneous one. Another portrait of a portly courtier tentatively identified as Farrukh Fal and dating to circa 1700 is shown in Navina Najar Haidar and Marika Sardar, Sultans of Deccan India, 1500-1700: Opulence and Fantasy, exhibition catalogue, New York, 2015, cat. 171, p. 295. A comparable but slightly later portrait of a Yogi wearing a cape is in the collection of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin (Linda York Leach, Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, London, 1995, no.2.55, p. 208).

The text on the reverse is a quatrain in praise of knowledge which has been attributed to Amir Husayni Haravi Sadat (d.1498). Our calligraphy relates very closely in appearance to a calligraphy by Mir 'Ali Haravi from the Shah Jahan Album in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (obj.no. 55.121.10.5), however our text uses the word harf ('word') where it is 'ilm ('learning') in the Mir 'Ali. (reverse)

AN

INDO-PORTUGUESE EMBROIDERED COVERLET (COLCHA)

PROBABLY SATGAON, WEST BENGAL, 17TH/18TH CENTURY

The ivory linen panel embroidered with lemon-yellow, turquoise, lime-green, and salmon-pink silk, a central roundel depicting a double-headed eagle encircled by eight birds, enclosed by a field of various animals, the corners with mounted figures below generously flowering plants, in a border of mirrored birds, the corners with a floral garland, a fringe applied to three sides, black corroded 9ft.9in. x 6ft.9in. (296 x 206cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

Many of the embroideries imported into Portugal from India in the 17th century are associated with the port of Satgaon, present day Saptagram, and Hooghly. Particularly prized were figural examples, of the type which the council of the British East India Company at Surat in 1619 described as 'stitched with birds, beasts, or work very thick, such as used by the Moors instead of carpets. Of this sort there comes, it seems, from Bengalla'. Visiting Bengal in 1629, the Portuguese missionary Sebastian Manrique similarly noted the rich trade in 'very rich backstitched quilts, bed hangings, pavilions, and other curious articles

worked with hunting-scenes' (both quoted in John Irwin and Margaret Hall, Indian Embroideries, Ahmedabad, 1973, p.36).

Many surviving examples of this tradition of embroidery are densely woven in yellow silk thread only, frequently depicting biblical scenes such as an example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc. no.1975.4). Ours comes from a second group, using polychrome silk and with a symmetrical pattern about the vertical axis. Often they are decorated with horsemen surrounded by what Virginia West described as 'a veritable bestiary of stags, dragons, heraldic lions, and strange animals' in her description of a piece displayed at Portugal and the East through Embroidery, the Textile Museum, Washington D.C., 11 December 1981-23 January 1982 (HALI vol.4, no.3, p.300). Like our example, that embroidery was also decorated with the double-headed eagle. This instantly recognisable symbol of the Habsburg royal family indicates that these embroideries were both made after the period when Portugal was under direct rule of Spain between 1580 and 1640.

A similar embroidery, also with a hunting scene, was sold Sotheby's London, 18 January 2023, lot 169.

IN THE LAND OF KNIGHTS AND DEMONS: A LATE MUGHAL EPIC BASED ON THE SHAHNAMA INCLUDING THE GARSHASPNAMA AND SAMNAMA

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION

θ73

AN EPIC BASED ON THE SHAHNAMA INCLUDING THE GARSHASPNAMA AND SAMNAMA

PROBABLY MUGHAL LAHORE, SECOND QUARTER 18TH CENTURY

Composed on the model of the Shahnama of Abu'l Qasim Firdawsi (d. 1024 AD) including text from the Garshaspnama of Hakim Abu 'Ali Ahmad Asadi Tusi (d. 1073 AD) and the Samnama attributed to Khwaju Kirmani (d. 1349 AD), Persian manuscript on paper, 464ff., each with 29ll. fine black nasta'liq arranged in four columns, small titles in red in panels over the central two columns, gold intercolumnar and interlinear divisions between black rules, similar inner and outer margins, incomplete at end, with 117 large and extremely fine miniatures illustrating the texts in opaque pigments heightened with gold, many signed by Miran, large section of the manuscript with spaces left for further miniatures, opening folio of poem with gold and polychrome finely illuminated headpiece, marginal annotations throughout, partially erased rectangular seal of Asaf al-Dawla in the lower margin of the recto throughout, in Safavid morocco binding with gilt stamped medallion on the scrolling ground enlarged with Qajar stamped black borders to accommodate the manuscript, découpé leather doublures, occasional smudging and worming throughout, some damages and repairs predominantly to edges and margins, occasional splitting at the margins

Text panel 11º x 6¿in. (28.5 x 15.8cm.); folio 19æ x 11æin. (50.2 x 29.9cm.)

£700,000-1,000,000

PROVENANCE:

US$910,000-1,300,000

€840,000-1,200,000

Library of Asaf al-Dawla, Nawab of Awadh (1775-97), as per the partly erased seal impression on the verso of each page Ghaemmaghami Collection, Tehran

Habib Sabet Collection (d. 1990), Tehran and Paris Anon. sale, Christie's London, 10 October 2006, lot 113

From the moment that Abu’l-Qasim Firdowsi finished writing his epic masterpiece in 1010, the Shahnama has been retold and elaborated upon by later poets. Artists illustrated manuscripts of the poem, bringing its narrative to life for generations of readers. As the stories travelled from Iran to India, local artistic and storytelling traditions provided additional inspiration and variation. Here the early stories of the Shahnama are told in their fullest form. Though Firdowsi only mentioned Garshasp and Sam briefly, our manuscript recounts in detail their travels to strange lands, their romances with Paridukht and Rudaba, and their encounters with ferocious divs. Inspired by this fabric of stories, the artist Miran painted over one hundred vibrant illustrations to guide the reader through this landscape of knights and demons.

THE TEXT

This extraordinary manuscript comprises three texts: the Shahnama of Firdawsi (d. 1025 AD), the Garshaspnama of Abu Mansur 'Ali bin Ahmad Asadi Tusi (d. 1073 AD) and the lesser-known Samnama which has been attributed to Khwaju Kirmani (d. 1349). The titular heroes of the Garshaspnama and Samnama are only dealt with briefly by Firdawsi and the text of the Shahnama used here does not strictly adhere to the published version. Sections have been abridged, omitted or replaced to provide for a more visually interesting group of illustrations.

The text is introduced by the preface from the Baysunghur Shahnama of 1430 which, ironically, states that no additions have been made to the text. This is followed by the preface of Abu Mansur Mamari’s Shahnama of 957. Abu Mansur’s Shahnama was the primary source for Firdawsi’s text but is now lost although the preface, which gives the genealogy of Abu Mansur’s family back to Khosrow II (r. 591-628), is widely reproduced in later Shahnamas as it has been here.

The main text then opens with the Shahnama which runs until the death of Jamshid at the hands of the evil King Zahhak. The text comprises twenty-one folios and is illustrated by seven paintings. This moves directly into the Garshaspnama of Tusi which comprises ninety-four folios and thirty-one illustrations. The story centres around Garshasp, the great-grandfather to Rustam, and is notable for its philosophical discussion that goes alongside the narrative. However, much more to the benefit of the illustrations are the many battles against rhinoceri and elephants encountered by Garshasp in the story.

The Garshaspnama is followed by a return to the Shahnama which runs through approximately one third of the middle of the manuscript where there are spaces left empty for further illustrations. Then comes the Samnama which recounts the exploits of the hero Sam, son of Nariman. The story centres around his love for the Chinese princess Paridukht all the while engaging in a succession of battles with demons (divs) and giants. These subjects must have been especially ripe for artists and it is unsurprising that this section includes fifty-three illustrations, the final nine all episodes from the life of Zal.

The manuscript ends with the birth of Rustam. Given the lack of a colophon and the abrupt ending, it suggests that this manuscript was intended as the first volume in an incredibly ambitious project with a second volume intending to include the remainder of the Shahnama, the Bahmannama and Barzunama. Traditionally the post-Shahnama epics were treated as separate entities from Firdawsi’s Shahnama and

often purposefully excluded as a dilution of Firdawsi's masterpiece. However, the influence of romantic oral traditions of storytelling meant that the Shahnama began to serve as an opening for the post-Shahnama epics to reappear as part of enlarged versions of the Shahnama.

The arrangement of this text follows on from the practice of interpolation of texts for illustrated manuscripts from Shiraz and other centres of manuscript production in the second half of the 16th century. The earliest example with sizeable interpolation is a manuscript described as a compendium of epics copied in Qazvin by Abd alVahhab in 1569 which must have set a precedent for other interpolated texts (Karin Ruhrdanz "About a group of truncated Shahnamas: A case study in the commercial production of illustrated manuscripts in the second part of the sixteenth century. Muqarnas, Volume XIV, pp 118133).

THE PAINTINGS

The paintings in the manuscript fall into two sections with the large section of unillustrated spaces described above in between. Although the majority of paintings appear to be in the same hand there is a noticeable difference between the two sections. The first section prefers to draw upon stock motifs and compositions from earlier works. In places this leaves paintings lacking cohesion or even contrasting elements comprising the same composition. The second section is far more coherent and successful as a result.

A good example of the eclecticism of the first section is found in an illustration of Garshasp killing two lions (f.57r) and another where Garshasp visits a Brahmin (f.40v). In the first painting the lions appear almost cut and pasted from an earlier 17th century example (see Shah Jahan hunting lions at Burhanpur in the Windsor Padshahnama, Royal Collection Trust RCIN 1005025.au). Meanwhile Garshasp is mounted on a horse which is noticeably different from the unbridled horse in the far side of the image. In the second painting a Brahmin painted in the earlier Mughal tradition and relates to a painting of a Pahlavan initiation ceremony from the Aurangzeb period in the St. Petersburg Muraqqa' (f.131b recto). The nilgai in the foreground are also well painted and recall a study of a nilgai by Mansur from the Shah Jahan Album, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (obj.no. 55.121.10.13). However, Garshasp and the mountains are rendered comparatively poorly.

Further examples of this eclecticism are scattered throughout the first section of the manuscript. These include irregular depictions of villages or fortifications, the inclusion of European-style square-riggers as sea vessels of choice and elephants which are almost always well-drawn. Where the artist was unable to draw upon earlier Mughal stock types for animals, such as nilgai or elephants, the result is noticeably weaker with an example being the painting of the giant water rat (f.75r). Another surprising weakness is the depiction of dragons (f.47v. and f.118r.), images of which should have been readily available in earlier manuscripts.

Whilst it is unclear if there was a gap of any meaningful time between the paintings in the first and second sections, by the second section our artist is generally more consistent with more harmonious compositions. It is in this more profusely illustrated second section that the true joy of the manuscript lies. The painter clearly delights in the numerous paintings of demons and giants, which often equal or even surpass earlier prototypes. The text of the Samnama provides a wide variety of demons for the artist to depict in all different colours, personalities and sizes. The impressively large scope and scale of these demons and giants, often dwarfing Sam and his men, finds parallel only in Akbarperiod manuscripts such as the Razmnama of Hamida Begum (Linda York Leach, Paintings from India, Oxford, 1998, no.9, pp.40-7, and Milo Cleveland Beach, The Adventures of Rama, Washington D.C., 1983, pp.18, 29).

THE ARTIST

A majority of the paintings are ascribed to ‘Miran’ either below or in the margin. This name does not seem to feature in contemporary texts or in more recent scholarship, but he must have been highly skilled and of sufficient standing to be primary artist on a project of such ambitious scale and expense. The huge number of illustrations tackle a wide range of subjects and to be responsible for portraying each would have presented a large challenge, at times met more successfully than others.

Two loose paintings from the present manuscript ascribed to Miran have come to market. The first is from the Samnama section and was exhibited in Paris in 1983 (Marie-Christine David and Jean Soustiel, Miniatures orientales de l'Inde, Paris, 1983, cat. 40, pp.40-1). The second of Kaveh petitioning Zahhak was sold in these Rooms, 10 June 2013, lot 64. A further unsigned painting from an unidentified epic was sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2019, lot 83, which bears close stylistic comparison to the paintings in our manuscript and may well be by the same hand.

Another painting signed ‘Miran’ and dated AH 1147/1743-5 AD is a copy of an early 17th century painting of Jahangir watching wrestlers from a balcony (Boris Dorn, Catalogue des manuscrit et xylographes orientaux de St. Petersbourg, St. Petersburg, 1852, no.489, fol.3r, pp.420-21). That painting is a faithful copy, if somewhat stiffer. The three-quarter rendering of some of the faces of the figures and the close together positioning of eyes are features consistent with our illustrations. The wrestlers themselves in the St. Petersburg painting are comparable to the figures seen disembowelling an elephant in f.38r of the present manuscript.

That so many paintings in the manuscript, especially in the first half, almost directly draw upon earlier models means that Miran must have had access to a considerable library of 16th and 17th century Mughal manuscripts. In the mid-18th century this points to a small number of possible locations, all of which would be major Mughal centres. One clue in ascertaining the place of production can be found in the turbans worn by the protagonists when not in battle, also seen in all three of the aforementioned loose paintings. The distinctive large turban with a plume at the crest is closely comparable to those in an illustrated Khavarannama from Kashmir in the National Museum, New Delhi (inv. No. 89.1065). Although the paintings of that manuscript are inferior to those here, there are similarities in tonality and composition of certain scenes, in addition to the fashion. Lahore is the closest large Mughal metropolitan centre to Kashmir which would fulfil the criteria discussed above and seems a likely place of production for our manuscript with its stocky figures, simplicity of vegetation and blocks of bright yellow and green.

The similarities between the paintings in our manuscript and painting in the Pahari hill states around a similar period, or slightly later, should also be noted. In particular, comparisons should be drawn to the depiction of demons from our Samnama and those in 18th century Pahari painting. A group of folios from a Bhagavata Purana dated 1775-1790 and attributed to the Nainsukh Family Workshop from Guler and now in the Royal Collection Trust shows a similarly wide variety of demons with comparable features to those in our manuscript (including RCIN 925233; RCIN 9252237; RCIN 925231 and RCIN 925230).

In our manuscript we witness Miran's transformation from the faithful copyist to the fully-fledged master. From his tentative inclusions of earlier elements in the first part, through to the glorious images later on, here is an artist coming of age, integrating the sum of his influence into a coherent and highly personal style.

PROVENANCE

The verso of each page of the manuscript bears the rectangular seal impression of the Nawab Wazir of Awadh Asaf al-Dawla (r. 1775-97). Although the Nawabs of Awadh were part of the Mughal nobility, Asaf al-Dawla continued to exert ever-greater independence as de facto ruler of Awadh as centralised Mughal political power dissolved through the 18th century. Asaf al-Daula moved the capital from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775, remodelling the city and transforming it into a cultural hub in an attempt to surpass his rivals Tipu Sultan of Mysore and Nizam ‘Ali Khan of Hyderabad in cultural capital (Arts of Courtly Lucknow, p.18). As part of this process, Asaf al-Dawla assembled a splendid library of paintings and manuscripts which had been sold or looted from the Mughal imperial library following Nadir Shah’s sacking of Delhi in 1739. Three of the manuscripts from the Lucknow library were the Padshahnama, the Gulistan of Sa’adi copied by Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri and the Khamsa of Nava’i copied by Sultan ‘Ali Mashhadi which were presented to Lord Teignmouth for King George III in 1799 and are now in the Royal Collection Trust (RCIN 1005025; RCIN 1005022; RCIN 1005032).

This splendid manuscript formed part of the esteemed library at Lucknow before it was later part of the Ghaemmaghami Collection in Tehran and then the Habib Sabet Collection. Sabet (1903-1990) was an Iranian Baha’i industrialist, entrepreneur and philanthropist who would become one of the wealthiest men in Pahlavi Iran. Sabet started out in the burgeoning automotive industry before he founded Zamzam in 1955, the first bottled soft drink company in Iran in close association with Pepsi-Cola. He would then become a pioneer of Iranian television broadcasting. Habib Sabet left Iran before 1979, settling in Paris and finally Los Angeles. He formed an important collection of art which, as well as specialising in Iranian art of the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods, contained an outstanding collection of French furniture and Chinese jades.

Nawab Wazir of Awadh Asaf al-Daula (r.1775-97)

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

74

FOUR PAINTINGS FROM A KRISHNA LILA SERIES

JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, CIRCA 1820-40

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, each set within a green border with gold trailing vine decoration, the red margins painted with gold flowering sprays, a long yellow cartouche in the upper and lower margin containing one or two lines of black and red devanagari identifying the scenes, smaller cartouches to either side two of which are numbered in red, narrow yellow and green outer borders, pasted down onto card mounts, framed and glazed

Largest 8Ω x 13º (21.6 x 33.5cm.); folio 11¿ x 15æin. (28 x 40cm.) (4)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

Each painting illustrates a couplet of romantic poetry centred around the nayika and nayaka, here represented by Krishna and Radha, written in the cartouche in the upper margin with the cartouche below containing an explanation. A similar painting, perhaps from the same series, sold in these Rooms, 24 May 2017, lot 205 and another 10 October 2014, lot 94.

KAMOD RAGINI

AMBER OR JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY

An illustration from a Ragamala series, opaque pigments heightened with gold and silver on paper, 5ll. black devanagari above identifying the Raga, set within narrow silver borders and red margins with white, red and black rules, the verso plain, mounted and framed

Painting 9Ω x 6Ωin. (24.3 x 16.7cm.); folio 11æ x 8¡in. (29.8 x 21.4cm.)

£3,000-5,000

PROVENANCE:

US$3,900-6,500

€3,600-6,000

Probably anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 27 March 1973, lot 97 (unillustrated)

With Anne-Marie Kevorkian, Paris, 5 October 1995 per sticker on the reverse of the frame

This illustration relates very closely to a group of dispersed Ragamala illustrations of similar bright palette and dimensions which have been variously attributed to Amber or Jaipur in the mid-18th century. An illustration from the set, Vibhasa Ragini, is in the National Museum, New Delhi (inv.no. 58.58/83; K. Ebeling, Ragamala Painting, Basel, 1973, C40, p.105). Another, Gunakali Ragini, is in the Cleveland Museum of Art (inv. 54.261). Three illustrations from the set were sold in these Rooms, 12 June 2018, lots 18-20. A group of thirty-six illustrations from the series was sold Sotheby's London, 27 March 1973, lots 65-100. In a sale at Sotheby's 1973, lot 97 was unillustrated but described as: "Kamodini Ragini: A Saivite Shrine with a lady dressed as a yogini worshipping, a girl waving a fly-whisk over her, a bed prepared on the right and a girl at a window above". It is likely this is the present lot.

76

A NOBLE ON HORSEBACK

SAWAR OR ISARDA, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, SECOND HALF 17TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, narrow black borders cropped on the right edge, the reverse pasted to a fragment of an incomplete painting, mounted

8º x 7in. (21 x 17.7cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

With Peter Blohm, UK, 2013, from whom acquired by the present owner

The fine horse depicted here is closely comparable to a painting of a pink stallion from Sawar, which was sold in these Rooms 27 October 2023, lot 35. Despite the present painting being of a smaller scale, both paintings employ similar line shading to model the bodies of the stallions which both have a very similarly braided mane and sport a single white feather on the top of the bridle.

PROPERTY FROM A NOTABLE PRIVATE COLLECTION

■77

A PARCEL GILT SILVER CHARIOT AND HORSES

BIKANER, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, MID-19TH CENTURY

The chariot constructed from a wooden frame coated with silver repoussé panels nailed into place, the raised parts plated in copper, comprising three parts, a detachable palanquin resting on top of a chassis with two parts attaching by a bolt, the palanquin with a ribbed square canopy supported by pillars rising to an ornate finial and a flagstaff with a triangular flag depicting Hanuman, to the front a projecting overhang with a hanging fringe supported by sinuous branches issuing from makara heads,, the sides with cusped low walls with a high scalloped backplate with a heraldic design featuring paired female figures to the interior and lions to the exterior, the interior with two square footwells and the seat lined with red velvet embroidered with metal thread, the palanquin handles with elephant and lion heads, the rear section of the chassis with two wheels attached separately to iron bolts with a silver-plated mock axle running between them, each wheel with six pairs of spokes and a steel rim with mudguards and bow-shaped caps, the front section of the chassis with two similar wheels also attached with a mock axle, supporting a flat broad beam with an overall floral lattice design, at the end an elephant head finial and to each side a knotted fringe, supporting an ornate silver yoke bolted to the silver horses, the horses cast in two halves with the tail and head attached, red paint to the nose and mouth and black to the hooves, the eyes glass, with velvet and brocade reins

9ft.5in. x 4ft.11in. x 8ft.7in. (286 x 151 x 262cm.)

£80,000-100,000

PROVENANCE:

The Maharaja of Bikaner

Anon. sale, Lempertz, Cologne, 18 May 1973, lot 359

Anon. sale, Christie’s London, 27 September 2001, lot 73

Anon. sale, Sotheby’s Paris, 17 October 2007, lot 79

LITERATURE:

Mughal Silver Magnificence, exhibition catalogue, Brussels, 1987, p.74, pls.60 and 61.

US$110,000-130,000

€96,000-120,000

This spectacular processional carriage (char) complete with two silver horses and topped by a silver flag was made for the Maharaja of Bikaner and while it appears to be solely decorative, it is completely functional; the wheels are even fitted with steel rims. The upper canopied section detaches completely allowing it to also be used akin to a palanquin or howda. The two horses can be unhitched, allowing something more practical, and then reattached for display. This carriage was intended to carry two children dressed as Krishna and Radha, possibly during the annual Ratha Yatra (chariot festival).

Records of European visitors to Indian palaces of the 16th century record the presence of silver covered wood furniture (Amin Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, p.226). However, surviving examples suggest that the practice became particular popular later in the Rajput courts under the East India Company and later British influence. By the mid-19thcentury the production of silver covered furniture was common practice in the royal courts of Rajasthan. Most often the forms imitated Western models with Indian decoration such as a regency style four-poster bed sold at Bonhams London, 28 September 2011, lot 73. In the present lot this is reversed with the form of the carriage purely Indian but with European forms and decorative motifs creeping in. Of particular note is the imitation armorial backrest with two flanking lions which recalls the imitation armorials found on a late 19th century royal silver table from Udaipur, sold in these Rooms 10 June 2015, lot 97.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

*78

A PRINCESS ON A TERRACE

BUNDI, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set within black and white rules and red margins, the reverse plain, areas of restoration

Painting 16Ω x 10Ωin. (42 x 26.8cm.); folio 18¡ x 12Ωin. (46.7 x 31.8cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Howard Hodgkin

Spink & Son, London, 1982

LITERATURE:

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

The European Fine Art Fair, Handbook, Maastricht, 1990, p. 222

Ludwig Habighorst et al., Genuss und Rausch, Betel, Tabak und Rauschdrogen in Indischen Miniaturen, Koblenz, 2007, pl.59, p.91

The portrait of our princess, with the heavily shadowed outline and plain green ground typical of Bundi painting, relates closely to other paintings of the second half of the 18th century (see Milo Cleveland Beach, Rajput Painting at Bundi and Kota, Ascona, 1974, no. 40 and p.20). Similar portraits are also found in the wall paintings of the royal fort at Bundi (Beach, An Unknown Treasure in Rajasthan – the Bundi wall paintings, London, 2014, p.63 and p.66). The headdress worn in the present painting is more unusual and may identify her as a princess or lady of title rather than a courtesan and relates the present painting very closely to one in the Louvre Abu Dhabi which is of a similar impressive size and dated circa 1750 (LAD 2012.102). The scene of a princess or courtesan drinking alone on a terrace from a delicately small wine glass, no doubt in expectation of company, is not an unusual motif and a comparable painting from Hyderabad, circa 1700, forms one side of a double page opening to an album (Darielle Mason, Intimate Worlds, Indian Paintings from the Alvin O. Bellak Collection, Philadelphia, 2001, no.42, p.114). A very similar Bundi painting with a lady drinking but shown at a jharoka window was sold at Sotheby's, New York, 6 October 1990, lot 101.

AKBAR RECEIVES A MESSAGE

PROBABLY MEWAR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set within a narrow green border with white, red and yellow rules, gold sprinkled buff margins with white outer rule, the verso plain, mounted, framed and glazed Painting 9¡ x 5√in. (23.8 x 14.5cm.); folio 11º x 7Ωin. (28.5 x 19.3cm.)

£20,000-30,000

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

The present scene most likely derives from a royal Mughal history of the late 16th century and is comparable in arrangement of figures to a painting of Akbar receiving his sons at Fathhpur from the Akbarnama of 1590-95 (Victoria and Albert Museum, IS.2:110-1896). Although the fashion and scene appears late 16th century Mughal, the painting is most likely from Mewar in the early 18th century. The painting combines the Mughal subject matter and a more Mughal approach to portraiture alongside the early Rajput preference of flat pattern-making, as seen in the trees and rocks of our painting. This is typical of painting during the reign of Amar Singh II (Andrew Topsfield, Court Painting at

Udaipur, Zurich, 2001, p.123). The eyes of the figures in our scene recall those of 18th century Mewar painting, however the figures themselves are not of the stockier composition which became characteristic of Mewar painting as the 18th century progresses.

Mughal subjects are unusual in Mewar painting of this period. A painting of Bahadur Shah and his sons, dated circa 1710-20 and sold in these Rooms, 28 October 2021, lot 42, has comparable figures in addition to the Mughal subject matter. The landscape in our painting, with rocky outcrops formed by repeated ovals, horizontal shading to suggest grass and architecture in the far horizon recalls a painting of a royal hunting party dated 1705-15 formerly in the collection of Toby Falk which was sold in these Rooms, 27 October 2023, lot 49. The facial portraits, including attempts at a three-quarter portrait, and depictions of hunting birds between the two paintings are also comparable. Unlike the Falk painting, ours has a particular sketchy quality, especially in foreground and background. A Mewar painting of a lion hunt dated to the first half of the 18th century with a similar sketchiness, especially in the treatment of the background, was sold in Sotheby’s London, 24 April 2024, lot 157.

A JHAROKA PORTRAIT OF MAHARANA BHIM SINGH OF MEWAR (R. 1778-1828)

ATTRIBUTED TO CHOKHA, UDAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, CIRCA 1810

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, narrow black borders with red margins and white rules on the left and right edges, a yellow rectangular panel containing one line black devanagari above, the verso with one line black devanagari, mounted, framed and glazed

13√ x 9√in. (35.5 x 25.4cm.)

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

Private Collection, Switzerland 1970s-2004

With Francesca Galloway, London, 2004

Private UK collection, 2004-2013 from which acquired by the present owner

US$52,000-78,000

€48,000-71,000

This formal jharoka portrait depicts Maharana Bhim Singh of Mewar (1778-1828) as assured, confident and powerful, dressed in rich fabrics and a draped in jewellery that is given tangible volume through the use of thick impasto. The portrait’s impressive physical size contributes to its grandeur. The painting successfully masks the reality that although Bhim Singh retained some pride, he was generally amiable and ineffectual as a ruler. His reign was full of humiliations and his court was for the most part near-destitute (Andrew Topsfield, Court Painting at Udaipur, Zurich, 2001, p.215). Nonetheless, Bhim Singh reversed the trend of court painting in Mewar which had almost ceased to exist in the late 18th century through his patronage of the painter Bagta and, more importantly, his son Chokha.

This present portrait is typical of Chokha’s blossoming independent style in Udaipur following his father’s return to the court at Devgarh. Chokha’s figures are stocky and thickset, the men with strong necks and hirsute (ibid, p.221). However, unlike earlier more rigid court portraiture Chokha has been noted for his great ability at imbuing expression and rasa (sentiment) into his work. He excelled at expressing sringara rasa (erotic sentiment) through the large and languid eyes of his portraits and his figures often appearing curvaceous and sensual. Molly Aitken notes how sringara rasa is expressed in the portraiture of Bhim Singh through emphasising the Maharana’s physicality and the volume of his body, often shown semi-naked. He is presented as an ideal of male beauty (Molly E. Aitken, The Intelligence of Tradition in Rajput Court Painting, New York, 2010, p.217-18). In our portrait the Maharana is shown fully clothed but the sense of his tangible physicality remains. His forearm spills over the balustrade and the thick impasto jewels serve to raise the painting out of the two-dimensional plane.

Although Chokha may have excelled in his expression of sringara rasa, the present portrait is an example that the artist was equally adept at expressing vira rasa (heroic sentiment). Whilst maintaining the tangible physicality discussed by Aitken, Chokha’s more formal portraits of the Maharana are capable of reflecting strength and regal dignity. This is found in a painting of Maharana Bhim Singh returning from a boar hunt, dated 1803 which Andrew Topsfield credits as the artist reaching the ‘height of his powers’ (San Diego Museum of Art, 1990.640;Topsfield, op.cit., fig. 197, p.221). Another vira rasa portrait of Bhim Singh is a very large half life-size painting on cloth in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (1985.31), the face of which bears a striking resemblance to the present portrait suggesting that the two were painted at a similar time. Our depiction of Bhim Singh is also very similar to a mural portrait of Bhim Singh from the same period in the Chitram ki Burj, Udaipur City Palace (ibid, fig.205, p.226).

Another painting attributed to Chokha was sold in these Rooms, 31 March 2022, lot 103 and another was sold in Sotheby’s London, “The Edith and Stuart Cary Welch Collection”, 25 October 2023, lot 47.

81

KRISHNA SUBDUES THE SNAKE DEMON KALIYA

A MASTER OF THE MANDI WORKSHOP, PUNJAB HILLS, CIRCA 1825-30

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, margins cropped and fragmentary black rules on three sides, the verso plain

9æ x 7Ωin. (24.7 x 18.8cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Private UK collection, 1960s

Professor Conrad Harris, UK, early 1970s

Anon. sale, Bonhams, London, 5-13 August 2020, lot 151

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

The softly shaded faces, jewellery, distant architecture and rendering of Krishna's crown (on the tree behind) of our painting are features shared by two comparable paintings in the Victoria and Albert Museum attributed to Mandi, circa 1820-30, one of which is attributed to the School of Sajnu (IS.30-1949 and IS.127-1949). The pompoms worn on the arms by Kaliya's wives can be seen in a painting attributed to the workshop of Sajnu, Mandi, circa 1810-20 published in J.P. Losty, A Mystical Realm of Love: Pahari Paintings from the Eva and Konrad Seitz Collection, London, 2017, no.89.

Although not the hand of Sajnu himself the high quality of our painting must be that of a slightly later master artist and is finer than the two Victoria and Albert examples above. It seems very likely that our artist trained with Sajnu or worked in his workshop in Mandi. The fine level of detail of our artist is noticeable in the group of unconscious gopas and cows with the goldhorned cows relating to a painting of Taurus attributed to Sajnu, circa 1810, in the Cleveland Museum of Art (acc.no. 2020.432). Some elements of our painting, including the depiction of the vegetation and golden framed clouds, also relate to a painting in the Rietberg Museum (RVI 1810). That painting has been attributed to Kangra circa 1850 following on from Purkhu's workshop and it is therefore possible that our artist had some knowledge of Kagra painting or the work of Purkhu and his workshop.

Professor Conrad Harris taught medicine at Leeds University from 1986 until his retirement in 1998. He was a keen collector of Indian paintings as well as Chinese ceramics and Japanese woodblock prints.

SURATAVICHITRA MADHYA NAYIKA

ATTRIBUTED TO SAJNU, MANDI, PUNJAB HILLS, INDIA, CIRCA 1810

An illustration to a Rasikapriya of Keshav Das, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set within a black border with gold floral decoration, red and white rules, the pale pink margins decorated with abstracted clouds outlined in pale purple, floral sprays issuing from the midpoint of each border outwards into the margin towards the corners, the verso plain, mounted Painting 10º x 7ºin. (26 x 18.5cm.); folio 13√ x 10¬in. (35.1 x 27cm.)

£30,000-50,000

PROVENANCE:

With Raymond E Lewis, California, by 1974 (inventory number 00613), Private West Coast Collection, Anon. sale, Sotheby's New York, 16 March 2016, lot 831

US$39,000-65,000

€36,000-60,000

Radha and Krishna, the ideal lovers, look passionately at each other following a night spent together with the dawn sun seen breaking over the hills in the background. Radha is sat up and naked except for an orange wrap whilst Krishna lies contentedly in just a diaphanous saffron shawl.

Sajnu was working at the court of Raja Isvari Sen (r.1788-1826) of Mandi. His work shows a strong stylistic link to Kangra and Guler painting and has been termed ‘Phase Two’ by W.G. Archer. Archer describes this change in style of painting as a ‘revolutionary break’ from the ‘bold, primitive’ and ‘at times, crude’ style of Phase One (circa 1700-1800; Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, London, 1973, Vol. I, pp. 360 - 361). Although not a direct descendent Sajnu is counted within the "family" of Nainsukh and Manaku on account of his working within and developing their style. It is likely he trained with artists of the First Generation after Nainsukh and Manaku in Kangra before moving to Mandi in the first decade of the 19th century (Goswamy and Fischer, Pahari Masters: Court Painters of Northern India, Zurich, 2012, p.311).

Although there are no signed works by the artist, works can be attributed to him by comparison to a circa 1810 Hamir Hath series with an inscription by him. There is also a painting of a western horned pheasant (phulgar) inscribed to Sajnu and dating it to approximately the same year as the Hamir Hath series. An illustration from the Hamir Hath was sold at Christie’s New York, 22 September 2021, lot 457 and the pheasant 16 September 2014, lot 306. The present painting belongs to a dispersed Rasikapriya series attributed to Sajnu and his workshop dated between 1810-20. Two comparable paintings from the same series are in the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc.nos. IS.204-1955 and IM.70-1912).

The delicate rendering of the figures, soft faces, the bright textiles, the pale colours of the architecture with niches and turrets in the background, are similar to other works attributed to Sajnu by Archer (op.cit., Vol. I, nos. 43-47, pp. 362-363; Vol. II, 274-276). Although the present painting is uninscribed, the very high quality of the hand with regard to Radha and Krishna is that of a master. Comparably fine portraiture is found in a painting of Vishnu on Garuda attributed to Sajnu circa 1810-20 in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2019.144) as well as a painting of Shiva and Parvati being worshipped, attributed to the style of Sajnu, which sold in these Rooms, 25 May 2017, lot 57. That painting features elaborately gold-illuminated spandrels in the borders which relate to the delicate floral-sprays in the borders of the present painting. Imaginative treatment of borders is another feature associated with the work of Sajnu and his circle.

The depiction of Radha with her small mouth, gently curving eyebrow and attention given to individual curls of hair in the present painting also relates to a fine painting of a lady with a parakeet attributed to Sajnu circa 1820 which sold at Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3115. Again, that work is framed by elaborate gold and polychrome illuminated spandrels.

83

BABA BISHAN SINGH

PROBABLY BY THE ARTIST, PUNJAB, CIRCA 1850

Opaque pigments on card, identifying label on the reverse, with original backboard

8º x 6¿in. (21 x 15.5cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Bonhams, London, 25 October 2007, lot 483

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

This portrait relates closely to another identified as Bishan Singh published in K.C. Aryan, Punjab Painting ('Notes on the Painters', No.4, no page number). That painting is inscribed bishan singh musavvir which suggests that it was painted by the artist. Bishan Singh is particularly noted for his impressively detailed large paintings depicting life in Amritsar and Lahore, two such paintings contain depictions of artists, thought to be Bishan Singh himself. The first is a painting of the Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, sold Sotheby’s London, 31 March 2021, lot 44 and the second a large painting of the walled city of Amritsar, sold at Roseberys 15 April 2015, lot 131 and now in the Private Collection. In each he is depicted in profile and as a member of the wider cast of characters.

Bishan Singh became particularly famous for his detailed depictions of the Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) but his repertoire embodies more than mastery; his work traces a pivotal point in Pahari painting as Singh “was the first to imbibe the western ideas of painting [and] was followed by a host of painters” (K.S. Kang “Art and Architecture of Panjab,” in History and Culture of Panjab, ed. Mohinder Singh, Delhi, 1988, 276). Bishan Singh’s epic works seamlessly fused two otherwise contrasting styles, producing work that responded to the phenomenon of the rise of Company painting and English talent in the Kashmiri region (R. Crill “Textiles in the Punjab,” in The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms, ed. Susan Stronge, London, 2001, 112). Two large format paintings by the artist sold in these Rooms, 31 March 2022, lots 97 and 98.

84

A SIKH NOBLE INSPECTING A HORSE

PROBABLY GULER, PUNJAB HILLS, INDIA, CIRCA 1830

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set within dark blue borders with silver and gold floral decoration, red speckled pink margins, the verso plain, mounted

Painting 7Ω x 10æin. (19 x 27.3cm.); folio 13¿ x 9√in. (25.1 x 33.3cm.)

£10,000-15,000 US$13,000-19,000 €12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

With Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck, New York, by repute

Dr. Claus Virch (d.2012), New York, 1970s, sold Sotheby's, New York, 16 March, 2016, lot 849

For full lot essay see christies.com

NO RESERVE

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE COLLECTION

•*85

A KASHMIR SHAWL

NORTH INDIA, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Decorated with four red columns of ornate floral spray alternated with blue and green columns of vegetal designs, mirrored along the horizontal axis 8ft.1in. x 4ft.8in. (247 x 144.5cm.)

£1,500-2,500

VARIOUS PROPERTIES ∝86

A SIKH DAMASCENED STEEL PUNCH DAGGER (KATAR)

PUNJAB, MID-19TH CENTURY

US$2,000-3,200

€1,800-3,000

Lévi-Strauss suggests that the plain polychrome striped finish allows this example to be dated to approximately 1840, when European tastes for Kashmir shawls were at an all-time high. The design of this Kashmir shawl resembles two examples published in her book (Monique LéviStrauss, Cachemires, Paris, 1986, pp.112-3).

The steel blade double-edged and fullered, with a chape overlaid in gold, one side set with an ivory portrait miniature of Ranjit Singh encircled by small foilbacked rubies, the handle similarly overlaid with two cross-bars, leather-clad wooden scabbard

16¡in. (41.6cm.) long

£10,000-15,000

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

Portrait miniatures on ivory of Ranjit Singh and the other prominent figures of the Sikh empire are not uncommon and were likely produced by Sikh artists to satisfy the needs of Europeans working in and travelling through the Punjab (Davinder Toor, In Pursuit of Empire, London, 2018, p.175). Far more unusual is to find a portrait miniature mounted on a dagger as with the present lot.

AN ILLUSTRATION TO THE ‘LARGE’ GULERBASOHLI BAGHAVATA PURANA

JAMBAVAN KILLS A LION AND OBTAINS THE SYAMANTAKA JEWEL

ATTRIBUTED TO FATTU, PUNJAB HILLS, INDIA, CIRCA 1760-65

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set within black rules and red margins, the verso with 2ll. black and red devanagari describing the scene with 2ll. black takri above, mounted, framed and glazed Painting 11¿ x 15in. (28.3 x 38.2cm.); folio 12º x 16ºin. (31.1 x 41.3cm.)

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

Mrs F.K. Smith, Sotheby's London, 3 February 1960, lot 53

US$52,000-78,000

€48,000-71,000

Collection of the late Anthony Hobson (d.2014) sold Christie's London, 10 June 2015, lot 53

LITERATURE:

Simon Ray, Indian & Islamic Works of Art, exhibition catalogue, London, 2022, no.25, pp.74-75

This illustration is from Book ten, canto fifty six of the Bhagavata Purana and is from the Syamantaka Upakhyana, The Tale of the Syamantaka Jewel. The jewel was gifted by the sun god Surya to his friend Satrajit who Krishna implores to present the jewel to the Yadava King. Preferring to use the jewel for his own wealth, Satrajit refuses without thinking of the consequences this might bring. One day the brother of Satrajit borrows the jewel to take hunting in the forest. He is killed by a lion which in turn takes the jewel. When the bear Jambavan comes across the lion he covets the gemstone and kills the lion which is the scene shown here. The jewel taken by Jambavan to his mountain cave and given to his baby son to play with, which is illustrated in a folio from the same series that was sold in these Rooms, 10 June 2015, lot 52.

The painting is from a large dispersed series which W.G. Archer referred to as the ‘Large’ Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana series or the ‘Fifth’ Basohli Bhagavata Purana series of 1760-65 (W.G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, vol.I, London, 1973, pp.49-51). In her discussion of four paintings from the same set in the Chester Beatty Library, Linda York Leach explains: "[They demonstrate] changes that occurred in traditional hill painting during the 18th century. [It] is one of the richest sources of information for our knowledge of Pahari paintings" (Linda York Leach, Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, Vol.II, 1995, p.1048).

The composition of the illustrations and style of painting exhibit a strong dependence and awareness of the work of the most renowned Pahari artists of the period Manaku and Nainsukh, the sons of Pandit Seu. B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer note that the series is often attributed to Manaku’s son Fattu who was taught by his father. Fattu is thought to have lived with his uncle Nainsukh in Basohli for some time and would have also incorporated artistic elements from the latter. It is possible that one of Nainsukh’s sons was also involved in the series (B.N. Goswamy (ed.)., et al., Masters of Indian Painting, New Delhi, 2011, p.689). Although difficult to firmly attribute the series to any one painter from the first generation after Manaku and Nainsukh, it is evident that a ‘family style’ can be recognised.

Several paintings from this series were sold across 63 lots at Sotheby's London in February 1960, the Property of Mrs F.C. Smith. A further group was again sold by Sotheby's in July 1965. Paintings from the 'Large' Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana are in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (acc. no. 61.382), the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc. nos. IS.38-1960 through IS.42-1960), the San Diego Museum of Art (acc. no. 1990.1060) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc. no. 1987-52-13). The paintings all have inscriptions in devanagari and takri script on the reverse identifying the scenes illustrated. The majority of paintings, like the present lot, have red margins with a narrow inner black border and double white rules but some have just the red margins and black border.

This painting was previously in the collection of Anthony Hobson (d.2014). Hobson was a prodigy in his field, appointed to Head of Sotheby’s Book Department aged twenty seven, and the greatest expert in the world on Renaissance bookbinding. An all-round bibliophile who was appointed president of the Internationale de Bibliophilie (19851999), Hobson was also a lifelong collector of art and furniture. Greatly informed by his wife Tanya Vinogradoff, Anthony Hobson’s collection ranged across periods and registers from Old Master drawings to preRaphaelite-individual delights, to 18th century Indian paintings.

For further paintings from this series which have sold in these Rooms, see 24 October 2024, lot 167; 28 October 2021, lot 60; 2 May 2019, lot 99; 12 June 2018, lot 143; 10 June 2015, lots 52, 54, 55 and 56; and Christie’s, South Kensington, 10 June 2013, lot 177; 7 October 2011, lots 394, 395. Another was sold at Christie's, New York, 20 March 2024, lot 549.

TRADITIONS IN GOLD: INDIAN JEWELLERY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION

Few are the historic visitors to India who did not set down in writing their awe at the jewels and jewellery which they saw there. The Mughal emperors and their successors across the subcontinent are famed for their jewelled masterpieces. This was due in part to the extraordinary variety and quality of the minerals which could be found within India itself, from the diamonds of Golconda to the pearls of Baroda. It was also due to trade networks which had formed over the centuries, giving access to Madagascan diamonds and Turquoise from Iran and Afghanistan. All came together in workshops where skilled jewellers –another resource in which India is rich – could craft them into impressive works of art.

Those writers, as well as collectors and patrons of jewellery, were selective in their tastes and interests. Rich jewellery-making traditions – such as those of Southern India – were unjustly neglected in favour of Northern Indian jewellery. In museum collections, the former were frequently included as part of ‘ethnographic’ collections, and only certain pieces considered worthy of art historical interest. Such a division ignores the shared jewellery traditions which unite the subcontinent: certain motifs, techniques, and forms can be found from the coast of Tamil Nadu to the Himalayas in the North, and East into the Bay of Bengal. This extraordinary collection is unusual because exhibits the richness of the Indian jewellery tradition in all its forms and across all regions, celebrating the richness and diversity of a shared culture.

•*88

A PAIR OF GOLD BANGLES

TAMIL NADU, SOUTH INDIA, 19TH CENTURY

Each bangle composed of two sections joined by a hinge and closed with a pin clasp, the surface of each decorated in repoussé with opposing mythical creatures

Each 2¬in. (6.7cm.) diam. (2)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE: By repute Maastricht, 1990s

US$20,000-26,000 €18,000-24,000

TWO GOLD ARMLETS

SOUTH INDIA, 19TH CENTURY

The vanki of typical form, the high side with a ruby-set kirtimukha face between paired peacocks, the reverse with a scrolling floral vines, green quartz beads set at the upper end and another suspended below, the keyuram with Shiva and Parvati at the centre flanked by attendants and musicians with scrolling vines above and below, a glass bead mounted above, both fastened with screws

5¡in. (13.6cm.) high; 3√in. (9.8cm.) across; and 3¡in. (8.7cm.) high; 2æin. (7cm.) diam. (2)

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute Maastricht, 1990s

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

A vanki is worn on the upper part of the arm. A pair of gold vanki are in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum which belonged to John Johnston from Alva in Scotland, who had acquired them prior to 1765 (acc.no.IS.28:1&2-1997). However most surviving examples, like ours, date from the 19th century. A V-shaped example of similar design to ours is in the Barbier-Mueller collection (Usha R Bala Krishnan, Icons in Gold: Jewellery of India, Paris, 2005, p.160, no.32). Closely related to the decoration on these pieces is the decoration on combs from Southern India, such as one in the Susan L Beningson Collection upon which can be found two peacocks with a similarly voluminous cascade of tail feathers to our example (Molly Emma Aitken, When Gold Blossoms: Indian Jewelry from the Susan L Beningson Collection, New York, 2004, p.136, no.154).

Another divine couple, flanked by peacocks, can be found on a tiger claw amulet attributed to Madras in the collection of Chhote Bharany in New Delhi (Oppi Untracht, Traditional Jewelry of India, London, 1998, p.93, no.153).

TWO GOLD NECKLACES

SOUTH INDIA, 19TH/20TH CENTURY

Comprising a gold jasmine bud mullamottu necklace, each jasmine bud set below a small loop surmounted by a small gold ball, mounted with chain links set with small flowerheads, S-hook clasp, together with a gold choker necklace, a band of gold double chevrons on a red fabric back, spherical gold beads below, later cord with tightening bead Mullamottu 11¬in. (29.6cm.) excluding cord; choker 10in. (25.5cm.) long excluding cord (2)

£5,000-7,000

US$6,500-9,100

€6,000-8,300

The wave pattern of the choker (laheria) formed by the gold interlocking chevrons is popular in both northern and southern Indian jewellery. A very similar choker to the present example is in the Susan Beningson Collection (Molly Emma Aitkin, When Gold Blossoms: Indian Jewellery from the Susan L. Beningson Collection, London, 2004, p.94). A similar example was sold in these Rooms, 10 June 2013, lot 243.

The jasmine bud necklace is particularly associated with Tamilspeaking areas in the South of India. The wearing of Jasmine buds has a long history there: the Silappatikaram, a 2nd century Tamil epic, at one point describes the tragic lover Kovalan wearing 'a garland of jasmine buds, their hearts forced open by bees' (Usha R. Bala Krishnan and Meera Sushil Kumar, Dance of the Peacock: Jewellery Traditions of India, Mumbai, 1999, p.102). A large-scale example was sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2024, lot 131.

NO RESERVE

•*91

AN

ENAMELLED GOLD NECKLACE AND HAIR ORNAMENT (CHOTI)

PROBABLY JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, LATE 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY

The necklace composed of four gold cords mounted with five gold panels with polychrome enameled floral decoration, the central panel with a hanging enamelled gold pendant depicting Hanuman before Rama and Sita, a further enamelled green pendant hanging below, the two end panels of the necklace joined by a double gold chain; the hair ornament comprising four enamelled gold pendants joined by cord, the lower bell-shaped pendant issuing three smaller bell-shaped pendants, decorated throughout with floral motifs in white, red and green enamels

Necklace 15in. (38cm.) long; choti 5Ωin. (13.4cm.) (2)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute Maastricht, 1990s

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

Enamelled plaques with short inscriptions, or depictions of deities, were predominantly produced in Japiur. There are a number of examples in the National Museum, New Delhi (Rita Devi Sharma and M. Varadarajan, Handcrafted Indian Enamel Jewellery, New Delhi, 2008, p.8).

An enamelled and gem-set choti is in the collection of the National Museum, New Delhi (acc.no.87.1157, published Usha R. Vala Krishnan and Meera Sushil Kumar, Dance of the Peacock: Jewellery Traditions of India, Mumbai, 1999, p.181, no.284).

NO RESERVE

•*92

A DIAMOND-SET ENAMELLED GOLD NECKLACE AND BAZUBAND

NORTH INDIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

The necklace comprising long thin elements mounted with small foil-backed diamonds with blue enamelled loops at each end, threaded on two silver-wrapped strings, each end with rounded elements similarly mounted with diamonds, the reverse plain, cord with tightening bead, the bazuband of similar design, with a loop fastening Necklace 9Ωin. (24cm.) across; bazuband 6¬in. (16.8cm.) long (2) £15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE: Lombard Joaillier, Geneva

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

A pair of bazubands of similar construction are in the Khalili Collection. In the catalogue, they are attributed to Hyderabad based on the colouring of the enamelled reverse (Pedro Moura Carvalho, Gems and Jewels of Mughal India, Oxford, 2010, p.186, no.97). Examples published by Oppi Untracht, however, with a plain reverse and long narrow units, are attriuted to Rajasthan (Oppi Untracht, Traditional Jewelry of India, London, 1997, p.251, no.563). A bazuband of very similar construction is in the al-Sabah collection (acc. no.LNS 11 J).

A PEARL AND DIAMOND-SET GOLD NECKLACE AND EARRINGS

NORTH INDIA, 19TH/20TH CENTURY

The necklace with a central panel with five large foiled diamonds, eight smaller stones in the interstices, four large pearls and a red synthetic ruby above, and five hanging pendants set with colourless gemstones and suspended pearls below, a green foiled gemstone pendant at each end, the reverse plain, with six strands of small natural pearls to each side of the mount, cord with tightening bead, two pearls deficient; the earrings each comprising a rectangular diamond-set panel, the edges and reverse enamelled, with a gem-set hanging element suspended below by three short pearl strings, a pearl fringe suspended below, with clip-on fittings

Necklace: mount 2¿in. (5.4cm.) across, pearl strands each 3√in. (9.7cm.) long; Earrings each 2√in. (7.3cm.) long (3)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

Necklace Golay Fils & Stahl, Geneva, 6 Feb 1990 Earrings by repute Maastricht, 1990s (reverse)

US$7,800-10,000

€7,200-9,500

RESERVE

•*94

A PAIR OF GEM-SET ENAMELLED GOLD BANGLES

PROBABLY JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, 19TH/20TH CENTURY

The exterior with a blue enamel field decorated with gold vine with set with foiled green and colourless gemstones, between red and yellow checked band, the interior with oval cartouches of pale blue enamel each enclosing a red flower, the ends with two confronted bulb-shaped units, secured by a gemstudded screw, touches of loss to enamel 3ºin. (8.1cm.) diam. (2)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE: Golay Fils & Stahl, Geneva, 6 Feb 1990

US$7,800-10,000

€7,200-9,500

A single bracelet of very similar design, also with bud-finials rather than makara or elephant heads at the terminal, is in the al-Sabah collection, Kuwait (acc.no.LNS 0159 J).

NO RESERVE

•*95

A LARGE ENAMELLED AND DIAMOND-SET GOLD BANGLE (KADA)

PROBABLY JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, LATE 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY

The blue enamelled exterior set with flat-cut diamonds in repeating rosettes, the interior enamelled with red and green flowers on a white ground, terminating in two confronted makara head finials, the eyes banded agates 4Ωin. (10.5cm.) diam.

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE: By repute Maastricht, 1990s

US$7,800-10,000

€7,200-9,500

NO RESERVE

•*96

A PAIR OF GEM-SET ENAMELLED GOLD BANGLES

PROBABLY JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

The lac-filled gold body with a triangular cross section, set with foiled colourless and green gemstones, a fringe of small pearls in gold mounts held in place with small pieces of green glass, the interior enamelled in polychrome with flowers and birds on a white ground, hinge-opening secured with gem-mounted screw 4in. (10.2cm.) diam. (2)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE: By repute Maastricht, 1990s

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

A GEM-SET AND ENAMELLED GOLD BRACELET

INDIA, 19TH/20TH CENTURY

Comprising a gem-set enamelled bracelet, the main panel set with foiled emeralds, rubies, and colourless gems within a sky-blue and red enamelled border, the reverse enamelled with a design of red flowers, at each end a broad band woven from gold thread, screw clasp at the back; together with a large earring with four suspended pendants with a coral bead mounted above and below and turquoise-set gold mounts with a pearl fringe, hanging from four chains separated by pearl and corallium rubrum beads, with a hook, and with six rings of various forms and five button loops

The bracelet mount 1√ x 1¬in. (4.9 x 4cm.); 7in. (17.9cm.) long including band; in. (12.5cm.) high (8)

US$6,500-9,100

€6,000-8,300

A GEM-SET GOLD TURBAN ORNAMENT

INDIA, FIRST HALF 20TH CENTURY

The gold mount set with diamonds and rubies with a green glass stone to the middle, finely worked with a central boteh motif above a pair of peacocks, the reverse plain, with three sockets at the upper end for plumes, trombone clasp 3 x 3in. (7.6 x 7.6cm.)

£5,000-7,000

US$6,500-9,100

€6,000-8,300

97 (part)

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

99

A LARGE ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING OF THE TAJ MAHAL

NORTH INDIA, 1810-15

Charcoal and transluscent pigments on card, within thick black rules, the margins and reverse plain

Painting 24æ x 38¡in. (62.9 x 97.4cm.); folio 25Ω x 38Ωin. (64.9 x 97.7cm.)

£30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE:

US$39,000-52,000

€36,000-48,000

Imperial Past: India 1600-1900, Francesca Galloway, London, 2011

Private collection, Omaha, Nebraska

With Sam Fogg, London

Anon. sale, Sotheby’s London, 31 March 2021, lot 49

LITERATURE:

Francesca Galloway, Imperial Past, India 1600-1800, Exhibition Catalogue, London, 2011, cat. 2, pp. 20-21

This view of the Taj Mahal comes from an album of views of monuments of Agra made by Agra draughtsmen in the early 19th century (Francesca Galloway, Imperial Past, India 1600-1800, London, 2011, cats 1-20). Although the commissioning of albums of drawings of Mughal monuments in the style of European architectural studies was already popular in the early 19th century, this series was the first time that single- and double-point had been consistently used (J.P. Losty, “Architectural Drawings by Agra Draughtsmen”, op.cit., pp.13-15). Unlike the other paintings from the album there might be a European prototype for this particular view in the form of a painting by the eccentric indigo planter and artist Thomas Longcroft. Longcroft travelled to India in 1783 with his friend the artist Johan Zoffany and over the course of the 1780s and 1790s he created a series of drawings of Mughal monuments in Agra and Delhi, drawn in meticulous detail and normally finished with a wash. Longcroft’s only surviving drawing now in the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc.no.FA.654) shows the Taj Mahal from the same southwest view as the current painting. Views of the Taj Mahal but on a smaller scale have sold at Sotheby’s London, 1 May 2019, lot 126 and 10 June 2020, lot 148.

100

THE CENOTAPHS OF SHAH JAHAN AND MUMTAZ MAHAL NORTH INDIA, MID-19TH CENTURY

Charcoal and translucent pigments on watermarked paper, the cenotaphs depicted in profile with a scale bar to the base, in thick black rules with a label identifying them as 'the Tomb of the Begum' and 'the Tomb of the Emperor', the margins and reverse plain, mounted

Painting 25º x 18Ωin. (64 x 47cm.); folio 21¿ x 27Ωin. (53.8 x 69.9cm.) (2)

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

Flora Mure-Campbell, Marchioness of Hastings (1780-1840)

Ex-collection of the Marquesses of Bute Paul F Walter Collection, USA

Visions of India, Christie's London, Visions of India, May 1995, lot 8

With Simon Ray

Anon. Sale, Sotheby’s London, 27 October 2020, lot 439

Private UK Collection

LITERATURE:

Simon Ray, Indian & Islamic Works of Art, exhibition catalogue, London, 2012, nos.87 and 88, pp. 190-191

These two careful architectural studies show the side elevations of the cenotaphs in the Taj Mahal of Shah Jahan (d.1666) and Arjumand Banu Begum (d.1631), known as Mumtaz Mahal. The white marble cenotaphs are finely inlaid with semi-precious stones to depict floral studies, many of which are botanically accurate (Ebba Koch, The Complete Taj Mahal, London, 2006, p. 171). Inlaid in black on the side of Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb is the Qur’an LXXXIII, sura al-Mutaffifin, verses 22-28.

Each of these studies is numbered in pencil in the upper right corner and they would have originally formed two studies from a much larger set of views of the Taj Mahal and other Mughal monuments painted by local artists. The Mughal monuments of Agra were hugely popular amongst the British before they established themselves in the city in the early 19th century and the creation of these albums of accurate studies was necessitated by the need to conserve the monuments. When the Court of Directors requested plans to be sent to London from Calcutta of the Mughal monuments requiring repair, it seems an album of drawing such as the two here was sent (J.P. Losty, “The Master Artists of Delhi and Agra”, in W. Dalrymple (ed.), Forgotten Masters, London, 2019, p.149). A similar study of the top of the cenotaph of Shah Jahan was sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2024, lot 177.

STUDY OF A HIPPOPOTAMUS

COMPANY SCHOOL, LUCKNOW, INDIA, CIRCA 1780

Pen, ink and watercolour on 'J Kool' watermarked paper, scale and identification in brown ink above, the verso plain, mounted, framed and glazed 11 x 16Ωin. (27.5 x 42cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

Warren Hastings, Gloucestershire (d.1818) Hobhouse Limited, London, 1986

Barry Sainsbury (d.1999)

LITERATURE:

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

Indian Drawings of Plants and Animals, exhibition catalogue, Hobhouse Limited, Spring 1986, no. 5 (unpaginated)

INSCRIPTIONS:

Along the top edge No. 1 Hippopotamia amphibious, Male

The present study is an almost direct copy of a study of a hippopotamus by Robert Jacob Gordon (1743-1795) from 1777 which is now in the Rijksmuseum (RP-T-1914-17-197). Robert Jacob Gordon produced studies of flora and fauna whilst in South Africa in the late 18th century and it is very possible that Warren Hastings commissioned a copy of the painting after seeing the original.

CONTRACT: A FLEA-BITTEN GREY ARAB STALLION

COMPANY SCHOOL, CALCUTTA, INDIA, CIRCA 1840

Pencil, ink and watercolour on paper, black lower border and plain margin with the horse's name, 'CONTRACT' centrally in black ink and an illegible cropped pencil inscription to the right, the verso plain 14.3/5 x 19Ωin. (36.5 x 49.5cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

The high level of draughtsmanship and fine details of this portrait of a grey stallion are closely comparable to the work of the Calcutta artist Sheikh Muhammad Amir of Karraya (fl. 1830s-40s). In particular it is comparable to another painting of a flea-bitten grey stallion dated circa 1845, now in the British Library (Add. Or. 489; illustrated in William Dalrymple (ed.), Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company, London, 2021, no.69, p.129). Like the British Library

example, our painting exhibits a very high level of draughtsmanship and the horse painted to a very high quality. Of the artists working for British patrons in Calcutta in the 19th century, Sheikh Amir of Karraya was one of the most talented and original as well as prolific (Mildred Archer, Company Drawings in the India Office Library, London, 1972, p.76). Sheikh Muhammad Amir was particularly talented at producing portraits of horses in the style of the Victorian equestrian portraits fashionable in England. This demand is evidenced by the number of works attributed to the School of Sheikh Muhammad Amir in Calcutta as well as works by artists in other centres such as the painter Mummoo in Lucknow (a group of paintings of polo ponies by Mummoo was sold in these Rooms, 21 September 2000, lot 336). Another similar painting of a grey racehorse and groom signed Sheikh Muhammad Amir was sold in these Rooms, 5 October 2010, lot 386 and a large study of a black bear attributed to the same artist sold 1 April 2021, lot 72.

A RIMLESS IZNIK POTTERY DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, EARLY 17TH CENTURY

The white ground painted under the glaze with blue, turquoise, bole-red and black with gilt highlights added overglaze, the field with four sailing boats on squally seas, gilt highlights to the flags and sails of the upper three, encircled by a narrow strapwork border, the reverse with small blue motifs, the base with old collection labels, repaired breaks 9Ωin. (24.2cm.) diam.

£18,000-24,000

PROVENANCE:

US$24,000-31,000

€22,000-29,000

Collection of Mrs Louise Rorimer-Dushkin (d.1996), New York, thence by descent

Acquired by the present owner, 2009

The motif of the sailing ship is one that was used on Iznik pottery since the first days of blue-and-white in the early 16th century, as shown by a famous dish in the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv.no.713-1902) and also a fragmentary tile sold in our Paris saleroom, 7 March 2007, lot 144. The struggles against the Venetians, Genoese, Spanish and Portuguese as well as the protection of trade and the need to ensure connections between the major regions of the Empire spurred the growth of the Ottoman naval industry from the 16th century, providing endless inspiration for the potters of Iznik. For a discussion on the development of the design please see Gönül Öney, 'Iznik Pottery Embracing the High Seas', Art and Culture Magazine, Spring 2003, Issue 8, pp.78-81.

This dish has the remains of gilding that can be seen picking out various decorative features. Another Iznik boat dish with this feature is in the collection of Ömer Koç (Hülya Bilgi, The Ömer Koç Iznik Collection, Istanbul, 2015, pp.498-99, no.236). The same collection has another dish decorated with boats that, like ours, is rimless (Bilgi, op.cit., p.491, no.233).

*104

A LARGE IZNIK POTTERY DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1580

The white ground painted under the glaze with turquoise, blue, bole-red and black, the central roundel with two jackals and a cheetah reserved against a green field with red vegetal motifs, encircled by blue lappets, cusped rim with 'wave and rock' motif, the reverse with alternating blue tulips and flowerheads, later owner's marks and stickers to underside, intact 12æin. (32.3cm.) diam.

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

US$52,000-78,000

€48,000-71,000

Collection of Mrs Louise Rorimer-Dushkin (d.1996), New York, thence by descent

Acquired by the present owner, 2009

This Iznik dish belongs to a group of vessels produced in the second half of the 16th century that were decorated with real and fantastic animals. For a discussion on the representation of animals on Iznik vessels, together with suggestions on its links with Balkan metalwork and its imagery as the garden of paradise see Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, Iznik. The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, London, 1989, p.256 and M. Wenzel, 'Early Ottoman silver and Iznik pottery design', Apollo, vol. CXXX, no.331, September 1989.

Although most animal vessels date from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the type is known as far back as the 1530s. Finds at Iznik have included blue and white fragments from animal vessels and a similar piece in the form of a sculpted animal's head (O. Aslanapa et al, The Iznik Tile Excavations, Second Round, Istanbul, 1989, pp.115, 119 and 149). Later examples, like this one, tend to be on a green or turquoise ground. However our dish does have a few unusual features. One is the combination of the animal motif with the elegant cusped rim. The other is the inclusion of what appears to be a leopard in the decorative repertoire. Atasoy and Raby mention 'dogs, deer, rabbits and ducks, scratching monkeys, lions and horned snakes, simurghs and confronted harpies' as amongst the menagerie of animals that decorated Iznik vessels but not leopards (Atasoy and Raby, op.cit., p.258). One other dish which features both a leopard, but also a black cusped line around the rim, giving the impression of a cusped rim is in the Musée national de la Renaissance, also attributed to 1580 (published Frédéric Hitzel and Mireille Jacotin, Iznik. L’aventure d’une Collection, Paris, 2005, no.414, pp.278-9). A dish with a similar treatment of the cavetto sold in these Rooms, 1 April 2021, lot 93 and more recently, 27 October 2022, lot 125. A wonderful tankard, similarly decorated, was sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2011, lot 319.

PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED LADY

105

A SECTION FROM A LARGE QUR'AN

ABU'L-HASAN AL-'USAYLI AL-HANAFI, OTTOMAN CAIRO, AH 969/1561-2 AD

Qur'an LV, sura al-rahman, v.71 (part) to LVII, sura al-hadid, v.10; then LVIII, sura al-mujadila, v.1 to LIX, sura al-hashr, v.24, Arabic manuscript on paper, 7ff., each folio with 11ll. strong black muhaqqaq, tashkeel notes in red ink, the word 'Allah' and the bismallah picked out in gold, gold roundel verse markers, text panels within blue and gold rules, the margins plain with 'ashr marked in gold thuluth, four sura headings in sky-blue or white thuluth on a gold illuminated panel, the folios unbound Text panel 15¬ x 9¬in. (39.6 x 24.5cm.); folio 21¡ x 14√in. (54.3 x 37.9cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

With Habib Anavian, New York, 1979

LITERATURE:

Habib Anavian, Ancient and Islamic Art, New York, 1979

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

A bifolio from this impressive manuscript is in the Khalili Collection (acc.no.QUR627). In a discussion of those folios, David James suggests that they come from a manuscript which was shown intact at the Habib Anavian Gallery, New York, in 1979, after which it was broken up. The exhibition catalogue records that the folio was produced in Egypt in the year AH 969/1561-2 AD and records the name of the scribe. Unfortunately, the current whereabouts of the colophon page are unknown. A Cairene origin does seem likely for this manuscript - the high quality of the muhaqqaq script looks to the finest examples of Mamluk royal manuscripts, such as the impressive Qur'an prepared for Qansuh al-Ghuri in the John Rylands Library, Manchester which - with folios measuring 88 x 29cm. - is among the largest Qur'an manuscripts known (acc.no.MS 42).

Further bifolios from this Qur'an are in the Detroit Institute of Arts (acc.no.1997.17.a) and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (acc. no.M.85.237.73). Those to come on the market in recent years include examples sold Bonhams London, 24 April 2018, lot 6 and another sold by Pichon & Noudel-Deniau, Maison Drouot, 26 October 2023, lot 179, as well as a bifolio sold in these Rooms, 5 October 2010, lot 136.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

θ106

QUR'AN

SIGNED MUHAMMAD BIN 'ABDULLAH NISHAPURI AL-ANSARI, OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED SHAWWAL AH 948/JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1542 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 395ff. plus two flyleaves, each folio with 11ll. of neat black naskh on gold sprinkled ground, within black, blue and gold rules, gold and polychrome roundel verse markers, foliate illuminated marginal medallions, hizb, rab'a hisb, juz' and nisf juz' in red thuluth, sura headings in white thuluth on gold ground within an illuminated cartouche, opening bifolio with gold and polychrome illumination framing 5ll. of text, colophon signed and dated, with later owner's notes and seal impression, some marginal staining and repair, in dark green morocco with flap, decorated with central stamped medallion and spandrels all with elegant scrolling, flowering vine on gold ground, the brown morocco doublures with central cusped découpé gold medallion

Text panel 5æ x 3Ωin. (14.7 x 8.7cm.); folio 9Ω x 6in. (24 x 15cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

The illumination of our Qur'an resembles those of the Ottoman manuscripts dating from 1470s and onwards which developed as a more homogenous style incorporating both Timurid and Turkoman influences and continued until the late 16th century. For an Ottoman Qur'an of an earlier date but with similar illumination in the Khalili collection see David James, After Timur, Oxford, 1992, pl. 22, pp.9495. Although our Qur’an is Ottoman, the name of its calligrapher is of Iranian origin. It is possible that he was one of the many captives at the battle of Chaldiran who moved to the Ottoman Empire.

A LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE IZNIK ‘GRAPE’ DISH

A GROUP OF OTTOMAN WORKS OF ART FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTOR (LOTS 107-111)

*107

A LARGE IZNIK POTTERY 'GRAPE' DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1560

The white ground decorated under the glaze in cobalt-blue and green, the interior with three bunches of grapes suspended from vines, the cavetto with repeating lappets, the subtly scalloped rim with stylised 'wave' motif, the exterior with blue and green floral sprays, intact, drill hole to the rim 13æin. (35cm.) diam.

£60,000-80,000

PROVENANCE:

Martinos, Athens, until 1964

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 9 October 1990, lot 166

US$78,000-100,000

€72,000-95,000

From the late 1520s, Iznik potters began to imitate Chinese porcelains. Those copied were generally of the Yuan and early Ming dynasties of the 14th and 15th centuries, examples of which found their way into the Islamic world. Of all the Chinese prototypes that existed in the Topkapi Palace collections and were copied by the potters at Iznik, it was the early 15th century Ming grape design – in which three bunches of grapes are depicted amongst vine leaves – that proved the most popular (for Ming examples in the Ottoman royal collection see R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Museum Istanbul, vol.II, London, 1986, nos.605 and 606). It is clear that the grape design also found particular

favour at other royal courts throughout the Islamic world - the ‘Mahin Banu’ grape dish for instance which sold at Sotheby’s New York, 17-18th March 2015, lot 264, was treasured at the Safavid Court and later came into the personal possession of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

Atasoy and Raby, in a long discussion on the group, write that the potters of Iznik were faithful to the aesthetic of their Chinese forerunners but indifferent to their 'niceties' as is evidenced by their irregular treatment of the design which was allowed more freedom of interpretation than the original (Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, Iznik. The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, London, 1989, pp.121-24). The Ottomans developed the palette of the original Chinese blue and white dishes by adding highlights of green in the leaves and borders, as seen here. A noteworthy feature of our dish is the lappet border that surrounds the central grape motif. Here the potters are using a distinctly Ottoman decorative motif with the Chinese prototype. Two tazzas where a lappet border is combined with a Chinese motif (in both of those instances a lotus bouquet), are in the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv.314-1867) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv.no.29.33). Both dishes, like ours, also have the stylised ‘wave and rock’ border that was based on an earlier Yuan model and fast became a staple of the Ottoman decorative repertoire.

108

*108

A GEM-SET GOLD ZARF WITH TWO CERAMIC CUPS (FANCAN)

PROBABLY SWITZERLAND FOR THE OTTOMAN MARKET, LATE 19TH CENTURY

The gold body of the zarf decorated with a baroque pattern set with gemstones, incised below with stems and palmettes, narrowing to a gemset knop and splayed foot, the rim scalloped, the interior plain with small apertures for the stones, the two cups of fine white-glazed porcelain with a flared mouth, gold bands to the mouth and foot, in satin-lined red presentation box, the gold zarf weighing 62.5g Zarf 2ºin. (5.8cm.) high (3)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

Anon. sale, Sloan and Kenyon, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 16 November 2003, lot 981

*109

A LARGE IZNIK POTTERY DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1590

The white ground painted under the glaze with blue, green, bole-red and black, with a cypress tree flanked by flowering tulips and carnations, rim with 'wave and rock' design, the reverse with alternating blue flowerheads and tulips, repaired breaks and areas of restoration 13Ωin. (34.2cm.) diam.

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection by 1990s

US$9,100-13,000

€8,400-12,000

The serving of coffee in the Ottoman empire was accompanied by numerous rituals and traditions. Though the drink would be served in a small cup without a handle, which would be placed inside a gem-set holder to protect the drinker's fingers from the heat. Another gem-set zarf was sold in these Rooms, 27 June 2006, lot 49.

*110

A SET OF GOLD DAMASCENED STEEL CALLIGRAPHY TOOLS

ONE PAIR OF SCISSORS SIGNED MUSTAFA, FOÇA, OTTOMAN TURKEY, 19TH CENTURY

Comprising a steel pencase (divit), the long body with damascened decorative bands above and below overlaid pendants to each end of the flat sides, the inkwell with chamfered sides and a hinged lid with a clasp, maker's stamps to base reading 'amel-i 'ali; together with three pairs of scissors, one with broad flat blades and loop handles, the second with chamfered blade decorated to the interior, the handle shaped like the phrase with ya fatih, the third folding into a rod shape with two hinged handles to the upper end signed 'amel-e

Mustafa

Divit 13æin. (34.9cm.) long (4)

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

Private French collection, 1950s from whom acquired by present owner

US$9,100-13,000

€8,400-12,000

Narrow scissors such as those in this group would have been used to prepare sheets of paper before writing. Ottoman scissors are distinguished by the curved interiors of the blades, as well as the use of gold overlay. Around the 19th century, they began to be made with the handles forming invocation ya fattah. Mary McWilliams and David Roxburgh suggest that using the scissors would thus act as an act of dhikr, or remembrance (Traces of the Calligrapher, Houston, 2007, p.29). As well as an example of this type, our group includes a pair of scissors with hinged pieces for the fingers. Though McWilliams and Roxburgh suggest that this was to accommodate the different sized fingers of different users, this may also have been to allow the scissors to fit into a small pencase.

The great value which was placed on the art of calligraphy in the Ottoman empire encouraged the development of ever more specialised tools for scribes. The divit first emerges in the 16th century, a handy way for the bureaucrats of the burgeoning Empire to keep pen and ink handy as they travelled. Like our own example, many bear the names of their makers.

An appeal to divine support would be especially appropriate were the user about to embark on a découpage composition. Though this art form has its origins in Timurid Herat, in the late Ottoman empire cut-out compositions were extremely fashionable. Celebrated masters of the period included Rifqi, of whose work there are three specimens in the Khalili Collection (J.M. Rogers, Empire of the Sultans, Geneva, 1995, nos.191-3, p.267).

AN IMPORTANT OTTOMAN COSTUME ALBUM BY FENERCI MEHMED

A COSTUME ALBUM

ATTRIBUTED TO FENERCI MEHMED, OTTOMAN ISTANBUL, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Watercolour heightened with gold on paper, the album comprising 150 full page illustrations of figures standing against a blue sky, almost all labelled below in Ottoman Turkish and under half with additional Armenian labels, some with additional labels in Greek script and some with smaller Greek captions on their versos, in brown morocco, the doublures marbled paper one with the bookplate 'From the Library of Virginia House, Richmond', the quires largely separated from the binding Folio 14¬ x 9√in. (37 x 25.1cm.)

£150,000-200,000

PROVENANCE:

Ambassador & Mrs. Alexander Weddel (d.1948), Virginia House, Richmond

US$200,000-260,000

€180,000-240,000

Ambassador and Mrs. Alexander Weddel (d.1948), Virginia Museum of History and Culture, (1948.W.3075)

This important and unusual costume album is attributable to the Ottoman painter Fenerci Mehmed, active during the first half of the 19th century. Its paintings are very close to those belonging to another album (now in the Rahmi Koç collection) that bears a colophon with this artist’s name, the date Muharram AH 1226/January–February 1811 AD, and the toponym Bayezid, the neighbourhood in Istanbul where he was presumably based. Albums containing paintings of variously dressed members of Ottoman society were produced in the hundreds by the commercial artists of Istanbul between the 17th and 19th centuries, catering to the interests of viewers who regarded costume as a window onto the empire’s workings. But whereas the vast majority of surviving examples were made for Western travellers and diplomats, who often had them captioned in their own languages, the paintings of Fenerci Mehmed typically feature captions in Ottoman Turkish, suggesting that their target audience was an Ottoman one.

Nothing secure is known about the artist beyond the information provided by the aforementioned colophon (on which see Midhat Sertoğlu’s introduction to the 1986 facsimile of the Koç album, Ottoman Costume Book: Fenerci Mehmed). That his name identifies him as a Muslim is in itself notable, however, as what little we know of other Ottoman costume-album painters of this period indicates that most belonged to Istanbul’s Greek and Armenian communities. The present album itself gestures towards these communities through its inscriptions, for in addition to the Ottoman labels found under almost all of the images, nearly half of the paintings feature captions in the Armenian and, to a lesser extent, Greek alphabets, the three scripts sometimes occurring all together. These Armenian and Greek texts are not translations but transliterations of Turkish (sometimes differing in details from the Ottoman texts they accompany), while actual Greek captions, written in a smaller hand, appear on the versos of several of the folios. Such linguistic variety perhaps reflects the paintings’ anticipated customer base, which might potentially have included Turcophone Greeks and Armenians as well as Greek-reading individuals who did not understand Turkish. The translations on the versos might also reflect the participation of Greek artists in Fenerci Mehmed’s workshop, as suggested by Nurhan Atasoy in relation to another album of this group (see her essay in the Koç facsimile). At any rate, the inconsistency in the different scripts’ occurrence suggests that the paintings were already captioned before being selected for compilation.

Covering a broad spectrum of Ottoman society, from the grand vizier to a street sweeper and foreign visitors, the paintings composing the album are in many ways consistent with other Ottoman costume imagery of the period. Many of the depicted individuals, the majority of whom belong to the military class, represent recurrent ‘types’ that can be found in dozens of albums produced between the 1780s and 1830s, while the images’ broadly naturalistic style reflects the Western-derived pictorial mode that prevailed in Ottoman courtly and commercial painting from the late eighteenth century onwards. Fenerci Mehmed’s approach is distinguished by its less gradated modelling and its thicker outlines—features that perhaps draw on more traditional Islamic painting techniques—as well as by the placement of the figures on a simple earth ground against a light blue sky, in contrast to most costume paintings that show their figures without any backgrounds.

Within Fenerci Mehmed’s known oeuvre, the present work stands out for its plenitude, its 150 illustrated folios outnumbering those of at least four of the five other albums that, along with a number of loose-leaf paintings, have thus far been attributed to the artist (the Koç example, for instance, has 97). Even so, gaps in the pagination (latterly added in graphite), evidence of removed folios, and the absence of certain expected figures such as the sultan reveal that the album has suffered several losses. Moreover, the order of the figures, who do not follow the generally hierarchical progression found in most costume albums, suggests that the paintings were shuffled out of sequence before being bound in their current arrangement. Certain groupings, however, remain

intact, particularly in the case of the eight female figures, all of whom are clustered together (with a brief interruption) towards the end of the album.

Many of the paintings have very close equivalents in the Koç album, including the grand vizier (fol. 163) and the iskemleci başı (chief porter of the sultan’s footstool, fol. 12), while others represent variations on a shared model: the French ambassador, for example, appears in his native cloak in the Koç album but in the present album is shown having received a furtrimmed robe from the grand vizier, as explained by the caption (fol. 48). Particularly noteworthy are the uninscribed view of a group of horsemen riding towards a distant town in a hilly landscape, a rare departure from the standard costume-album format (fol. 47); the rather comical portrayal of a guitar player in European dress, captioned with what appears to be a Turkish transcription of Italian (fol. 40); and the depiction of a stately yellow-turbaned man seated on a low sofa and identified in the inscription as ‘Yusuf Kashif, kashif (inspector) of the Bey of Egypt’ (fol. 44), illustrated on the previous page. It is difficult to establish which bearer of this name is being putatively portrayed here (at least two Yusuf Kashifs feature in the history of Ottoman Egypt during the first half of the 19th century), but regardless of who he represents, the presence of a named individual is, outside the portraits of sultans, extremely uncommon in the costumealbum tradition and prompts us to the consider the circumstances of the album’s creation and use.

The similarity of the paintings to their Koç counterparts assigns them to about the same period—that is, the early 1810s, a dating supported also by such sartorial details as the French ambassador’s tricolour cockade and sash. The association with Egypt arising from Yusuf Kashif’s portrait is reinforced by the unusual inclusion of an Egyptian mamluk soldier (Mısır kölemeni, fol. 23) and the yet more remarkable captioning of one of the female subjects as ‘The Egyptian lady (Mısırlı sittî) Behiye’ (fol. 138), referring it seems to another known individual of the time. Perhaps the album was compiled by or for a member of the Ottoman ruling or administrative class with ties to Egypt, its content accordingly tailored in small but telling ways. Such customisation would have been facilitated by the way such albums were formed—out of already prepared looseleaf images that could be combined and adapted to suit the owner’s tastes before being bound together (for more on these practices, see the scholarship of Gwendolyn Collaço).

If this album was indeed intended for an Ottoman viewership, it would originally have opened and ‘read’ from right to left. Its current arrangement, however, is that of a book designed for a Western audience, probably reflecting alterations made to the album between its initial compilation and its acquisition by its first known owners, Alexander and Virginia Weddell. The Weddells met in Calcutta in 1923; Alexander was serving there as Consul-General and Virginia, recently widowed and of adventurous spirit, had embarked on a round-the-world tour. They married later that year. Alexander’s far-flung postings with the diplomatic corps provided him and Virginia with the opportunity to travel much of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and Spain and to come into close proximity to the important collectors, dealers and works of art of these regions. They shared a mutual love of art and collecting, and together they amassed a significant collection of works of art from across the globe. Their home, Virginia House, was a twelfth-century priory which they bought back to the United States from Warwickshire, stone by stone, in 1925.

After the Weddells’ tragic death on New Year’s Day 1948, ownership and management of their collection, including this album, was passed to the Virginia Historical Society, which served as the faithful steward of Virginia House. Virginia House remains open to the public as a historic house museum. In 2017 the Historical Society decided to deaccession pieces that were unrelated to their primary mission of ‘connecting people to America’s past through the unparalleled story of Virginia’ to allow for the better maintenance of the core works at Virginia House, as well as the objects related to the Weddells themselves.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

AN IZNIK BORDER POTTERY TILE

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1575

The bole-red ground decorated with white and cobalt-blue interlacing scrolling palmettes with a black outline, the bevelled upper and lower edges with blue and red lappets on a white ground, chips, otherwise intact 5æ x 10in. (14.5 x 25.3cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

With Kelekian, Paris (shown by sticker on the reverse) Henri-Rene d'Allemagne (d. 1950), by repute, Paris

For full lot essay see christies.com

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE COLLECTION

A GROUP OF KÜTAHYA POTTERY CUPS, SAUCERS AND CANDLE HOLDERS

OTTOMAN TURKEY, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY

The white grounds of the vessels variously painted under the glaze with floral designs, one cup with additional openwork decoration, the cups of rounded form without handles, the saucers with a slight upward curve, the candlestick holders with a deep central depression

The largest cup 3in. (7.5cm.) high, the largest saucer 4æin. (11.8cm.) diam. (15)

£7,000-10,000

For full lot essay see christies.com

US$9,100-13,000

€8,400-12,000

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

*114

AN IZNIK POTTERY EWER

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1585

The white ground painted under the glaze with cobalt-blue, green, and bole-red, the bulbous body with blue pomegranates encircled by chrysanthemum and tulips, the neck with alternating red and blue flowers, the interior plain, repaired breaks, loop handle restored 9√in. (25cm.) high

£30,000-40,000

US$39,000-52,000

€36,000-48,000

A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF OTTOMAN TEXTILES (LOTS 115-119)

AN OTTOMAN SILK AND METAL-THREAD PANEL

PROBABLY OTTOMAN BURSA, TURKEY, FIRST HALF 17TH CENTURY

The red velvet ground voided for silver-wrapped threads formal an ogival lattice joined by cintimani motifs, the lattice containing floral sprays surrounded by a tulip and rosette vine, half-palmettes to each side 112Ω x 25in. (285.5 x 63.5cm.)

£18,000-24,000

PROVENANCE:

US$24,000-31,000

€22,000-29,000

Paul Ispenian, Cairo and Paris, circa 1900, and thence by descent Private Collection, early 1970s

EXHIBITED:

The Arts of Islam, The Hayward Gallery, London, 8 April - 4 July 1976, no.26

A very similar, but slightly smaller, velvet of the same design is published by Nurhan Atasoy, Walter B. Denny, Louise W. Mackie and Hülya Tezcan in IPEK. The Crescent & the Rose: Imperial Ottoman Silks and Velvets, 2001, p.215, fig.102. In that seminal work, the authors write that after the middle of the 16th century, many Bursa velvetweaving ateliers abandoned the 'old fashioned' Italianate style in favour of smaller scale and more intense Ottoman floral sprays, in the style that was being introduced at the time by Kara Memi in the nakkashkhane. As seen here, these were assimilated with the old ogival format to become a popular layout in court-style Ottoman textiles.

116

A VOIDED SILK VELVET AND METAL-THREAD PANEL

PROBABLY OTTOMAN BURSA, TURKEY, 17TH CENTURY

The red and green velvet ground decorated with an overall design of cusped medallions containing a radiating stellar motif, the points terminating with chrysanthemums and tulip buds, smaller flowerheads in the interstices, some restoration

112 x 25in. (285.5 x 63.5cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

Paul Ispenian, Cairo and Paris, circa 1900, and thence by descent Private Collection, early 1970s

A similar textile, which was donated to a monastery in 1652 by Alexei Ivanovich Shein (d.1700), a courtier during the reigns of Tsar Fyodor III, Tsarevna Sophia and Peter the Great, is illustrated in Nurhan Atasoy, Walter B. Denny, Louise Mackie, and Hülya Tezcan, IPEK. The Crescent & the Rose: Imperial Ottoman Silks and Velvets, 2001, p.248, no.48. Another is in the Kestner-Museum in Hannover, catalogued there as 16th/17th century (Christian Erber (ed.), A Wealth of Silk and Velvet, Bremen, 1993, pp.102-3). The pattern was a popular one amongst 17th century Bursa velvets. Atasoy et al suggest that this is due to the fact that the vertical and horizontal symmetry inherent in the design, allowed for a relatively simple programmed repeat which could be adapted to a wide variety of functions.

117

A VOIDED SILK VELVET AND METAL-THREAD PANEL (ÇATMA)

PROBABLY OTTOMAN BURSA, TURKEY, EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Woven in two panels, the red and green velvet ground decorated with an overall saz lattice enclosing blossoming stems, in a border of large repeated flowering shrubs, floral meander outer guard stripes, wear concentrated to ends

72 x 55in. (185 x 142cm.)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

US$7,800-10,000

€7,200-9,500

Paul Ispenian, Cairo and Paris, circa 1900, and thence by descent Private Collection, early 1970s

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD EMBROIDERED SADDLE CLOTH

OTTOMAN

TURKEY, 16TH OR 17TH CENTURY

The red silk ground embroidered with polychrome silks and gold and silver threads with a central pomegranate medallion issuing flowering vines and saz leaves, framed on three sides by a cream border of meandering vine issuing flowerheads and saz leaves, mounted on linen with Velcro on the reverse, minor losses to the red and cream silk ground

36Ω x 44Ωin. (93 x 113cm.) including mount

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

Paul Ispenian, Cairo and Paris, circa 1900, and thence by descent

Private Collection, early 1970s

EXHIBITED:

The Unity of Islamic Art, Islamic Art Gallery: King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Riyadh, 1985.

LITERATURE:

Esin Atil and Oliver Hoare (eds.), The Unity of Islamic Art, Riyadh, 1985, pp.186-7, no.164

An embroidered satin kerchief with similar design is published in Yanni Petsopoulos (ed.), Tulips, Arabesques & Turbans: Decorative Arts from the Ottoman Empire, 1982, no.150. Very slightly smaller than ours, that is described as an embroidered satin kerchief and is attributed to the 16th century. A prayer mat of similar technique is in the Museum für Kunsthandwerk in Frankfurt (Inv.Nr.H.St.21; published Türkische Kunst und Kultur aus osmanischer Zeit, 1985, p.269, no.5/22). That is attributed to the later 17th century but has embroidery that looks slightly less refined to that which decorates our example. When our textile was exhibited in The Unity of Islam in Riyadh, it was described as a saddle cloth, or caparison. Many of the ambassadorial and trade gifts from Turkey and Iran in the 17th century included ceremonial horse trappings, and in particular parade caparisons of this nature. A Safavid version, woven with silk threads was exhibited in the exhibition The Tsars and the East: Gifts from Turkey and Iran in the Moscow Kremlin (Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington DC, 2009, pp.38-39, no.11).

119

A SILK-EMBROIDERED LINEN PANEL

OTTOMAN TURKEY, 17TH/18TH CENTURY

Woven in three panels, the linen ground embroidered with red, green, blue and cream silk with rows of saz leaves issuing tulips and pomegranates, the intersections of the saz leaves topped by crowns, minor areas of staining and restorations throughout 89æin. x 52æin. (228 x 134cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

Paul Ispenian, Cairo and Paris, circa 1900, and thence by descent Private Collection, early 1970s

NO RESERVE

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

•*Δ120

AN 'IZNIK' POTTERY 'GRAPE' DISH

TURKEY, 20TH CENTURY OR EARLIER

With cusped sloping rim on short foot, the white interior painted in two shades of cobalt-blue and turquoise with a central bunch of grapes on the vine surrounded by scalloped leaves issuing scrolling tendrils, the cavetto with floral sprays, the rim with stylised wave and rock design, the exterior with similar floral sprays to those on the cavetto, intact, chip to rim

13√in. (35.2cm.) diam.

£5,000-7,000

PROVENANCE:

US$6,500-9,100

€6,000-8,300

Hakki Bey Collection, sold Paris, Hotel Drouot, 1906, lot 198

Anon. sale, Lempertz, Cologne, 1975, lot 2984

Private German Collection, sold Christie's London, 21 June 2000, lot 51

Iznik Pottery: The Vincent Bulent Collection, Christie's London, 26 April 2005, lot 60

EXHIBITED:

Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, 1993

LITERATURE:

Claus-Peter Haase, Jens Kröger, and Ursula Lienert, Oriental Splendour, Islamic Art from German Private Collections, Hamburg, 1993, no.70, pp.116-7

Stylistically this 'grape' dish is very close to those produced in Ottoman Turkey around 1550. It is similar to the Chinese prototype of the design (discussed in the note lot 106). It has an early form of the 'wave and rock' border and the classic blue and turquoise colours of the dishes of 1530, as well as the absence of a border line around the central vine panel. But details of the drawingincluding the simplified floral sprays of the cavetto and the playfulness such as that seen in the alternate colouring of individual grapes - relate it more closely to the work of the 1550s. A particularly close example to the present dish is in the Musée Nationale de la Céramique, Sèvres (Walter Denny: Iznik, the Artistry of Ottoman Ceramics, London, 2004, p.125).

The dish was sold as part of the Hakki Bey Collection in 1906, and has a subsequent sale, exhibition and publication history. However, a thermoluminescence test performed by Oxford Authentication reports that the last firing of this dish was "less than 100 years ago" (sample no. N125b30).

Catalogue des Objects d’Art et de Haute Curiosité. Composant la Collection Hakky-Bey, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 10 March 1906, lot 198

AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1590

The white ground painted under the glaze in blue, green, bole-red, and black with a elaborate floral spray with two saz leaves, carnations and tulips, rim with 'wave and rock' design, the reverse with alternating roundel and floral motifs, the base with old collection sticker, repaired breaks 11¬in. (29.5cm.) diam.

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE: Private UK collection by 1970's

US$7,800-10,000

€7,200-9,500

†122

AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1585-90

The white ground painted under the glaze with bole-red, cobalt-blue, green and black with a saz leaf and pomegranates against a ground of dense black scrolls, the cavetto with repeated blue wave-like motif, the rim with interlocking trilobed palmettes in a blue border, the reverse plain, minor restorations to rim

11¬in. (29.5cm.) diam.

£10,000-15,000

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

This striking dish is unusual for the ground of kaleidoscopic tight black scrolls upon which the design is set. In the 1570s and 80s it became popular in Iznik to enliven the background of vessels. The most common means of doing this was the fish-scale motif. Another device

however were scrolls such as these, familiar from contemporaneous wave-and-rock borders.

Two almost identical dishes, one formerly in the Barlow Collection and later sold by the Savile Club and the other in the Ashmolean Museum, are published by Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, Iznik. The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, London, 1989, no.492 and 494, pp.248-49. Not only do these dishes have, like ours, a design set on a bed of black scrolls but both are also decorated with a similar floral design split by a saz leaf. They also both have identical lappet borders, and similar decorative band in the cavetto. Atasoy and Raby write that dishes with this wavescroll ground seem to have been especially favoured by one particular Iznik atelier in the 1580s, whose output is characterised by the use of broad outlining of designs. Both the Savile Club and the Ashmolean dish are considered within this group and it is likely that ours is too.

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION

θ123

QUR'AN

THE CALLIGRAPHY SIGNED MUSTAFA AL-HALIMI, THE ILLUMINATION SIGNED

HAJJI HAFIZ MUHAMMAD NURI

EFENDI, OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED AH 1214/1799-1800 AD

Arabic manuscript on burnished paper, 329ff. plus three flyleaves, each folio with 15ll. of fine black naskh, tajwid in red, varied elaborate gold pricked rosette verse markers, sura headings in white thuluth against gold cartouches within coloured frames, in broad gold borders, the margins plain with occasional illuminated medallions or short du'as, the opening bifolio with 6ll. black naskh set within margins richly illuminated in gold and polychrome, the subsequent bifolio with gold stencilled margins, the colophon signed and dated, closing with du'a al-khatm, gold stencilled illumination to final folio, in contemporaneous finetooled mahogany morocco with flap, the doublures red leather with trellis design containing quatrefoil clusters, in contemporaneous gilt-tooled slip case

Text panel 4æ x 2√in. (11.9 x 7.3cm.); folio 6√ x 4ºin. (17.4 x 10.9cm.)

£50,000-70,000 US$65,000-91,000

€60,000-83,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Sotheby’s London, 14th December 1987, lot 240

A Private Collection Donated to Benefit Oxford University, Christie's London, 26 April 2012, lot 51

Mustafa al-Halimi is recorded as a master calligrapher who granted an ijaza or license to his student 'Ali Ra'if Efendi. This is confirmed by an ijaza in the Library of Congress which is dated AH 1206/1791-92 AD (inv.1-88-154.129).

An anthology of Ottoman poetry offered at Sotheby's London, 6 October 2010, lot 49, had a colophon confirming that Mustafa al-Halimi was the teacher of the scribe.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A GILT AND PAINTED WOOD TURBAN STAND (KAVUKLUK)

OTTOMAN TURKEY, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

The back panel carved with a central vase issuing floral sprays flanked by two columns, pierced rococo border, the shelf supported by a single bracket, some losses 36in. (91.3cm.) high

£3,000-5,000

PROVENANCE:

Georges Zarifi (1807-84), Athens

US$3,900-6,500

€3,600-6,000

Thence by descent, Private Collection, Athens, until 2022

Georges Zarifi (Georgios Y. Zariphis), was a prominent banker and financier to the Ottoman court during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II (r. 1842-1918). Zarifi amassed an impressive collection of Ottoman art and received many works of art as gifts from the Sultan himself whose tumultuous reign saw several financial crises.

A similar turban stand is in the Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul (M. Kleiterp & C. Huygens, Istanbul: The City and the Sultan, Amsterdam, 2007, no.137, p.137).

Georges Zarifi (1807–84)

125

A CALLIGRAPHIC SILK LAMPAS PANEL

PROBABLY OTTOMAN BURSA, TURKEY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

The green ground with exposed ivory wefts forming a design of zig-zag bands, each band with three registers of finely-drawn muhaqqaq, between the bands alternating pendants and roundels with further inscription, lined 47Ω x 33Ωin. (121 x 86cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

Private Middle Eastern Collection, since 1970s

INSCRIPTIONS:

In largest band: the Shahada

Above: Qur'an II, sura al-baqara, v.114 (part)

Below: Qur'an III, sura al-'Imran, v.96

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

126

A CALLIGRAPHIC SILK LAMPAS PANEL

PROBABLY OTTOMAN BURSA, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

The red ground with exposed pink wefts forming a design of zig-zag bands, each band with three registers of finely-drawn muhaqqaq, between the bands alternating pendants and roundels with further inscription, lined 48Ω x 33Ωin. (123 x 85cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

Private Middle Eastern Collection, since 1970s

INSCRIPTIONS:

In largest band: the Shahada

Above: Qur'an II, sura al-baqara, v.114 (part)

Below: Qur'an III, sura al-'Imran, v.96

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

In lobed medallions: alternating, ya hanan, ya mannan, 'O the Compassionate, O the Benefactor!'

In roundels: alternating, dhu'l jalal w'al-ikram, 'Possessor of glory and honour!'

Silk lampas textiles, woven with calligraphic chevron bands, were used by the Ottomans to line the interiors of important places of worship in Mecca and Medina. Green examples such as this are particularly associated with the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, and were used to cover the cenotaphs in the rawdah. A slightly smaller green-ground lampas textile of this type was sold, Sotheby's London, 8 October 2014, lot 28.

In lobed medallions: alternating, ya hanan, ya mannan, 'O the Compassionate, O the Benefactor!'

In roundels: alternating, dhu'l jalal w'al-ikram, 'Possessor of glory and honour!'

Red silk lampas textiles of this type were used by the Ottomans to line the interior of the Ka'ba. Fragments from a textile with identical inscriptions, possibly from the same lining, are in the collection of the Topkapi Museum, Istanbul (Hülya Tezcan, Kutsal Mekânlarda Kutsanmiş Örtüler, Istanbul, 2017, no.30, p.200). Further fragments of the same type have been sold in these Rooms, 26 October 2023, lot 132.

126

θ127

A HISTORY OF MEDINA COPIED IN THE RAWDAH OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD

NUR AL-DIN ALI AL-SAMHUDI (D.1533): TARIKH

AL-MEDINA AL-SHARIF

COMPLETED IN THE RAWDAH OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD, OTTOMAN MEDINA, DATED END OF SHAWWAL AH 979/MARCH 1572 AD

The text alternatively entitled Kitab al-Wafa’ bi-Akhbar Dar al-Mustafa, Arabic manuscript on paper, 256ff. plus two flyleaves, each folio with 22ll. black naskh with headings and key words picked out in red, occasional crossingout in gold ink, text panels within blue and gold rules, the margins plain, catchwords, two diagrams of the layout of the Prophet's mosque, the opening folio with the title in white thuluth within an illuminated shamsa, the verso with an illuminated header with the bismallah in white reserved against a gold cartouche on a blue illuminated panel, the colophon dated and with the place of copying, in later blind tooled leather binding, the doublures plain Text panel 5º x 3ºin. (13.5 x 8.1cm.); folio 7º x 5¿in. (18.4 x 13.1cm.)

£30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Qatar, 1996-2019

US$39,000-52,000

€36,000-48,000

is in the John Rylands Library, Manchester, dated to AH 1130/1717 AD (Persian MS 436). Many other examples of the manuscript were illustrated with diagrams of the mosque in Medina, including a 19th century Moroccan copy which was sold in these Rooms, 28 October 2020, lot 98. As well as reaching the Western Islamic world, soon after al-Samhudi's death the scholar 'Abd al-Haqq ibn Sayf al-Din Dihlavi wrote a Persian translation, of which a copy survives in Kings College Cambridge (Pote 134).

The text of this manuscript is a recension of al-Samhudi's earlier work Wafa' al-Wafa' bi-Akhbar Dar al-Mustafa, a history of Medina. Born in Egypt in AH 844/1440-1441 AD, al-Samhudi moved to Medina where he died in AH 911/1505-1506 AD. Another copy of the Tarikh-i Medina

Several manuscripts survive which were copied in the Haramayn. A manuscript of the Wafa' al-Wafa' in King's College Cambridge was copied in Mecca in Shawwal AH 886/November-December 1481 AD, during the author's lifetime (Pote 99). Another manuscript copy of this text, dated to AH 1013/1605 AD, sold in these Rooms, 9 October 2015, lot 374, which may have also been copied in the Hijaz. The reference in the colophon of our manuscript to being copied in the Rawdah of the Prophet is unusual, but not unprecedented. A similar note appears in the colophon of a Qur'an offered at Sotheby's London, 23 October 2024, lot 217. A copy of the Futuh al-Haramayn copied in Abu Qubays in Mecca recently sold in these Rooms, 26 October 2023, lot 131.

A METAL-THREAD CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL (HIZAM) FROM THE KISWA OF THE HOLY KA'BA OTTOMAN EGYPT, CIRCA

1900

The midnight-blue silk ground heavily embroidered with gold and silver wrapped threads, the cartouche embroidered with strong thuluth, scrolling vines above and below, the spandrels with part flowerheads, blue velvet border applied to edges with Velcro strip above for display purposes 2ft.10in. x 9ft.9in. (87 x 297cm.)

£70,000-100,000

PROVENANCE:

US$91,000-130,000

€84,000-120,000

By repute gifted to the father of the previous owner by King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, early 1980s

Thence by descent until 2024

INSCRIPTIONS:

Qur'an XXII, sura al-Haj, vv.28-29

This fragment comes from the continuous calligraphic band on the uppermost part of the kiswa al-Ka'ba. The use of sura al-Hajj serves to remind pilgrims of the unique importance of Mecca for believers. An almost identical fragment from the Hizam, with an identical inscription and also woven on a navy silk ground, was sold in these Rooms, 17 April 2007, lot 19.

A

METAL-THREAD CALLIGRAPHIC

PANEL

(HIZAM) FROM THE KISWA OF THE HOLY KA'BA PROBABLY OTTOMAN EGYPT, CIRCA 1910

The black silk ground heavily embroidered with gold and silver wrapped threads, the cartouche embroidered with strong thuluth, scrolling vines above and below, the spandrels with part flowerheads, mounted and framed, light occasional fraying 3ft.1in. x 9ft.11in. (94 x 300cm.)

£60,000-80,000

PROVENANCE:

Private UK Collection

US$78,000-100,000

€72,000-95,000

INSCRIPTIONS:

Qur'an XXII, sura al-Haj, vv.28 (part) - 29, ending with sadaqa Allah al-azim, 'Allah the Great has spoken the truth'

The style of this fragment is similar to a burqa' in the collection of the Topkapi Museum, Istanbul, inscribed to Mehmed V and dated to AH 1327/1909-10 AD (Hülya Tezcan, Kutsal Mekânlarda Kutsanmiş Örtüler, Istanbul, 2017, no.46, p.240). Like our fragment, the Qur'anic inscription at the base of that textile includes the phrase sadaqa Allah al-Azim, which had not appeared on earlier textiles. Also similar in style to our example, and using a very similar border, is a Hizam panel sold in these Rooms, 25 October 2018, lot 265.

THE HANS KÖNIG COLLECTION OF CLASSICAL CHINESE CARPETS

This extraordinary collection comprises an unprecedented group of classical Chinese carpets which span two hundred years, from the late 16th century during the reign of the Ming dynasty, to the late 18th century, under the reign of the great Qing emperors.

Many of the examples in this collection formed part of the first exhibition of Chinese carpets in Europe since the opening of the Musée Cernuschi, Paris, in 1911. Organised by Hans König and expert Michael Franses, this ground-breaking exhibition, Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400-1750 [Splendours of Sons of Heaven: Classical Chinese Carpets 14001750], was displayed at the Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, in Cologne, 2005-2006. It formed a comprehensive discussion and technical discussion on Chinese carpets which, up until this point, had never been achieved.

The study of pre-1800 Chinese carpets is a relatively recent discipline.  Carpets from Persia, India and the Ottoman Empire were extensively traded from at least the late 15th century; their aesthetic and commercial value has been well understood by collectors since they first arrived in the West.  In contrast, the classical carpets of China were little known but began to appear on the international market in the first decades of the 20th century.

Although better known for its silk textiles, China has a rich history of woven wool carpets that are inextricably linked with the traditions of the pastoral nomads of the Asian steppe. The Mongol (Yuan) court held carpets in great esteem and adapted their nomadic aesthetic into something unmistakably Chinese. During the Ming period (1368-1644), the arts were highly developed in many areas, including the manufacture of knotted carpets reaching an artistic zenith under the Wanli emperor (1573-1619).

The works offered here are, in the main, attributed to the weaving centre of Ningxia in Western China, which seems to have seen an expansion in the production and availability of its weavings after a military expedition to the area by the Kangxi Emperor, fourth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, (1662-1722), in 1696-97, during which he asked to see carpets being woven and was presented with several examples.

Carpets were clearly highly prized as prestigious possessions: virtually all the portraits of the Ming and Qing emperors include depictions of carpets. Our first depiction of this kind of carpet, although the field pattern is composed of compartments, may be seen in a painting in the National Palace Museum, Taipei; a portrait of the Hongwu emperor, the first Ming Emperor (1368-1398). The date of this painting is unknown, but the prominence given to the carpet is clear. In another painting also in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, this time of the Hongzhi emperor, the tenth Ming Emperor (1487-1505) is seated on an Imperial Ming carpet that combines dragon and lotus patterns against a deep red background with dramatic effect.

They were enthusiastically taken up by collectors such Louis Tiffany, J. K. Mumford, Frederick Moore, T. B. Clarke and the patron of modern art and literature, and collector, Scofield Thayer. By 1920, some 1,650 early Chinese carpets had been offered across 15 auctions in New York when the sales effectively ceased, as sources dried up.

The depredations of time and use have had their effect, and fewer than six hundred classical Chinese carpets survive today, with the Palace Museum in Beijing having fewer than one hundred examples, mainly from the Wanli period. Both the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Textile Museum in Washington have small collections, with

a majority of the remainder held in private collections in Europe and America.

This collection exemplifies the Chinese tradition of using symbols and homophones to decorate works of art, as well as displaying all the key motifs associated with the genre: dragons, bats, butterflies, peony and lotus flowers, and complex fretwork and geometric patterns, which together provide a rare opportunity to appreciate the range and subtle beauty of classical Chinese pile weavings.

This collection offers a unique opportunity to acquire a rare and exemplary group of Chinese carpets, that were collected by a connoisseur over years of dedication.

Opposite: Forbidden City Palace, Beijing , © 2019 Alamy Ltd.

A Seated Portrait of Ming Emperor Taizu, c. 1377 National Palace Museum, Taipei

HANS KÖNIG

(1923-2016)

Hans König was a formidable collector and was for many decades a wonderful advocate for the world of oriental carpets, a subject on which he wrote a considerable number of articles, his earliest printed in 1969, his last in 2015. Greater than that however, was his interest in people, reflected in his wide acquaintance, and his great enthusiasm for all things that gave him pleasure. One of the most important of these was carpets, a field for which he was a natural ambassador.

After his initial chance purchase at auction, Hans was introduced to the field by the great enthusiast dealer, Ulrich Schürmann. Over time, his buying increased, as did his acquaintances in the field; he came to be close friends with Michael Franses and Jon Thompson in London, with H. McCoy Jones and Thomas Farnham in the US, among many others.

Hans was a man who did not just talk enthusiastically; he made things happen. Working with Michael Franses in 2005, he helped curate the ground-breaking exhibition of Chinese Rugs, Glanz der Himmelssöhne, at the Museum for East Asian Art in Cologne. Many of those presented here were displayed and published in that exhibition. Similarly, believing that the Berlin Museum of Islamic Art

did not have a strong enough presence outside Germany, he set up a group of “ambassadors” whom he believed could bring their various skills and contacts into play to help the museum.

Hans’ enthusiasm and personality made him an excellent choice as the European figurehead for the recently formed TEFAF fair in Maastricht in the 1990s, shortly after he had retired from business. While his interest in collecting initially lay in oriental rugs, his benignly formal manner concealed a mind that was interested in so many varied aspects of art. A work of art had principally to be aesthetic; it had to appeal to him personally.

Each of the rugs from the following group are a personal reflection of Han’s taste. While evidently some were chosen due to their rarity, others were more an aesthetic choice led by a particularly iconic design motif. Assembled for the most part over three decades, it was art that was meant to be lived with in a family home.  Christie’s is honoured to have been asked to present this selection of rare classical Chinese works of art, which is one of the most significant collections of its type remaining in private hands.

Hans König

*140 A 'LOTUS AND PEONY' RUG

NINGXIA, NORTH CHINA, MID 17TH CENTURY

Good pile throughout, marginal corrosion in camel colour with associated repiling, end guard stripes rewoven

8ft.4in. x 6ft.3in. (259cm. x 194cm.)

£40,000-60,000 US$52,000-78,000

€48,000-71,000

PROVENANCE:

Reputedly from the Imperial Palace, Beijing

Yamanka & Co., New York

American Art Associations, New York, 1917, lot 307

Patricia Whitofs, London (1934-2000)

With The Textile Gallery, London, 1989, from where purchased

Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

Glanz der Himmelssöhne Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400-1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, ( Michael Franses and Hans König, London, 2005, pp. 84-5, pl.17)

LITERATURE:

HALI, Issue 142, 2005, front cover Moshe Tabibnia and Tiziana Marchesi, ed., Intrecci Cinesi, Antica Arte tessile XV-XIX secolo, Moshe Tabibnia Gallery, Milan, 2011, p.24, pl.3

Reputedly from the Imperial Palace, Beijing and once owned by Yamanaka & Co., New York, the field of this daybed cover is composed of a series of clearly defined lotus and peony flowers arranged symmetrically on a fine meandering trailing leaf stem with large yellow leaves set against a deep blue ground. The inner border is a T-pattern and the outer primary border a Chinese Buddhist fret design that reverses at the centre of both side and end borders.

The meaning of decorative elements is often highlighted through the marriage of motifs. In Chinese art such pairings included the dragon and the pearl, the phoenix and the peony or the bat and the peach. Flower-scroll patterns, first of lotus and later of peony motifs, evolved in China as a development of the Central Asian-derived acanthus and half-palmette scrolls (Jessica Rawson, Chinese Ornament: The Lotus and the Dragon, 1984, p.64). In the 7th and 8th centuries, the peony proved extremely fashionable amongst Tang society, so much so, that due to their high prices, farmers abandoned their habitual crops and turned to cultivating the flower, finding it yielded far greater profits. Lotus palmettes were typically depicted on early ceramics with pointed tips to their petals however their leaves appeared unrelated and derived from the Greek tradition of scroll patterns.

Later versions of the same foliate drawing can be found on 'The Goloubew' carpet (The Marie Theresa, L. Virata Collection of Asian Art, Christie's New York, 16 March 2017, lot 637) and 'The Bad Homburg' carpet, (M. Franses and H. König, op. cit., London 2005, pl.26) both of which date from the second quarter of the 18th century. Two later, related carpets are illustrated with M. Tabibnia and T. Marchesi, ed., Intrecci Cinesi, Antica Arte tessile XV-XIX secolo, Milan, 2011, pl.10 and 11. On the later versions of these leaf and peony forms, the leaf stems are thicker and less well defined which creates a more uniform and one-dimensional plane.

The reign of the Kangxi Emperor (16621722) was a period of great achievement for all the arts, and carpets woven during this period are celebrated for their harmony and proportion both in coloration and size. Woven for both the Imperial court and nobility, Qing dynasty rugs and carpets were often made for a specific place or function. Based on its proportions, the present carpet was most likely made as a daybed cover that would have been typically reserved for an important

guest. The fact that it was positioned on a specific platform meant that it was not widely walked upon, which in turn helped preserve its condition.

The details of the dragons are very precisely drawn and the eyes are highlighted in light blue. The inner stripe separating the field and the border has a blue key-meander pattern on a yellow background, which changes its direction in the center of each end border,

■*141

A 'FOLIATE DRAGON AND BAT' DAYBED COVER

NINGXIA, NORTH CHINA, KANGXI PERIOD, LAST QUARTER 17TH CENTURY

Light localised spots of wear, heavily corroded brown, occasional light spot surface marks, selvages frayed, slight loss at each end

5ft.4in. x 3ft.11in. (165cm. x 95cm.)

£15,000-20,000 US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

PROVENANCE:

Reputedly bought from Frank Michaelian, New York, in 1980 With Vojtech Blau, New York With The Textile Gallery, London, from where purchased Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

Glanz der Himmelssöhne Kaiserliche Teppiche Aus China, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue (Hans König and Michael Franses, London 2005, p.115, pl.35)

LITERATURE:

M. Franses, Classical Chinese Carpets in Western Collections, The Kangxi Period, 1661-1722, London, 2002, p.15, pl.4.

but on the sides at the height of a pair of bats. The outer border shows a blue swastikameander that changes direction at each end but not on the sides. This border is separated from the corroded dark brown-grey frame by narrow blue, light blue and beige guard stripes, the latter being relatively wide. As is always the case in early Chinese rugs, the design composed of just a few ornaments only appears simple at first glance.

■*142

A 'PEONY LATTICE' KANG CARPET

NINGXIA, NORTH CHINA, 17TH CENTURY

Uneven areas of wear and corrosion with scattered associated repiling 12ft.7in. x 10ft.9in. (389cm. x 333cm.)

£25,000-35,000 US$33,000-45,000

€30,000-42,000

PROVENANCE:

Purchased in the late 1970's

Thence by descent

The field design of symmetrical peony blossoms in offset rows with trailing leafy vinery is based on Chinese textile patterns. Used either as a solid overall pattern or as a background for a medallion and spandrels, slight variations are found in the coloration and shape of the peony blossom as well as the treatment of the vinery. The “Deroyan Peony and Leaf Dais Cover” carries a similar field design however, the main blossoms in that carpet are two-toned with a light camel center, (see M. Franses, Classical Chinese Carpets in Western Collections, London, 2002, pl. 9). A carpet with similar treatment of the vinery and solid indigo blossoms was sold at Christie’s London, 9 October 2006, lot 231.

The present carpet successfully juxtaposes geometric and floral designs in the main field while the border structure, and in particular the indigo meandering key-pattern central border, creates a sublime framework for the more significant field imagery. While the use of colour is limited, it is used to arresting effect and achieves a three-dimensional impression. As with Imperial Wanli carpets, a red dye was originally used in this carpet as a background colour but has now turned to a soft camel hue. The Kelekian 'Lotus' gallery

carpet from the König collection, (lot 151 in the present sale), displays a similar floral pattern but with the inclusion of lotus flowers rather than peonies which have indigo petals outlined in light blue and ivory for greater definition.

The Textile Museum, Washington D.C, has an early 19th century carpet that displays a similar field design and swastika and interlocking border distinctive of 17th/18th century patterns, (R.51.10). For other carpets

with the overall pattern with flowerhead motifs, some with variation in the flowers depicted and not a repeat of the same flower, see M. Franses and H. König, Glanz der Himmelssöhne Kaiserliche Teppiche Aus China, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, London 2005, Nos.10-19, pp.72-87. For a comparable Ningxia rug with similar overall floral pattern, circa 1700, see M. Tabibnia & T. Marchesi, (ed), Intrecci Cinesi, Antica Arte tessile XV-XIX secolo, Milan, 2011, no 10, pp.122-123, & no 11, pp.124-125.

■*143

AN EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL MING 'QI'

DRAGON PALACE CARPET

POSSIBLY BEIJING, WANLI PERIOD, CIRCA 1575-1600

Wool pile on a silk, cotton and possibly hemp foundation, woven horizontally, mostly full pile throughout, corroded dark brown with associated repiling, minor spots of repiling, two short repairs in each upper corner, a rewoven section in the lower field

9ft.8in. x 20ft.5in. (297cm. x 625cm.)

£800,000-1,200,000

PROVENANCE:

Frank Michaelian, New York

US$1,100,000-1,600,000

€960,000-1,400,000

Anon. sale, Edelmann Galleries, New York, 29 October 1982, lot 6 (illustrated, pl.5)

With The Textile Gallery, London, March 1989, from where purchased Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400–1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue (Michael Franses and Hans König, London, 2005, pp.60-61. pl.3).

LITERATURE:

Oriental Rug Review, vol. II, no.8, November 1982, p.35

F. Sphuler, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, London, 1998, p.208, fig.1 H. König, 'The Emperor's Old Rugs', HALI, Issue 142, pp.40-41 Moshe Tabibnia, Intrecci Cinesi: Antica Arte Tessile XV-XIX, Milan, 2011, pp.2223, fig.2

This extraordinarily rare carpet is one of just seven complete Ming 'Dragon' carpets that exist outside of China. In total, there are considered to be around a hundred coveted survivors of the so-called Beijing-type that are believed to be the product of a specific Imperial workshop in Beijing that most likely started in the 15th century and continued until the middle of the 17th century. Today, exactly half of these are in the Palace Museum in Beijing, the remainder of which were dispersed over the years and are now in various collections around the world. Of the one hundred examples that survive, only thirty-six carpets bear the imagery of the imperial dragon, twenty-eight of which were woven for the main halls. Of those in the Palace Museum collection, just nine are complete, and the remaining fifteen are incomplete or are smaller fragments. We know of twelve 'Dragon' carpets that have since been dispersed outside China, of which seven are complete and the remaining five are fragmentary.

During the Ming Period (1368-1644), the arts were highly developed in many areas, including the manufacture of knotted carpets, reaching its zenith under the emperor Wanli (1573-1619). Wanli ordered, at huge

expense, the extensive refurbishment during the latter part of the sixteenth century of the palace which almost bankrupted China with its extravagance. The Great Palace carpets of Beijing form the most significant group of imperial carpets extant: they are the oldest imperial carpets that can be associated directly with a royal or imperial palace, as well as standing out as some of the greatest carpets surviving today. Woven for the halls of the Forbidden City, they did not become known in the West – and even then not widely – until the early twentieth century. Photographic images of the Forbidden City taken by Kazumasa Ogawa in 1906, demonstrate that during winter all the stone floors of the Great Halls were entirely covered with carpets of this particular type which appear to only have been made for the Imperial Palaces. Over the centuries numerous rooms had been damaged or destroyed by fire and these were tirelessly rebuilt but always remained faithful to the original 15th century style set out by the Yongle emperor.

The large-scale Palace carpets that were intended for the floor were woven with a particularly thick and heavy weave with large asymmetrical knots that were wider and higher than average. The pile

yarns consist of coarsely spun wool which result in a thick and compact pile which are extremely strong and stable and have a greater resistance to wear, which was also minimised by the soft silk slippers that were worn by those in the palace at the time. Despite the relatively low knot count, the weavers were able to execute wonderfully curvaceous forms, as seen in the present dragons and peonies, by using a 'packing' knot (M. Franses, op.cit. p.189). Here the weaver would skillfully insert an additional, more tightly spun knot between the regular knots, without any additional wefting, allowing a continuous, fluid line of design.

FORM AND FUNCTION

Carpets were integral to the architecture of the Forbidden Palace and were made in a variety of shapes and forms to accommodate the Kang (a heated platform) on which the throne was placed, supportive columns and other architectural elements. The present carpet illustrates this perfectly. Originally it was woven with an intentional rectangular indentation in the lower right hand quarter of the field which would have accommodated a particular architectural formation or piece of palace furniture, such as a throne. At some point in the nineteenth century a rectangular section was woven to fill the space making it

easier to display. The new section was designed with a fifth 'Qi' dragon, a mirror image of the dragon in the lower left hand corner of the same carpet. A related double-dragon carpet in the Palace Museum displays cut semi-circles to each side of the carpet which would have fit around two large columns and the half profile of four further columns can be seen along the bottom. (Palace Museum, Beijing, inv. no. 212242).

A further shaped dais cover, depicting double dragons chasing a seed pearl can be found in the museum, (Palace Museum, Beijing, Classics of the Forbidden City: Carpets in the Collection of the Palace Museum, text by Liu Baojian and Yuan Hongpi, Beijing, 2010, pp. 42-3).

A dais cover of trapezoidal form but with a single dragon, formerly in the collection of Mrs Benjamin Moore, sold Christie's London, 17 December 1993, lot 19.

DRAGONS

The designs of the Great Palace carpets include the ornaments used extensively within the interior decoration, often mirroring the ceilings and architecture of the pavilions for which they were made. A number of the surviving carpets display the figures of a dragon or dragons. Widely depicted in all mediums of Chinese art, dragons are legendary creatures generally portrayed as a long snake-like, scaly, wingless body with four legs terminating in claws and expressive, fanciful heads with wild manes, long whiskers and horns.

The imagery on the present carpet however is quite different with its display of what are considered to be 'Qi' or 'Archaistic' dragons that are quite the opposite of the fierce, mature 'long' dragon, seen writhing across the field in other examples. The ancient 'Qi' symbol signifies 'life force' which is believed to permeate all living material in both nature and the universe. The bodies of the five 'Qi' dragons, intended to be viewed from the same direction, are composed of cloud-like scrolls or swirls. They have lost their ferocious claws, their faces are formed with a phoenix-like beak, two small hooked horns and an almond-shaped eye, while their tails branch and taper into a soft scroll. The archaistic dragon is seen in the decoration of Chinese bronzes from the Shang dynasty, which became a popular motif on archaistic wares in a variety of media. The dragon, which has a hooked snout, is always shown in profile with only one leg visible. Such depictions on carpets are rare but can be seen on a small Ming dais cover, formerly in the collection of Wendel and Diane Swan, exhibited at the Textile Museum, Washington D.C., 2003; sold Sotheby’s, New York, 13 December 2007, lot 44, now in the MATAM collection, Milan.

COLOUR

Like almost all of the Ming Palace carpets, the present carpet has lost its original intense red colour. The background colour is now a pale yellow but was originally likely a dark Ming Imperial red dye, similar to Ming lacquer that can be seen on the columns in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, but which has since oxidised. Ming Imperial red was created by firstly dying the wool with a yellow dye from the saf flower, allowing that to dry and then over dying the skeins of wool with a red dye made from brazilwood. Over the centuries the red dye oxidised and, whilst exposed to air year on year, the red gradually disappeared. This is common with almost all the Palace carpets, although four examples in the Palace Museum collection in Beijing have retained their original colour, perhaps a different dye formula was employed. By the time of the Qing dynasty (1636-1912) the Imperial colour was yellow and by the end of the 17th century this had become the dominant background colour for the carpets.

Interior of the Chêng Hê Hall, Forbidden City, displaying a ‘Dragon’ carpet on a kang, photograph c.1908 by K. Ogawa

A Trapezoidal Ming ‘Dragon’ carpet, Beijing, late 16th century © 1993, Christie’s Images Ltd.

Certainly, during the 1920’s some Beijing-workshop carpets of the Imperial-type were sold by the Palace and reached western collections. One such Imperial 'Dragon' carpet was reportedly one of three carpets bought in 1920 during an extended honeymoon trip to China by Mrs Alexander Moore (nee Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio 1894-1983) who married Benjamin Moore, a New York Lawyer, where they bought many Chinese works of art for their new home. Auctioned in America in 1987, it was bought by a Swiss collector, until it was sold in Christie's Paris, 23 November 2021, lot 224.

The largest carpet known to have left the Palace, is the famous Tiffany carpet, reportedly last used in China in the private temple of the Empress Dowager Cixi which originally measured nearly 10 x 10 meters and was made in three parts to fit around the columns of an unknown hall. Having been reduced in size at a few different stages, the carpet sold Christie’s, New York, 14 October 2020, lot 20 for a record price at the time. A small fragment of that carpet was bought by Hans König and is part of the collection, see lot 144 in the present sale. Only one Beijing Imperial Throne carpet is reportedly known to have been sold personally by the Emperor and that was to the famous banker J. P. Morgan between 1910-1913. In 1913, G. Griffin Lewis wrote, ‘ It is one of the most celebrated and costly rugs in America.’ That carpet later appeared in auction in New York in 1962. In 1986, an

Imperial Ming carpet with floral design was sold at the Mona Bismarck sale in Monte Carlo.

A two dragon Imperial Palace carpet from the Wanli period, that was exhibited in Beijing in 1992 and missing its primary borders and with sections re-woven, was sold in The Exceptional Sale, Christie’s, New York, 11 December 2014, lot 8. The pair to that carpet remains in the Palace Museum and retains some of the original fret and scrolling leaf borders. Another fragment, lacking its main borders, with a single forward-facing dragon above a seed pearl set up on a back drop of clouds, formerly part of the collection of the late Jim Dixon, sold Bonhams Skinner, Boston, 4 May 2022, lot 50. A small section from an Imperial dragon carpet, was sold Sotheby's New York, 3 June 1989, lot 7. Another sold in 1993 with restorations and was sold again in 2011. A section from an Imperial throne platform cover with dragons was sold in 2006. Also in the same year, a section from the cover of the small raised throne platform from the Hall of Supreme Harmony was sold in New York.

This magnificent imperial carpet is testament to the majesty and artistic achievements created during the Ming dynasty. Its rarity, beauty and historical importance are remarkable and its state of preservation exceptional.

An Imperial Ming ‘Dragon’ carpet. ©2024, Christie’s Images Ltd.

■*144

AN IMPERIAL PALACE CARPET FRAGMENT

PROBABLY NINGXIA, LATE MING DYNASTY, FIRST HALF 17TH CENTURY

Mostly full pile, minor spots of restoration, overall good condition 4ft.3in. x 3ft.4in. (134cm. x 104cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

A 'LOTUS AND BUTTERFLY' NINGXIA CARPET FRAGMENT

NORTH CHINA, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY

Light areas of wear, localised corrosion with associated repiling and minor restoration

6ft.1in. x 3ft.8in. (186cm. x 116cm.)

£6,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

Frank Michaelian, New York

US$7,800-13,000

€7,200-12,000

Anon sale., Edelmann Galleries, New York, 26 September 1979, lot 83, from where purchased

Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400–1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue (Hans König & Michael Franses, London, 2005, p.87, pl.19)

For full lot essay see christies.com

US$11,000-16,000

€9,500-14,000

Reportedly from the Empress Dowager Cixi's (1835-1908) Temple, Imperial Palace, Beijing

The Textile Gallery, London, March 2000, from where purchased

Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400–1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue (Hans König & Michael Franses, London, 2005, p.25, p.27).

For full lot essay see christies.com

A 'LOTUS AND LEAF' MING PALACE CARPET FRAGMENT

POSSIBLY BEIJING, CHINA, LAST QUARTER 16TH CENTURY

Full, thick pile throughout, a small restoration, overall very good condition

5ft.1in. x 2ft.1in (156cm. x 67cm.)

£12,000-16,000

PROVENANCE:

US$16,000-21,000

€15,000-19,000

The Textile Gallery, London, April 2001, from where purchased Thence by descent

This fragment is from the same rare group of early Chinese carpets as the Imperial 'Dragon' carpet in the König collection, (lot 143 in the present sale), which are characterized by having an unusual structure of cotton and/ or silk warps and wefts tied with unusually large knots of a very dry, bristly wool, see Hans König, "The Emperor's Old Rugs," HALI, issue 142, p.40. These knots are augmented with off-set or extra knots inserted between the rows to form curvilinear designs that would otherwise not be possible on such a large grid. The scale of the thick tendrils, bold lotus flowerheads and hooked leaves, set against the now tobaccobrown ground, suggests that the size of the original complete carpet would have been on a palatial scale. A complete Ming carpet of similar ascending scrolling lotus flower design, framed within an indigo key-pattern border, was previously in the collection of Mona Bismark and later passed to the Wher collection, (see M. Tabibnia, Intrecci Cinesi, Milan, ppp.106-7, pl.2).

The depiction of the lotus vine has taken the form of circular volutes that terminate with hooked leaves. These scrolls echo the decorative pattern of contemporaneous Chinese porcelain as seen on a dish, formerly in the Kwong Yee Che Tong Collection, sold Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2024, lot 2806 and another very similar foliate-rim dish illustrated by J. A. Pope, Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine, Washington, 1956, pl. 35, nos. 29.101, 29.106, and 29.109.

A blue and white ‘Floral Scroll’ Ming dish, from the Kwong Yee Che Tong Collection. ©2024, Christie’s Images Ltd.

■*147

A 'BAT AND FRET-WORK' KANG CARPET NINGXIA, NORTH CHINA,

QING DYNASTY, LAST QUARTER 17TH CENTURY

Localised areas of light wear and corrosion with intermittent areas of associated repiling and restoration, dark brown outer stripe rewoven 10ft.7in. x 9ft.1in. (328cm. x 279cm.)

£50,000-70,000

PROVENANCE: Frank Michaelian, New York

Anon. sale, Edelmann Galleries, New York, 14 June 1980, lot 115 from where purchased Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

US$65,000-91,000

€60,000-83,000

Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400–1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue (Michael Franses & Hans König, London, 2005, p.127, pl.43)

LITERATURE: HALI, Issue 3, 1980, p.161

The diagonally positioned fret-work lattice on the present carpet is placed on a pale camel background. Twenty voided auspicious bats fly from both sides towards the middle of the carpet and the flight direction changes in the middle of the carpet. The cusped medallion, with pointed sides and notched corners filled with a pair of confronting sinuous dragons, dominates the centre of the field but is balanced by a cusped spandrel at each corner filled with a single dragon.

The image of the dragon has a millenia old tradition in Chinese art and is recorded as early as the Shang dynasty, 13th–11th century BCE. This particular ''leaf' dragon form appears on two other carpets within the collection, (lot 141 and 149) with single figures at each corner gazing inwards towards the central medallion. A comparable kang carpet, featuring various forms of dragon, including the 'leaf', 'fret' and 'sinuous' form, is the Scofield Thayer carpet, formerly in the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection (F. Spuhler, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection: Carpets and Textiles, London, 1988, no. 64, pp.232-3) sold at Sotheby's London, 6 November 2018, lot 89.

The use of a diagonal swastika lattice is relatively rare in this period but is seen on a small seating mat with bats in the Michael and Judy Steinhardt collection, New York, which was formerly with Thomas Cole. The same diagonal lattice appears on two kang carpets, one with Thomas Jones, Hong Kong the other formerly in the Michon collection, Paris, 1936, present owner unknown. The Michon carpet bears a striking resemblance to the present carpet with the same medallion, spandrels and border patterns, (Franses & König, op.cit., pl.3, note 70.)

A FOLIATE 'DRAGON' MEDALLION DAYBED COVER NINGXIA, NORTH CHINA, 17TH CENTURY

Even overall wear, localised restoration, selvages worn or lacking, minor loss at each end 6ft. x 4ft.4in. (185cm. x 136cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

Edelmann Galleries, New York, June 1980, from whom purchased Thence by descent

This daybed cover is very similar in appearance to lot 141 in the present sale but excludes the additional paired bats within the field. The present rug notably includes the Chinese shòu (壽) symbol at its very center and between each of the inverted, paired foliate leaf dragons above and below the central medallion. This geometric, maze-like symbol is a Chinese character representing longevity and is commonly found on textiles, furniture, ceramics and jewelry, and would traditionally have been intended to have a direct influence on the life of its owner. The ideograph may appear alone or be surrounded by flowers, bats, or other good luck symbols, but will always hold a central position.

A closely related example with the same fret corner brackets enclosing the central roundel, but without the shou symbol is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (A. Hackmack, Chinese Carpets and Rugs, Tientsin-Peking, 1923, pl. XX, fig.49).

A 'FRET LATTICE AND BAT' SEATING MAT

NINGXIA, NORTH CHINA, KANGXI PERIOD, LAST QUARTER 17TH CENTURY

Uneven wear, corroded dark brown, localised repiling, selvages frayed, ends partially rewoven 5ft.5in. x 3ft.2in. (170cm. x 98cm.)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

US$7,800-10,000

€7,200-9,500

Fred Cagan, Kathmandu With The Textile Gallery, London, from whom purchased in March 2000

Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400–1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue ( Michael Franses and Hans König, London, 2005, p.87, pl.19).

Bat imagery is associated with auspiciousness in Chinese art, dating back to the Han dynasty. The pronunciation of “bat” in Chinese is “fú”, the same as that of “blessing”, but there is also a poetic reference to their quick and fleeting appearance at dusk. Bats are also a symbol of longevity because of their habit of hanging upside down and remaining motionless.

There are a number of known variants of the 'key-fret and bat' lattice which are listed by Michael Franses, 'Early Ninghsia Carpets', HALI, Vol 5, No 2, p.139, where he cites nine recorded examples displaying an indigo lattice set upon a beige ground, overlaid with bats, as in the present rug. Another example was formerly in the Wher collection, (Franses, op.cit. fig.12) while a smaller seating mat is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, bequeathed in 1949 by Ellis Gray Seymour, (Acc. No. 49.6.1).

THE AALDERINK 'CLOUD' DAYBED COVER

■*150

A NINGXIA DAYBED COVER

NORTH CHINA, KANGXI PERIOD, QING DYNASTY, CIRCA 1700

Much of the pile is well preserved with localised corrosion in some colours where there is associated repiling, end guard stipes lacking 8ft.2in. x 6ft. (252cm. x 184cm.)

£18,000-25,000

PROVENANCE:

J. Aalderink, Amsterdam

Private collection, Amsterdam

The Textile Gallery, London, from where purchased

Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

US$24,000-32,000

€22,000-30,000

Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400–1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue (Hans König & Michael Franses, London, 2005, pp.180-1, pl.68)

LITERATURE:

Textile-Museum Tilburg, Anticke Ooterse Tapijten, exhibition catalogue, 1959, no.18, pl. IV

The overall design of staggered rows of stylised clouds is a perfect example of Kangxi design, where a single motif is used effectively, through colour and tone, to create multiple layers without compromising balance and space. The auspicious cloud motif carries great significance particularly in traditional Chinese painting and is considered a symbol of celestial mobility, acting as a vehicle for both gods and immortals. Scrolling clouds are associated with deities, foretelling their arrival. Based on the highly symbolic motifs used, this exceptional Chinese rug was probably made as a cover for a raised dais that typically would have been reserved for an important guest and used on specific occasions.

The dark indigo field of the present carpet beautifully highlights the alternate facing rows of clouds, while the golden yellow border, once a saturated red, is filled with a meandering stem of peonies set between an inner fret-design and an outer corroded plain dark brown frame. Michael Franses considers this carpet to belong to a particular group of early Ningxia weavings which share a number of features including an indigo field, a slightly higher pile and a looser weave than other carpets of this period, which may suggest that they were woven in a different, and presently unidentified, village or workshop, (see M. Franses, Classical Chinese Carpets in Western Collections, London, 2002, p.28. pl.13.)

For related indigo-ground Ningxia carpets from this group see, The Dunn 'Clouds and Cranes' dais cover, Michael and Judy Steinhardt Collection, New York, (The Textile Gallery, HALI, 49, 1990, p.95); the 'Elephant' fragment, Woven Gardens, Jim Dixon collection, Bonhams Skinner's, 19 October 2022, lot 1; 'Double dorje' seating mat, Sotheby's New York, 9 March 1995, lot 74.

■*151

A 'LOTUS FLOWER' GALLERY CARPET

NINGXIA, NORTH CHINA, KANGXI PERIOD, SECOND HALF 17TH CENTURY

Uneven areas of wear with associated repiling and restoration, selvages lacking 16ft.2in. x 5ft.5in. (494cm. x 169cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Frank Michaelian, New York

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

Anon. sale American Art Galleries, New York, 25 April 1925, lot 132

The Dikran Kelekian Collection, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 23 October 1953, lot 644

Anon. sale, Edelmann Galleries, New York, 26 September 1979, lot 143, from where purchased Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400–1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue (Hans König & Michael Franses, London, 2005, pp.74-5, pl.11)

LITERATURE:

M. Franses, Classical Chinese Carpets in Western Collections, London, 2002, pl.8

The design of indigo lotus flowers and linked scrolling, leafy vine is set upon a tan-coloured field that is not too distant from its once rich red field. The same treatment of the lotus flowers can be seen here as in the Michaelian lotus and butterfly fragment (lot 146 in the present sale), but the leaves have now become a uniform colour. A number of long format carpets from the imperial Wanli group and the Kangxi period survive, some of which measure over 6.5m in length but which are usually less than 2m. in width. The intended use of these long, narrow carpets is not entirely clear as their size does not conform with the usual functions.

Among the corpus of surviving carpets with all-over lotus designs, some depict different flower variations while others show only one. The relation of this design to woven silks has been long established and seems very strong in this example due to the exactitude in which the dominant flowers are set in the branches. In later Chinese rugs the flowers tend to be larger. The field of this carpet relates to a carpet formerly in the Thyssen Bornemisza Collection (F. Spuhler, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Carpets and Textiles, London, 1998, pp.212-3, pl.54) which shows an overall pattern of peonies which, as with all Chinese carpets, does not present the design as an endless pattern on which the border is superimposed as a frame, but rather is complete and contained within the field with a narrow undecorated strip all around, sold Sotheby's London, 6 November 2018, lot 100.

A NINGXIA GALLERY CARPET

NORTH CHINA, KANGXI PERIOD, LATE 17TH CENTURY

Even overall wear, areas of restoration within the central medallion, outer guard stripe rewoven 13ft.4in. x 6ft.4in. (411cm. x 198cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Frank Michaelian, New York

Thomas B. Clarke, Southampton

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

Anon. sale, American Art Association, 1931, lot 919

Anon. Sale, Edelmann Galleries, New York, 26 September 1979, lot 189, from where purchased

Thence by descent

EXHIBITED:

Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400–1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, 2005-2006, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue (Hans König & Michael Franses, 2005, London, p.38, fig.33 - detail).

This carpet displays an interesting combination of designs which include both floral and geometric patterns, as well as the inclusion of a much rarer figurative motif of a deer in the central shaped medallion. The deer, which is a symbol for long life, appears on just a few carpets that have survived from the classical period, although they were more frequently depicted on small mats towards the end of the 19th century. The pictorial cartouche depicts a single deer beneath a tree, possibly laden with fruiting pomegranates.

The rhythm and finesse of the chrysanthemum leaf and scrolling vine and the softness of the colour in the present carpet are similar to those of a contemporaneous example in the Victoria & Albert Museum (Donald King, "Chinese Carpets in the Victoria & Albert Museum. The History of the Collection", HALI, vol.5, no.2, 1982, p.145). Another yellow ground runner with an overall field of ascending chrysanthemum but which lacked all of its borders, was part of the collection of Erik Risman, offered in these Rooms, 5 April 2011, lot 241 while another more complete example sold in these Rooms, 26 October 2017, lot 295.

A 'DRAGON' PILLAR CARPET

NINGXIA, NORTH CHINA, QING DYNASTY, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Light localised corrosion, selvages frayed, upper kilim with slight loss, overall good condition 10ft.8in. x 3ft.5in. (331cm. x 107cm.)

£5,000-7,000

US$6,500-9,100

€6,000-8,300

Carpets of this format were intended to be wrapped around the pillars in Buddhist temples so that the designs joined to form a continuous pattern. The drawing of the dragon in the present lot is particularly imposing as he writhes across the field in pursuit of the flaming pearl, the symbol of wisdom, that remains for ever just out of reach. It is believed that these pieces were woven by Muslim weavers from the late 18th century in the province of Ningxia in China, although most were destined for monasteries within Mongolia or Tibet. Along with the stylised clouds and decorative ornate pelmet as seen here, the dragon would often be surrounded by a number of Buddhist symbols such as 'the knot of destiny', the wheel, conch shell, fish and lotus flower.

The drawing of the head of this dragon is very similar to that on a pair of pillar rugs published by Charles Grant Ellis, Oriental Carpets in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, London 1988, pl.73, p.272 and on a similar, but longer example, sold in The Collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Part V, Christie's New York, 21 March 2015, lot 21. At over seventeen feet, that example was noted as having been reduced in length, which illustrates the height which some of the temples reached.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

■*154

A KHOTAN SAF

EAST TURKESTAN, CIRCA 1800

Comprising nine mihrab arches, localised wear and associated restorations, selvages rebound, upper end lacking a few rows of knots 14ft.8in. x 3ft.7in. (447cm. x 109cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,500-14,000

The present saf has nine prayer niches, each containing differing polychrome octagonal or lozenge diaper patterns or stylised, flowering trees of life, two issuing from decorative vases. The origin of the design stems from Mughal weavings of the seventeenth century (see Friedrich Spuhler, Islamic Carpets and Textiles in the Keir Collection, London, 1978, nos. 64, 65, pp.123 and 128 for example). An example of a saf from the Deccan plateau in Central India is in the collection of the Textile Museum, Washington D.C. (acc.no.R63.00.15).

Among the first Turkestan carpets of this type to come to the attention of Western scholars was that purchased by Siegfried Troll in 1905, today in the Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Vienna. Like ours, it has nine panels displaying a wonderful variety between niches. However, the variety in that rug is concentrated in the designs in the spandrels, on ours it lies inside the niches themselves. Most unusual are the flowering vases, which grow asymmetrically in their niches.

The question of whether such Khotan carpets were actually used for prayer or rather served as decorative wall hangings is a controversial issue, as there are at least two examples known where the niches face one another, including one sold Phillips London, 11 September 1990, lot 24 and another at Lefevre London, 26 November 1982, lot 11. Two examples closely related to the present lot were sold in these Rooms from The Bernheimer Family Collection of Carpets, 14 February 1996, lot 182 and 184. A further example but with differing niche designs was sold in these Rooms, Battilossi Tappeti D'Antiquariato, 11 February 1998, lot 76.

■*155

A SILK PICTORIAL YARKAND POLYPTYCH

EAST TURKESTAN, POSSIBLY DATED 1910

Woven on a silk structure, selvages and kilim ends original and complete, overall excellent condition 13ft.1in. x 5ft.7in. (400cm. x 171cm.)

£20,000-30,000

US$26,000-39,000

€24,000-36,000

This previously-unpublished rug is the fourth member of a small group, which all share the same perplexing iconography. The first example to be published widely was selected by Parviz Tanavoli for his 'connoisseur's choice' in an early issue of HALI. He afforded it 'pride of place' as 'one of the strangest carpets I have ever seen' (HALI, 40, p.14). He saw it first in Tehran in the mid-1970s, and was told that it had been taken to Iran after the First World War by an Armenian family. A second example surfaced in a Spanish auction, and was sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2019, lot 262. A third example was with Oliver Hoare, before also being sold in these Rooms, 27 October 2022, lot 208 (HALI, 184, p.67). The present lot adds a fourth member to the group. Though they have surfaced in different places, so similar and unusual are they that it is highly likely they were commissioned together.

The structure of the carpet, with a blue weft and loose knot structure, is reminiscent of carpets produced in Yarkand in East Turkestan. Though pictorial rugs are uncommon in this region, some of the individual features of the iconography find parallels in aniconic rug designs. The colourful stripes of the tiger may be compared to the border of some large scale silk rugs, such as a Yarkand formerly in the collection of Davide Halevim, which sold in these Rooms, 27 April 2023, lot 264. The tiger's paws, meanwhile, resemble the eight-petalled flowers which appear in the border of a carpet published by Hans Bidder, Carpets from East Turkestan, Tubingen, 1964, plate II. Other features - such as the solid yellow line to either side of the snake border - recur on other carpets from the region, as seen on an example sold in these Rooms, 24 April 2024, lot 215. That example also displayed a large pomegranate tree in the field, often interpreted as a symbol of fertility, which is echoed in the small pomegranate bushes in the corners of each compartment on these enigmatic polyptychs.

The iconography is not easily associated with a particular location. Both tigers and dragons are considered auspicious animals in East Asian traditions, with the relationship between them being compared between yin and yang. They frequently appear together on Tibetan rugs such as an example published by Thomas Cole, Patterns of Life: the Art of Tibetan Rugs, New York, 2011, no.1, p.37). The standing figure appears to be in quasi-military uniform, and may represent a Russian soldier or merchant. Probably the most perplexing element of the rug is the

cloven-hooved animal in the centre-right panel, which may represent a sheep or cow. Tanavoli suggests that the swollen belly may suggest that the animal is pregnant, adding another level of symbolic meaning to this already cryptic rug. The relationship between the animals is unclear, though the 2015 HALI article suggests that these rugs may have served as props for itinerant story tellers. The combination of Taoist symbols, Tsarist soldiers, and everyday livestock should not be considered surprising in a part of the world defined by the intermingling of cultures.

All the rugs in the group have the same ivory cartouche in the upper left corner, containing what has been interpreted as a date. What that date is, however, remains ambiguous. Tanavoli read it as 1210, which he interpreted as a date in the Hijri calendar, corresponding to 1795-6 AD. He himself pointed out that this would be surprising, given that it is written in Western Numerals, and the 19th-century appearance of the man's uniform. The second figure may therefore be interpreted as a 9, giving a date of 1910 by the Christian calendar. Given the provenance provided by Tanavoli, a third possibility is that it is the Armenian number six, corresponding with the year 1610 of the Armenian calendar, or 1760. Though the likelihood is that the most recent date is the correct one, the silk weaving tradition of East Turkestan extends well back into the 18th century and beyond. However, in spite of this long history, this group seems to remain unique in its form and design.

AN IMPRESSIVE QAJAR SILK HERIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, MID 19TH CENTURY

Full pile throughout, finely woven on an ivory silk warp and blue cotton weft, a short repaired crease line at one end, overall very good condition 18ft.5in. x 12ft.1in. (560cm. x 368cm.)

£250,000-350,000 US$330,000-450,000

€300,000-420,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 5 April 2011, lot 200, from where purchased by the present owner

The knot count measures approximately 9V x 8H per sq. cm.

The city of Heriz is one of the most renowned weaving centers in Persia. Located close to Tabriz it was a major commercial center during the 19th century and became one of the leading carpet producing cities responsible for manufacturing carpets for both the domestic and western markets. Among the rarest and most spectacular of all Qajar weavings produced there were the large silk carpets. Woven as specific commissions, they were one of the most explicit ways of displaying wealth and status.

The design of the present carpet is masterfully executed with an elaborate lattice of flowering vine that sweeps across the field decorated with perching birds, spring flowers and decorative boteh. The border, flanked by multiple decorative guard stripes, is highly complex and is particularly impressive when executed on such a grand scale. While large-sized silk carpets are rare and are not frequently seen on the market, a Heriz silk carpet of Garrus design, formerly in the collection of Abdi Roubeni, of smaller size but comparable condition to the present lot, sold in these Rooms, London, 7 October 2010, 47, while another of even greater size but more worn condition sold in these Rooms, 2 October 2012, lot 100.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES ■

A SILK HERIZ PRAYER RUG

NORTH

WEST PERSIA, MID 19TH CENTURY

Finely woven on a silk structure, supple throughout, localised restorations, minor loss at one end 6ft.3in. x 4ft.5in. (191cm. x 135cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE UK COLLECTION ■158

A SILK HERIZ RUG NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1870

With the unusual depiction of a highly decorated nargileh or waterpipe, single wefted, mostly full pile throughout with minor spots of light localised wear, selvages rebound, overall very good condition 6ft.5in. x 4ft.9in. (195cm. x 146cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,500-14,000

The knot count measures approximately 7V x 8H knots per cm. sq.

US$11,000-16,000

€9,500-14,000

The knot count measures approximately 11V x 10H knots per cm. sq.

In the cartouches are verses from the Preface to Sa‘di’s Gulistan:

'The wind had in the shade of its trees Spread a multi-coloured carpet.’

This silk Persian prayer rug is of a very fine quality. The inscription, written on an ivory ground, is in a distinctive script with long shafts, similar to the script which appeared on another prayer rug, also with an elaborate central chandelier, which sold in these Rooms as part of the George Farrow collection, 25 April 2024, lot 202. The inscription on that carpet stated that it had been woven by a certain Iravami, who may well have been the weaver behind this rug as well. A similarlydrawn inscription also appears on a pictorial prayer rug sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2024, lot 266. A silk prayer rug with a comparable shimmering blue field with slender coupled-columns flanking triple hanging pendant palmettes but without an inscription, sold in these Rooms, 28 October 2021, lot 174.

A SILK HERIZ RUG

NORTH WEST PERSIA, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

Of 'waq-waq' design, single-wefted, metal-thread selvages, overall excellent condition

4ft.4in. x 3ft.7in. (133cm. x 110cm.)

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 30 April 1998, lot 118

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

The knot count measures approximately 9V x 9H knots per cm. sq.

The design of the present lot is very closely related to a small group of silk rugs bearing a central ogival medallion from whose centre four large-scale tendrils spring and issue serrated split palmettes. Of the group, one with a pale ice-blue field sold in these Rooms, 30 April 1992, lot 410 and again on 16 October 1997, lot 90. Although very worn, it bore a date in the inscription cartouche of AH 1231/1815-16 AD.

Another of the group, that remained in much better condition than that example, had the addition of metal-thread highlights. It bore a series of finely executed inscription cartouches within its border together with the signature of the weaver, 'amal' (the work of) 'Rajab', (sold in these Rooms, 15 April 2010, lot 76). The inscriptions were specially composed verses that contained a eulogy to the patron, explaining how the rug would only thrive when sufficiently close to him or remain in his shadow, and similar sentiments. There is a reference to Husayn, but that may not be any indicator of the owner's name.

This design gave rise to a prolific number of larger wool carpets later in the 19th century, proving to be Heriz's most popular motif, (see lot 167 in the present sale). Right at the end of the same century, the same basic design continued to be woven in silk as well as wool. A particularly spectacular example was reputedly commissioned for Muzaffar al-Din Shah, signed by Humi and dated 1897, that sold in these Rooms 13 April 2000, lot 150.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

■*160

A SILK HERIZ RUG

NORTH WEST PERSIA, MID 19TH CENTURY

Full pile throughout, single-wefted silk structure, localised corrosion to the ivory, two narrow repairs, selvages rebound, last few rows rewoven at each end 5ft.6in. x 4ft.7in. (173cm. x 144cm.)

£10,000-15,000

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

The four inscription cartouches contain verses from the preface to Sa‘di’s Gulistan:

‘That one full of colourful tulips, This one full of various fruits.

The wind had in the shade of its trees Spread a multi-coloured carpet.’

The knot count measures approximately 7V x 6H per cm. sq.

The bottom two inscriptions on this rug contain identical verses from the Gulistan to those which appear in the rug offered in the present sale, lot 157. Similarities in the style of the script suggest that this may also be associated with the same workshop. Indeed, Heriz rugs to have come onto the market in recent years include examples with even more extensive inscriptions, such as a rug sold in these Rooms, 5 April 2011, lot 36, which had inscriptions similar to this filling the inner border. A rug with an identical cartoon to the present lot, albeit with verses from Hafez and a slightly different colour scheme, was also offered in these Rooms, 23 April 2013, lot 133.

161

A SILK SOUF KASHAN CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

With metal-thread highlights, full silk pile throughout, localised minor restorations, overall very good condition

10ft.2in. x 6ft.6in. (312cm. x 203cm.)

£10,000-12,000

The knot count measures 8V x 8H per cm. sq.

US$13,000-16,000

€12,000-14,000

The cerulean-blue colour of the field is given by the coloured silk warps and wefts. In most Kashan souf rugs and carpets these are both of a uniform colour but sometimes one finds additional metal-thread wefting providing a silvered field. A small number of souf carpets use this technical feature to create field and border designs that are of different colour. The present rug is exemplary in its execution, design and colour and is comparable in all of these, to a smaller souf rug sold in these Rooms, 28 October 2020, lot 198.

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD SOUF KASHAN PRAYER RUG

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Finely woven on a silk structure, localised minor touches of repiling, otherwise excellent condition

6ft.4in. x 4ft.7in. (194cm. x 134cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,500-14,000

The knot count measures approximately 10V x 9H knots per cm. sq.

161

■*162

■*163

AN AGRA CARPET

NORTH INDIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Of floral lattice design, full pile throughout, a couple of minute spots of repiling, minor loss at each end, overall very good condition

13ft. x 10ft.2in. (396cm. x 309cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,500-14,000

■*164

AN AGRA CARPET

NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1860

Mostly good pile throughout with localised areas of light wear, corroded brown with some associated repiling, a few small professional reweaves, overall good condition

15ft.9in. x 13ft.5in. (479cm. x 408cm.)

£35,000-45,000

US$46,000-58,000

€42,000-53,000

The present bold border of alternating elongated cartouches and roundels filled with decorative floral motifs and an ivorylace-like surround, is taken almost directly from earlier 16th and 17th century Ottoman Cairene carpets. A directly comparable border is found on a carpet in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Acc no. 476-1883). While the border of the present carpet copies the original almost faithfully, the design of the field is a much looser and more openly spaced interpretation of the original, which in turn reveals more of the unusual turquoise-blue ground.

165

■*166

A HERIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Overall very good condition

14ft.9in. x 11ft.3in. (456cm. x 345cm.)

£12,000-16,000

■*167

A HERIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1870

US$16,000-21,000

€15,000-19,000

Even overall wear, minor touches of restoration, selvages replaced, outer end guard stripes rewoven

11ft.2in. x 8ft.6in. (340cm. x 259cm.)

£12,000-16,000

US$16,000-21,000

€15,000-19,000

The ogival medallion with the extended split palmettes is related in design to the silk Heriz rug in the present sale. See lot 159 for further discussion. 202

■*165

A TABRIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Mostly full pile throughout with localised touches of light wear, overall very good condition

10ft.11in. x 8ft. (333cm. x 243cm.)

£6,000-8,000

US$7,800-10,000

€7,200-9,500

166

■*168

A TABRIZ CARPET

SIGNED HAJJI BABA, NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Light touches of wear, overall very good condition 14ft.1in. x 10ft.8in. (429cm. x 324cm.)

£8,000-12,000

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$11,000-16,000

€9,500-14,000

The cartouche reads dastgah-e qalibafi-ye baba ganjeh va baradaran, ‘Carpet factory of Baba Ganjeh and brothers’

It is relatively rare to find signed carpets from the workshop of the renowned weaver Hajji Baba of Genje. According to verbal tradition within the Persian community, Hajji Baba was an accomplished carpet designer in Kirman before settling in Tabriz. He wove a number of carpets in wool and considerably fewer in silk but all were executed with the same delicacy of design and subtlety of palette. There are also a number of carpets woven in Tabriz which have many of his characteristics but lack his signature, which were reputedly named "Tabriz Baba" in the trade. These are finely woven from materials of the highest quality. Another characteristic is a notable red dye more indicative of a lac dye than the lighter tones from the madder root more commonly associated with the carpets of Tabriz. Two wool carpets signed by the same workshop were sold at Christie's New York, 13 December 2000, lots 100 and 164, while a large silk carpet of a similarly fine overall design of delicate flowering vine, sold Christie's London, 24 October 2024, lot 267.

■169

A BENLIAN TABRIZ CARPET

SIGNED JABBARZADEH, NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1920

Of Safavid 'Vase' design, minute touches of wear and one minor restoration, overall very good condition 14ft.8in. x 11ft.10in. (448cm. x 359cm.)

£8,000-10,000

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$11,000-13,000

€9,500-12,000

The Benlian star signature reads sherkat-e jabbarzadeh-ye qali-bafiyan va Mahmud, which translates as ‘The Jabbarzadeh Carpet weaving company and Mahmud’.

Whilst other early 20th century workshops such as PETAG began producing Tabriz carpets of similar style, Benlian carpets can be identified by their eight-pointed star insignia woven in the corner of the inner guard stripe. The Benlian workshop was founded in the first half of the 20th century in Tabriz, where it wove carpets specifically for the European market. Of Armenian descent, Ezepos G. Benlian had a strong affinity with the Armenian community of Tabriz and set up a workshop employing the best weavers in order to produce carpets of the highest quality. His master weavers included Javan Amir Kizi, Mahmud Ghalicheh. These master weavers were extremely successful in reinterpreting the classical carpet designs of 16th and 17th century Safavid Persia, for more modern tastes.

A LARGE PETAG TABRIZ CARPET NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1920

The Petag signature in one corner, of Safavid 'Vase' design, mostly full pile throughout, a few minute touches of repiling otherwise very good condition 21ft.5in. x 12ft.4in. (653cm. x 377cm.)

£25,000-35,000 US$33,000-45,000

€30,000-42,000

The present directional lozenge 'vase' pattern can be seen on a carpet formerly in the Baltimore Museum of Art and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (M. S. Dimand. & J.Mailey, Oriental Rugs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, fig.103). This particular overall repeat pattern was highly adaptable when weaving carpets of varying proportions as seen in three examples sold at Christie's, London, 1 May 2003, lot 48; New York, 12 December 2006, lot 123 and London 28 October 2020, lot 191.

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTOR

■*171

A 'LOTTO' RUG

PROBABLY USHAK, WEST ANATOLIA, EARLY 16TH CENTURY

Of 'Kilim' field design with a 'Box' border, extensive professional restoration

5ft.8in. x 3ft.8in. x (177cm. x 118cm.)

£20,000-25,000

PROVENANCE:

US$26,000-32,000

€24,000-30,000

With Martina Limburger von Hoffmann, Leipzig, early 20th century

Thence by descent

Rippon Boswell, 29 May 2021, lot 107

The 'Box' or 'Four Arrows' border seen here, is usually associated with early 'Lotto' rugs from the sixteenth century. Although in most other examples the kufesque border is more visually related to script, the 'box' border is found in a small number of 'Lotto' rugs, and occasional other Turkish rugs of the same period. This border appears in only two paintings, one dateable to the mid-16th century, the other to circa 1590 (John Mills, "Carpets in Paintings, The 'Bellini', 'Keyhole' or 'Re-entrant' Rugs", HALI 58, August 1991, appendix, p.127; for an illustration of the second of these two, 'The Chess Players', by Ludovico Carracci see John Mills, "'Lotto' Carpets in Western Paintings," HALI, Vol. 3, no. 4, pp.278-289, fig. 20).

A relatively small number of 'Lotto' rugs or fragments are known with the same combination of 'Kilim' field and 'Box' border as the present rug. These include an extremely fragmentary example in the Turk ve Islam Museum, Istanbul (S. Yetkin, Historical Turkish Carpets, Istanbul, 1981, pl.32); a small fragment in the Victoria and Albert museum, London, (acc. no.156-1908); a rug of simplified design in the Black Church, Braşov, (Inv. no: 159); a fragment with a blue-ground border in the Evangelical Church of Biertan, Romania; a rug in the Bayerisches National Museum, München; one in the Eskenazi Collection, (HALI Issue 33, p.7); and two examples sold in these Rooms; The Bernheimer Family Collection of Carpets, Christie's, London, 14 February 1996, lot, 90, and 10 October 2008, lot 35.

PROPERTY OF AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN ■172

A LADIK PRAYER RUG

KONYA REGION, CENTRAL ANATOLIA, CIRCA 1800

Full pile throughout, corroded brown, minor spots of repiling, overall very good condition 6ft.5in. x 3ft.10in. (196cm. x 116cm.)

£5,000-7,000

US$6,500-9,100

€6,000-8,300

PROVENANCE: With Jack Bernadout, London, in the 1950's Thence by descent

The overall design of this well preserved Ladik prayer rug is derived from the 17th century 'Transylvanian' group, which were woven in Anatolia and have been preserved in numerous ecclesiastical and municipal buildings in Western Romania today. Variants

on this design include examples with additional motifs in the field: an example in the Louvre has a small chandelier (acc. no. AD37632), while another in the George Washington Textile Museum has a miniature teapot (acc.n.R34.6.4). The latter has a yellowground border with angular meandering vine and archaic zoomorphic forms, closely matching that on this example, as well as enigmatic motifs inside the lappets above the prayer niche. A closely related Ladik prayer rug was gifted to the Saint Louis Museum of Art by Nellie Ballard White, daughter of the great American collector, James F. Ballard, whose collection was bequeathed to both the Saint Louis and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.311:1972). Other comparable rugs include a more worn example formerly in the Jim Dixon collection, sold Bonhams Skinner, 4 May 2022, lot 75, and another sold at Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 23 November 2024, lot 82.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

■*173

AN USHAK CARPET

WEST ANATOLIA, SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY

Of 'Smyrna' design, areas of restoration, corroded brown with associated repiling, end guard stripes partially rewoven 15ft.7in. x 9ft.10in. (474cm. x 299cm.)

£10,000-15,000

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

By the middle of the seventeenth century Smyrna (Izmir), the Western Anatolian port on the Aegean Sea, had become one of the most important trading centres in Asia Minor (Onno Ydema, Carpets and their Datings in Netherlandish Paintings, 1540-1700, Zutphen, 1991, p.51). The so-called 'Smyrna' carpets were produced for the export market under the direct supervision of the Dutch (Werner Grote-Hasenbalg quoted in A. Boralevi, Oriental Geometries, Livorno, 1999, p.86).

The design of the present carpet is based upon an arrangement of well proportioned palmettes, rosettes and lanceolate leaves enclosed within a continuous polychrome rosette border. A similar rug of almost identical proportions which has the same border is in the Ballard Collection (J. F. Ballard, Catalogue of Oriental Rugs in the Collection of James F. Ballard, Indiana, 1924, p.162, No.87). The Ballard rug has an addition not seen in ours, of two bold rosettes between lanceolate leaves in the upper portion. Another very similar example with the same rosette border and comparable in size but with a field having two columns of palmettes is in the Amir Pakzad Carpet Museum in Hanover (Almut von Gladiss, Islamische Teppiche und Textilien, Hanover, 1987, pl.59, p.69). Another fragmentary example, is in the Bardini Collection (A. Boralevi, Geometrie d'Oriente Stefano Bardini e il Tappeto Antico, Florence, 1999, p.89, pl.28). The border is different having floral cartouches but the field and stripes are identical in design and the size is similar. These carpets, having taken their inspiration from Ottoman designs, were transported from Smyrna to Europe where it became one of the sought-after designs in Europe in the late 18th and 19th centuries and was woven in all possible carpet sizes.

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE ITALIAN COLLECTION

■*174

A CAIRENE RUG

OTTOMAN EGYPT, LATE 16TH CENTURY

Evenly worn throughout, slight loss at each end 5ft.9in. x 3ft.11in. (175cm. x 120cm.)

£25,000-35,000

PROVENANCE:

US$33,000-45,000

€30,000-42,000

Davide Halevim; Magnificent Carpets and Tapestries, Christie's, London, 14 February 2001, lot 25, where purchased by the current owner

classic design seen in the early carpets of the group, but in a weave that is considerably looser. The soft lustrous wool, so typically used in these carpets, is very susceptible to wear and has characteristically worn to just above the level of the knot collar.

The field and border design of the present rug reflect the imposition of Ottoman stylistic principles on Egyptian carpets after the conquest of Cairo in 1517, when Ottoman Turkish-style flowers, palmettes and leafy floral vinery gradually began to replace the more formal geometry of Mamluk production (see Walter B. Denny, ‘The Origin and Development of Ottoman Court Carpets’, Oriental Carpet & Textile Studies II, 1986, pp.243-259). The present rug has the elements of the

Smaller sized pieces, such as the present rug, were often used as table covers and there is evidence of them being woven in pairs or even in triplicate, as seen in a matching set sold in these Rooms, 1 May 2003, lots 29-31. Ottoman Cairene rugs proved extremely popular with European collectors in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries and many examples appear listed in European collection inventories of the period (see D. King and D. Sylvester, The Eastern Carpet in the Western World from the 15th to the 17th Century, London, 1983, p.79). Their popularity continued with Western collectors in both Europe and the United States from the early part of the twentieth century until today, as demonstrated by their inclusion in most major carpet collections of this period. A very similar rug to the present example is in the Textile Museum, Washington (Ernst Kühnel and Louise Bellinger, Cairene Rugs and Others Technically Related, 15th Century-17th Century, Washington D.C., 1958, no.R 1.81, p.49 and pl.XXVII).

THE CLARK-CORCORAN ISFAHANS

Formerly part of the collection of Senator William A. Clark and gifted to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, the following three Safavid carpets, at the time, formed part of the largest group of classical Isfahan carpets to be sold on the auction market at Christie’s New York, 24 November 2009. The selection demonstrated the pinnacle of Safavid carpet weaving during the reign of Shah Abbas, from 1587 to 1629, and represented the artistic appreciation and patronage enjoyed during his reign.

Frequently featured in Dutch and Flemish paintings of this period, 17th century Isfahan carpets later found popularity among American collectors who sought a taste for the exotic and which would attest to their sophistication and worldliness. One of those was William A. Clark (1839-1925), a Senator from Montana who amassed his fortune in copper mining, invested his earnings and became a banker, publisher, and politician. At the beginning of the 20th century, Clark began filling his newly-built mansion, the largest of its kind in New York city, on Fifth Avenue. Filled with European decorative arts and Oriental carpets, Clark’s residence was so impressive, that in a New York Times article published on May 31, 1908, describing the construction and interiors, the headline announced “New York’s Most Expensive Private Mansion.” The carpets offered here occupied this legendary home.

The following three carpets are of the distinctive red-ground scrolling vine and blossom group and are particularly notable for their range in both border and field design. Many of Senator Clark’s carpets were purchased directly from, or with, the guidance of Vitall Benguiat, the New York City dealer who had himself amassed an important collection of carpets. Many of Clark’s carpets were installed on the walls of his Fifth Avenue mansion indicating his interest and approach to them as great works of art.

Upon Clark’s death he gifted the European decorative arts and carpets from his New York City home to the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Recognizing the importance of classical Isfahan carpets, the Corcoran staged multiple exhibitions focusing on the group including the seminal 1948 show, Carpets for the Great Shah and, more recently, The World at our Feet: A Selection of Carpets from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, April 4-July 6, 2003. By exhibiting and publishing this highly important group of carpets, the Corcoran made these pieces available to scholars, collectors and admirers. Many are widely published and are often cited in the continuing scholarly discussion regarding the production, history and importance of 17th century Isfahan carpets. This small selection presents a unique opportunity to access an important group of classical Persian carpets that represent a period when pile weaving was among the grandest art forms in the world.

Residence of Senator William A. Clark, Fifth Avenue at Seventy-seventh Street, New York city, c.1910

Senator William Andrews Clark Snr. (1839-1925)

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION

■*175

AN IMPRESSIVE LARGE SAFAVID ISFAHAN CARPET CENTRAL PERSIA, 17TH CENTURY

Uneven areas of wear, scattered old restoration, lined, selvages and ends overbound 32ft. x 12ft. (975cm. x 366cm.)

£80,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

US$110,000-160,000

€95,000-140,000

Duke Don Gaetano de Braganza, Fourth Duke of Lafões (1856-1927), Italy

Senator William A. Clark, New York '500 Years: Decorative Arts Europe', Christie's New York, 24 November 2009, lot 133

LITERATURE:

Illustrated Handbook of The W.A. Clark Collection, Washington, D.C., 1928, p. 74. 'Carpets for the Great Shah', The Corcoran Gallery of Art Bulletin, Vol 2, No. 1, October 1948, p. 20, no. P29.

Significantly, the present lot and the following two Isfahan carpets in the collection are with Portuguese royal or noble provenance. Jessica Hallett's article gives us a clearer understanding of the development of Isfahan carpet design over the 17th century, and bases her conclusions principally on Portuguese inventory records, which are supported by paintings (Jessica Hallett, 'From the Looms of Yazd and Isfahan', in Carpets and Textiles in the Iranian World, 1400-1700, Oxford and Genoa 2010, pp.90-123). Following Hallett’s proposed chronology, the Lafões provenance – the Dukedom was granted in 1718 by King João V to the illegitimate descendants of his father, King Pedro II – which may imply a late 17th or even early 18th century date of manufacture/importation. The documents also suggest that, large quantities of carpets were imported by the Portuguese from the central Persian carpet weaving centre of Yazd (J. Hallett, op.cit. pp.90-123).

The exuberant scrolling vine in our carpet relates to a variant group of 'Strapwork' design which is discussed in greater detail in relation to lot 187 in the present sale. More unusual still, are the petal-like spandrels, which one would expect to find reflected in a complete central medallion. Instead, the central element is a small lozenge with opposing palmettes at both sides and the field is comprised of large split-leaf arabesques. A closely related Isfahan carpet with a comparable field design of exuberant scrolling arabesques, with the same palmette and leaf vine border, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (acc. no.69.244).

An interior of the Clark residence displaying two other large Isfahan carpets of similar proportions to the present lot

A LARGE SAFAVID ISFAHAN CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Heavily corroded dark red, uneven areas of wear, scattered old restoration, selvages and ends secured 26ft.6in. x 10ft.10in. (808cm. x 330cm.)

£80,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

US$110,000-160,000

€96,000-140,000

Duke Don Gaetano de Braganza, Fourth Duke of Lafões (1856-1927), Italy. William A. Clark, New York.

'500 Years: Decorative Arts Europe', Christie's New York, 24 November 2009, lot 29

EXHIBITED:

Washington D.C., The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Carpets for the Great Shah, 3 October-16 November, 1948, no. P16.

LITERATURE:

Illustrated Handbook of The W.A. Clark Collection, Washington, D.C., 1928, p. 77.

'Carpets for the Great Shah', The Corcoran Gallery of Art Bulletin, Vol 2, No. 1, October 1948, p. 16, no. P16.

With a third of this carpet in completely full, original pile, we are able to appreciate and comprehend the brilliance of Isfahan carpets as they were, when first woven in the 17th century. The richness of colour and the delicate forms of the foliate decoration woven on such a grand scale are impressive. The border is a highly sophisticated pattern formed of paired reciprocal rose and pale blue split-palmettes with speckled centers, alternating with two varieties of palmettes. The delicate execution and arrangement of this border design is comparable to the silk and metal-thread 'Polonaise' carpet of Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein (F. R. Martin, A History of Oriental Carpets Before 1800, Vienna, 1908, p.64, fig.153) and another very similar border is found on a multiple medallion carpet from the same period, illustrated by Arthur Upham Pope (A.U. Pope, A Survey of Persian Art, London, Vol. XII, pl. 1179).

A SAFAVID ISFAHAN CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, SECOND HALF 17TH CENTURY

Uneven areas of wear and faded repiling, selvages rebound 18ft.3in. x 8ft.2in. (556cm. x 249cm.)

£60,000-90,000 US$78,000-120,000

€72,000-110,000

PROVENANCE:

Dom Afonso Henriques, Prince Royal of Portugal (1865-1920).

Acquired from Vitall Benguiat, New York. Senator William A. Clark, New York.

'500 Years: Decorative Arts Europe', Christie's New York, 24 November 2009, lot 204

LITERATURE:

Illustrated Handbook of The W.A. Clark Collection, Washington, D.C., 1928, p. 73.

'Carpets for the Great Shah', The Corcoran Gallery of Art Bulletin, Vol 2, No. 1, October 1948, p. 20, no. P25.

A rarely seen border on Isfahan carpets, each pair of serrated leaves forms a bracket around a lotus palmette. A variation of this border is found on a carpet formerly owned by Vitall Benguiat (The Private Collection of the Messsrs. Vitall and Leopold Benguiat, American Art Association, New York, November 1925, no. 65). The field design centers a lozenge formed by palmettes that creates a pseudo central medallion. The oversized palmettes serve as a reminder of the influence these Isfahan carpets had on Agra weavers during the 19th century.

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE CANADIAN COLLECTION

■*178

THE 'BENGUIAT' SAFAVID 'STRAPWORK' ISFAHAN CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Lacking main border and outer guard stripe, low pile throughout, various stages of restoration, lined 16ft.2in. x 6ft.1in. x (496cm. x 188cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

Vitall and Leopold Benguiat, New York

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

The V. and L. Benguiat Private Collection of Rare Old Rugs, American Art Association, New York, 4-5 December 1925, lot 13 Anon. sale, Christie's New York, 12 September 1989, lot 106 Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 12 October 1999, lot 101

LITERATURE:

Ian Bennett, "Isfahan Strapwork Carpets", HALI, 41, 1988, p.13

This carpet is one of seven widely published examples of what has been variously described as the 'strapwork' or 'arabesque' group, wool carpets with a field decorated by a lattice of broad sinuous branches rather than the narrower vines which are found on carpets such as the 'Vase' group. In an article of 1988, published just before this carpet resurfaced at auction in Christie's New York, Ian Bennet made the case that these carpets had been made in Iran. As well as specifically noting Benguiat's attribution from 1925, he also pointed to similarities between the design of the 'strapwork' carpets and the design principles underlying the 'Polonaise' group, especially the large example endowed to the shrine at Najaf during the brief Safavid occupation of the city between 1623 and 1638. He also identifies similarities between the design on this carpet and other Safavid designs, such as that adorning the dome of the Mosque of Sheikh Lutfallah, built in Isfahan in 1619, and 'the Isfahan Cope' in the Victoria and Albert Museum associated with the Armenian community of New Julfa (acc.nos.477-1894, T.30-1926, T.211-1930).

This point of view has been questioned by Murray L. Eiland Jr ('The Moghul "Strapwork" Carpets', Oriental Rug Review 11:6, 1991, pp.28-37). He makes the argument that the group was instead made in Mughal India. Certainly, three of the published group of strapwork carpets are in collections in India - two in Bijapur, and one in Jaipur - and in 1902/3 sir George Watt wrote that he believed the Bijapur carpets to have been woven in Kashmir. Eiland is also able to marshal examples of 'strapwork'-like designs appearing in Mughal miniatures and architecture. Ultimately, the close connection between Mughal and Safavid artistic styles and the regular commerce of art and artists between the two courts - to say nothing of the fact that the Mughal rulers themselves found their origins in Central Asia - can make it hard to identify the origin of particular designs, and indeed can make any claims that designs are inherently 'Safavid' or 'Mughal' inherently weak.

However, Eiland is perhaps too quick to dismiss the similarities between the 'Strapwork' group and 'Polonaise' carpets. He points to an earlier article by Kurt Erdmann in which he argued that all the 'Strapwork' group were designed based on an identical overall design, of which each carpet represented only a particular section ('The Pattern Structure of the Arabesque Carpets', Survey of Persian Art, Vol. XVI, Ashiya, 1977, pp.31606). The 'Polonaise' carpet in Najaf, he contends, instead is 'little more than a simple drop repeat'. However, Friedrich Spuhler's work on the 'Polonaise' group indicates that many example of 'Polonaise' rugs are governed by identical principles of selecting from a wider lattice, and indeed his 'System V' closely resembles the diagram drawn by Erdmann in his own article. If the same design principles were being used, then it is possible to attribute an identical origin to the 'Strapwork' group to the 'Polonaise' group, allowing us to confidently locate the carpets in Safavid Isfahan in the 17th century.

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION

■*179

A SAFAVID SILK AND METAL-THREAD 'POLONAISE' RUG

ISFAHAN, CENTRAL PERSIA, FIRST QUARTER 17TH CENTURY

Even low wear throughout, minor scattered repairs, selvages frayed, ends secured with original braided kilim and 6ft.7in. x 4ft.8in. (201cm. x 142cm.)

£100,000-150,000

PROVENANCE:

Private Belgian collection

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 6 April 2006, lot 52

Anon. sale, Christie's New York, 22 November 2011, lot 76

US$130,000-190,000

€120,000-180,000

The 'Polonaise' group were the subject of a celebrated 1968 thesis by Friedrich Spuhler, in which he formulated a way of classifying most known examples according to their design. The field of this example fits into his typology as type XII, 3, a design typified by intersecting split-palmette branches forming an overall 'x' shape. Other examples of this type recorded by Spuhler, include one formerly in the collection of Dr Heinrich Wulff, Copenhagen, which was formerly in the collection of the Duke of Holstein Gottorp, supposedly given to the family by a Persian embassy in 1633 (A Collection of Oriental Rugs and Carpets belonging to Heinrich Wulff, Copenhagen, 1934, no.1). Spuhler further mentions two other rugs of this design, one in the collection of John D. Rockefeller (The Art News, 7 April 1928, p.10), and a final example which was then with Vincent Robinson, published by Wilhelm Bode (Vorderasiatische Knüpfteppiche aus älterer Zeit von Wilhelm Bode, Leipzig, 1902, plate 31).

Of the three comparable examples, it is the last of these which is closest to being a pair with the present lot, since it also shares the border, with striking blue split palmettes between open flowerheads, with a 'reciprocal-Y' stripe to the inner and leaf and flowerheads to the exterior guard stripe. This border design - which Spuhler refers to as 22b - also is found on a rug in St Mark's Basilica, Venice (F. Spuhler, Seidene Repräsentationsteppiche der Mittleren bis Späten safawidenzeit, PhD. thesis, Berlin, 1968, p.194, no.89), and another then in the collection of Baronin von Essen in Upsala, Sweden (Spuhler, op.cit. 1968, p.211,no.134).

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

■*180

A DECCANI CARPET

SOUTH CENTRAL INDIA, 18TH CENTURY

Of Mughal design, naturally corroded dyes with associated restoration, together with the original inscribed wooden box 11ft.1in. x 4ft.3in. (339cm. x 129cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

"Antiques from Past Dynasties", Jo's Auction, Osaka, 17 October 2024, lot 1032

INSCRIPTIONS:

The inscription on the box reads Made in Wanli era [1572-1620] of the Ming dynasty, size of four Japanese mats, one sheet

The 'Kyoto' group of carpets came to the attention of carpet scholars in 1986 thanks to the intervention of Daniel Walker and Nobuko Kajitani, who visited the holdings of the Gion Matsuri Preservation Society in Kyoto. An annual ceremony going back to the 9th century, the Gion Matsuri culminates in the procession of a number of floats decked in exotic textiles which included a number of Indian carpets, one of which had been acquired as far back as 1650. Though the association had in its possession several Persian carpets, the Indian pieces were remarkably homogenous: they shared a similar structure, an unusual palette including mustard-yellow and olivegreen on a red ground (Daniel Walker, Flowers Underfoot, New York, 1997, p.138) Though most were woven with Mughal designs, the most likely place of origin was the Deccan.

Since then, further examples have come to light beyond Kyoto itself. Some have been in other Japanese collections, including in Nagoya and Tokyo. Carpets of this type also appear in Dutch paintings from the seventeenth century, such as Johannes Vermeer's, Young Lady with a Water Pitcher, painted in 1662, suggesting that they were also imported to Europe. Though this group will continue to be particularly associated with Kyoto, this group represents a type of carpet which was made in the Deccan for export in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, travelling both East and West in Dutch ships. Further examples have been offered for sale in recent years, including in these Rooms, 16 April 2007, lot 49; 24 November 2009, lot 340; 27 April 2023, lots 204 and 205; 25 April 2024, lot 216. Interestingly, many of those which have come directly from Japan have - like the present lot - retained wooden boxes with Japanese inscriptions. The inscriptions on the box suggest a date in which the carpets were made according to the rule of Chinese emperors, suggesting that it may have been thought that they were made in China.

As more examples have come to light, it has been possible to identify subgroups within the larger 'Kyoto' group. The present lot is similar in design to an example in the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch in Boughton House, Northamptonshire (acc.no.62-506, published Walker, 1997, p.144, fig.140), having two parallel columns of flowerheads within a lattice of sickle-shaped leaves. A similar design also appears on a rug in the Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna, which was originally published by Sarre and Trenkwald (Altorientalische Teppiche, Leipzig, 1926-9, pl.34) but now reattributed to this group. The Boughton and Vienna carpets are substantially larger than our rug, with a higher quality of drawing, possibly indicating an earlier date of manufacture. The border designs are also much more intricate: the border design of this example is closer in style to that on a rug still with the Gion Matsuri Preservation Association, which has doubled motifs in the corners like ours in order to help resolve the design.

AN 'EAGLE' GÜL GROUP II MAIN CARPET

SOUTH WEST TURKESTAN, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

Overall very good condition, with original selvages and long striped kilims at each end 10ft.8in. x 6ft. (331cm. x 185cm.)

£20,000-25,000

PROVENANCE:

US$26,000-32,000

€24,000-30,000

Private Belgian collection since 197, sold Rippon Boswell, 12 March 2016, lot 135, from where purchased by the present owner

The Eagle Gül Group are one of the most soughtafter and enigmatic of all Turkmen weavings. Debate about their origins and relationship to wider Yomut tribal production continues unabated. The group was originally attributed to the Ogurjali tribe, now a part of the Yomut, by the Russian General A.A. Bogolyubov in the early 20th century (A.A. Bogolyubov, Tapis de l'Asie Centrale, St Petersburg, 1908/9). In 1980 Jon Thompson proposed a theory that the weavings were in fact created by the Imreli (Louise Mackie and Jon Thompson, Turkmen, Tribal Carpets and Traditions, Washington DC, 1980, pp.134-144), an idea that Elena Tsareva has revisited in her study of the Hoffmeister collection (Elena Tsareva, Turkmen Carpets, Masterpieces of Steppe Art from 16th to 19th Centuries: The Hoffmeister Collection, Stuttgart, 2011, pp.87-88). The Eagle Gül Group I and II main carpets are very closely related but with a slightly different structure. Group I has red wool and silk and brown wool wefting and a Persian knot open to the left where group II has brown wool and cotton wefting with a Persian knot open to the right. Each group uses the same excellent wool and a very similar design of rows of flaming 'Eagle' güls divided by lateral bands of dyrnak güls, surrounded by lotus palmette borders. However, where Group I main carpets have three rows of four eagle güls, Group II has four rows of three eagle güls. There are currently fewer than twenty known Eagle Gül Group II carpets.

The present lot is in an excellent state of preservation with fabulous wool and bright saturated colours. It relates closely to one of the best examples of the group, the Fabergé Eagle Gül Group II carpet, that was included in the Palazzo Reale exhibition, Sovrani Tappeti, which accompanied the 9th International Conference on Oriental Carpets in Milan (Sovrani Tappeti, Milan, 1999, p.132). A comparable example but with a simplified border, sold Christie's London, 8 April 2014, lot 95, while a more worn example sold Sotheby's London, 3 November 2015, lot 22. For further discussion of the group and a comprehensive listing of Eagle Gül Group II main carpets please refer to Annette and Volker Rautenstengel, Studien zur Teppich Cultur de Turkmen, Turkmen Main Carpets of Different Tribes with 'Eagle' - and Dyrnak-Gols - a comparison of their structure and their decoration, Hilden, 1990.

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTOR

■*182

A DOUBLE MEDALLION FACHRALO RUG

KAZAK REGION, SOUTH CAUCASUS, LATE 18TH CENTURY

Even overall wear, corroded black with associated repiling, scattered restoration

7ft.1in. x 5ft.5in. (218cm. x 168cm.)

£12,000-16,000

US$16,000-21,000

€15,000-19,000

The composition of two stellar medallions is found on Anatolian rugs of the early 16th century, as seen on a 'Holbein' carpet in the Bayerisches National Museum, München, (K. Erdmann, The History of the Early Turkish Carpet, London, 1977, p.66, pl.63) and continues to be used through the 17th and 18th centuries in Anatolia but is successfully adopted across the silk road.

The spacious proportions of this double stellar medallion Caucasian Fachralo rug, with a light green field, together with a particularly fine weave with white wefts and slightly depressed warps, are characteristics associated with an earlier group of Kazak weavings of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Other directly comparable examples are in the L.A. Mayer Memorial Institute for Islamic Art, Jerusalem, (R. Ettinghausen, Ancient Carpets, Jerusalem 1977, no.11), and an example, formerly part of the Battilossi collection, sold Christie's London, 11 February 1998, lot 53. Ettinghausen likens the blue elongated hooked motifs within each of the red rectangles, which are directly comparable to ours, to zoomorphic forms of confronting dragons or other animals. Later examples have a tendency towards a narrower field and greater ornamentation, (see E. Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche V, Munich 1983, pp.74-5, pl.34).

■*183

A KARACHOF RUG

KAZAK REGION, SOUTH CAUCASUS, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

Dated AH 1207/1792 AD or AH 1257/1841 AD, even overall wear, scattered professional repiling and restoration 7ft.4in. x 6ft.1in. (227cm. x 188cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

US$13,000-19,000

€12,000-18,000

Anon. Sale, Grogan & Company, Boston, 12 January 2009, lot 89

It still remains unclear exactly where this group of rugs were woven but, according to John Taylor, it was likely in the south of Tbilisi by Azeri Turks who were familiar with the designs of traditional Anatolian rugs and earlier large-pattern Holbein carpets of 4-and-1 medallion formation. (https://www.rugtracker.com/2017/07/karachov-case-study. html?m=1)

The wide proportions, open-spaced design and green-ground of this Karachof rug are synonymous with the earliest examples of this group. The inscribed date may be read as either AH 1207/1792 AD or AH 1257/1841 AD, although the fine weave and handle of the rug make a late 18th century date plausible. There are just nine recorded examples that display the same so-called 'waterbug' border as the present rug, with the closest comparable selling Sotheby’s New York, 31 October 1997, lot 26. Others include Bausback 1979, p.35; U. Schurmann, Oriental Carpets, pp. 176-7; Through the Collector’s Eye, pl.18; Christie's New York, 16 December 1994, lot 37; HALI Issue 77, p.10 (Kunsthaus Am Museum); Achdjian. Tapis (Orient Anciens, pl.25). The first three have yellow ground borders, as here, the others white-ground. The first five have green fields. The quality of the present lot prompted HALI to write, (Issue 97, p.134), "the clean lines and uncluttered design, the proportions of medallion to field, the quality of its dyes and its overall look qualify it as one of the earliest and best (arguably the best) Karachovs we have seen". An early green ground example, but with a serrated leaf and glass border, was published by E. Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche VIII, Munich, 1986, pl.25, pp.66-7.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A SEWAN RUG

KAZAK REGION, SOUTH CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1870

Light wear, corroded brown, worn crease lines, fair condition

6ft.8in. x 5ft.5in. (203cm. x 165cm.)

£4,000-6,000

EAST CAUCASUS, DATED AH 1304/1887 AD

Lightly corroded dark brown otherwise full pile throughout, outer end guard stripes rewoven, selvages rebound, overall very good condition 5ft.3in. x 3ft. (163cm. x 94cm.)

£3,000-5,000

PROVENANCE:

US$3,900-6,500

€3,600-6,000

With Bernadout & Bernadout Gallery, London in 1970's, where purchased by the present owner

The field design of stylised palmettes is a readily recognisable motif in Daghestan weavings and it is not uncommon to find a a credible date within the mihrab. On the present rug we find the date woven in three individual places within the mihrab. In addition to the stylised pastel polychrome palmettes, the weaver has included a plethora of small devices that include jewellery, amulets, combs, flowers and trees of life, all of which were intended to ward off evil and protect the rug's owner.

US$5,200-7,800

€4,800-7,100

The over-sized central 'shield' medallion is synonymous with Sewan Kazak rugs, so it is through the inclusion of small details and the interplay of colour where the weaver is able to diversify. A rug with a 'Shield' or 'Maltese cross' medallion and stylised animal and tree border, that includes small animals and figures within the ivory outer band of the central medallion, is published by Eberhart Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche VIII, Munich, 1986, no.27, p.70. Another, sold in these Rooms, 18 April 1985, lot 71, was also with Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche V, Munich, 1983, no.37, p.81 and a comparable 'Shield' rug sold in these Rooms, 28 October 2020, lot 161. The present rug has a deep corrosion in the dark brown, throwing the border motifs into high relief and a richly preserved colour palette, rippled with abrashes in the pine-green medallion. For a fuller discussion on the design development of this group see, "The Development of Four Kazak Designs", Raoul Tschebull, HALI, Vol 1, No.3, p.257-259.

PROPERTY FROM AN ITALIAN COLLECTOR

■*186

A KARACHOF RUG

KAZAK REGION, SOUTH CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1870

Uneven areas of wear and corrosion, localised restorations and repiling

7ft.9in. x 4ft.8in. (235cm. x 142cm.)

£4,000-6,000

PROVENANCE:

US$5,200-7,800

€4,800-7,100

Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 21 April 1999, lot 90, from where purchased by the present owner

There is a smaller group of known variant Karachof rugs, to which the present lot belongs, where the field is centered by a stacked vertical arrangement of panels filled with both bracket and hooked Kochak motifs. Even more unusual, is the golden yellow ground of the field of our rug, which is echoed in some of the hooked bracket motifs in the main border.

186

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE UK COLLECTION ■187

A TRIPLE MEDALLION RUG

KAZAK REGION, SOUTH CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1880

Full pile throughout, corroded dark brown, overall excellent condition 7ft.2in. x 5ft.5in. (220cm. x 170cm.)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon sale, Phillip's London, 26 April 1994, lot 5

US$7,800-10,000

€7,200-9,500

The triple medallion arrangement on the present Kazak rug includes design characteristics from different provenances. The top and bottom ivory octagonal medallions, with their 'turtle' design, are found in the rugs of Lori Pambak, while the hooked bracket border is more commonly found on the rugs of Borjalu. For a discussion on the development of the design see Raoul Tschebull, 'The Development of Four Kazak Designs', HALI, Vol 1, No 3, pp. 257-261, where a closely related 'Triple medallion' rug is discussed, fig.2. A rug with the same field arrangement but with a serrated 'leaf and glass' border, is published as Lori Pambak by P. Bausback, Antike Orientteppiche, Braunschweig, 1978, and another from the group but a spotted red field, sold in these Rooms, 26 October, 2023, lot 141.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

■*188

A KURDISH KELLEH

SOUTHERN KURDISTAN, CIRCA 1800

Of 'Afshan' design, single-wefted, localised restorations, borders rewoven at each end

16ft.2in. x 6ft.5in. (492cm. x 196cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

In the second half of the eighteenth century the court style in Persia moved towards overall repeating designs without the structure seen on earlier examples. A portrait of Nader Shah (r.1739-49) in the Victoria and Albert Museum, (Acc No. IM.20-1919) shows him seated on a carpet whose overall design is superimposed by a small central cusped medallion similar to that in the present lot. While that particular carpet is likely to be of Indian origin, the style rapidly caught on.

The design of this carpet, known as the Afshan pattern, meaning 'scattered flowers', proved extremely popular with weavers in North West Persia and the South Caucasus, and derived directly from a group of late 17th and early 18th century Caucasian carpets. A number of different variants were produced in various centers, as discussed by Murray L. Eiland Jr., 'Afshan - A Story of Design Development', HALI, Issue 104, pp.59-65. A Karabagh kelleh that displays a similar ivory lozenge 'moon' medallion with spandrels but on an indigo 'Herati' ground, was in the James D. Burns Collection, sold in these Rooms, 18 October 2001, lot 249, while a South Kurdish kelleh, of a similar fine quality to our carpet, with a medallion but no spandrels on a 'Mina Khani' indigo ground, is published in J. Burns, Antique Rugs of Kurdistan, London 2002, pp.36-37, pl.1.

■189 A BIJAR CARPET WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1870

Of Garrus design, full pile throughout, overall excellent condition 12ft.8in. x 6ft.7in. (422cm. x 220cm.)

£6,000-10,000

US$7,800-13,000

€7,200-12,000

■*190

A LARGE BIJAR CARPET

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Overall excellent condition

21ft.6in. x 11ft.5in. (655cm. x 348cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

■

191

A BAKHTIARI CARPET

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1900

Of Joshagan design, localised touches of light wear, overall very good condition

10ft.2in. x 9ft.8in. (312cm. x 300cm.)

£7,000-9,000

US$9,100-12,000

€8,400-11,000

■Ω192

A SILK QUM CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1950

Overall excellent condition

11ft.1in. x 7ft.4in. (339cm. x 227cm.)

£8,000-12,000

The knot count is approximately 7V x 7H per cm. sq.

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

■Ω193

AN ISFAHAN CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1940

Finely woven on silk warps, full pile, overall excellent condition

12ft. x 8ft.1in. (367cm. x 247cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

The knot count measures approximately 12V x 10H per cm. sq.

192

■*194

A LARGE TABRIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Finely woven, overall excellent condition

22ft.1in. x 14ft.1in. (674cm. x 430cm.)

£28,000-38,000

US$37,000-49,000

€34,000-45,000

The knot count measures approximately 7V x 7H knots per cm. sq.

■195

A TABRIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Finely woven, mostly full pile throughout with minor touches of light wear, a couple of small localised restorations, fringes added, overall very good condition

17ft.11in. x 14ft.2in. (547cm. x 433cm.)

£22,000-26,000

US$29,000-34,000

€27,000-31,000

■196

A ZIEGLER RUG

SULTANABAD REGION, WEST PERSIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Of 'herati' pattern, overall excellent condition 6ft.11in. x 4ft.3in. (212cm. x 130cm.)

£5,000-7,000

US$6,500-9,100

€6,000-8,300

■197

A ZIEGLER RUG

SULTANABAD DISTRICT, WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Full pile throughout, light corrosion in pale brown, two minute spot repairs, overall very good condition 5ft.8in. x 4ft. (178cm. x 122cm.)

£4,000-6,000

US$5,200-7,800

€4,800-7,100

■198

A ZIEGLER RUG

SULTANABAD REGION, WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Full pile throughout, partially rewoven along one outer side guard stripe, overall very good condition

8ft. x 7ft.10in. (245cm. x 238cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,600-14,000

A BAKSHAISH CARPET

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Light even wear, corroded red, overall good condition

18ft.4in. x 11ft.1in. (558 x 338cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$20,000-26,000

€18,000-24,000

■*200

A SULTANABAD CARPET

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Of 'Paradise Park' design, full pile throughout, a few repaired crease lines, overall very good condition

19ft.6in. x 12ft. (595cm. x 366cm.)

£12,000-18,000

US$16,000-23,000

€15,000-21,000

The elaborate design of the present lot takes its inspiration from the so-called Schwarzenberg 'Paradise Park' carpet, first published in the 'Vienna Book', Orientalische Teppiche, Vienna, 1892-96, plate 41, and today in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. The design features a central medallion flanked by pendants in a field populated by cypress trees, mythical creatures and intricate foliage. Persian literature and art has long referenced the idea of heaven on earth, where a garden with water would bear lush plants and trees, often alongside animals both mythical and real. Two complete examples of similar “Paradise Park” carpets include the Mackay carpet in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Mantes carpet in the Louvre, France.

A SAROUK PRAYER RUG

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Full pile throughout, localised surface marks, overall very good condition

6ft.5in. x 4ft.6in. (195cm. x 137cm.)

£5,000-8,000

US$6,500-10,000

€6,000-9,500

■202

A KASHAN 'MOHTASHAM' RUG

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Woven with fine kurk wool, original purple silk selvages, slight loss at each end, overall excellent condition 6ft.8in. x 4ft.4in. (204cm. x 131cm.)

£4,000-6,000

US$5,200-7,800

€4,800-7,100

The knot count measures approximately 8V x 8H knots per cm. sq.

■*203

A KASHAN 'MOHTASHAM' PRAYER RUG

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Full pile throughout, overall excellent condition 6ft.8in. x 4ft.3in. (204cm. x 130cm.)

£6,000-8,000

US$7,800-10,000

€7,200-9,500

The knot count measures approximately 8V x 8H knots per cm. sq.

■*204

Full pile throughout, overall excellent condition

11ft.8in. x 8ft.4in. (361cm. x 257cm.)

£16,000-22,000

US$21,000-28,000

€20,000-26,000

A KASHAN 'MOHTASHAM' CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

INDEX OF CARPET MEASUREMENTS

DIMENSIONS

4ft.3in. x 3ft.4in. 134cm. x 104cm.

An Imperial Palace Carpet Fragment First Half 17th Century 144

4ft.4in. x 3ft.7in. 133cm. x 110cm. A Silk Heriz Rug First Half 19th Century 159

5ft.1in. x 2ft.1in. 156cm. x 67cm. A ‘Lotus And Leaf’ Ming Palace Carpet Fragment Last Quarter 16th Century 146

5ft.3in. x 3ft. 163cm. x 94cm. A Shirvan Prayer Rug Dated AH 1304/1887 AD 185

5ft.4in. x 3ft.11in. 165cm. x 95cm. A ‘Foliate Dragon And Bat’ Daybed Cover Last Quarter 17th Century 141

5ft.5in. x 3ft.2in. 170cm. x 98cm. A ‘Fret Lattice And Bat’ Seating Mat Last Quarter 17th Century 149

5ft.6in. x 4ft.7in. 173cm. x 144cm. A Silk Heriz Rug Mid 19th Century 160

5ft.8in. x 3ft.8in. 177cm. x 118cm. A ‘Lotto’ Rug

16th Century 171

5ft.8in. x 4ft. 178cm. x 122cm. A Ziegler Rug Circa 1890 197

5ft.9in. x 3ft.11in. 175cm. x 120cm. A Cairene Rug

6ft. x 4ft.4in. 185cm. x 136cm. A Foliate ‘Dragon’ Medallion

6ft.1in. x 3ft.8in. 186cm. x 116cm. A ‘Lotus And Butterfly’ Ningxia Carpet Fragment

6ft.3in. x 4ft.5in. 191cm. x 135cm. A Silk Heriz Prayer Rug

6ft.4in. x 4ft.7in. 194cm. x 134cm. A

6ft.5in. x 3ft.10in. 196cm. x 116cm. A Ladik Prayer Rug

6ft.5in. x 4ft.6in. 195cm. x 137cm. A Sarouk Prayer Rug

6ft.5in. x 4ft.9in. 195cm. x 146cm. A Silk Heriz Rug

6ft.7in. x 4ft.8in. 201cm. x 142cm. A Safavid Silk And Metal-Thread ‘Polonaise’

6ft.8in. x 4ft.3in. 204cm. x 130cm. A Kashan ‘Mohtasham’ Prayer Rug

6ft.8in. x 4ft.4in. 204cm. x 131cm. A Kashan ‘Mohtasham’ Rug

6ft.8in. x 5ft.5in. 203cm. x 165cm. A Sewan Rug

6ft.11in. x 4ft.3in. 212cm. x 130cm. A Ziegler Rug

7ft.1in. x 5ft.5in. 218cm. x 168cm. A Double Medallion Fachralo Rug

7ft.2in. x 5ft.5in. 220cm. x 170cm. A Triple Medallion Rug

7ft.4in. x 6ft.1in. 227cm. x 188cm. A Karachof Rug

7ft.9in. x 4ft.8in. 235cm. x 142cm. A Karachof Rug

8ft. x 7ft.10in. 245cm. x 238cm. A Ziegler Rug

Century

1870

1890 198 8ft.2in. x 6ft. 252cm. x 184cm. A Ningxia Daybed Cover

1700

8ft.4in. x 6ft.3in. 259cm. x 194cm. A ‘Lotus And Peony’ Daybed Cover Mid 17th Century 140 9ft.8in. x 20ft.5in. 297cm. x 625cm. A Highly Important Imperial Ming ‘Qi’ Dragon Palace Carpet Circa 1575-1600 143 10ft.2in. x 6ft.6in. 312cm. x 203cm. A Silk Souf Kashan Carpet

Late 19th Century 161 10ft.2in. x 9ft.8in. 312cm. x 300cm. A Bakhtiari Carpet

Circa 1900 191 10ft.7in. x 9ft.1in. 328cm. x 279cm. A ‘Bat And Fret-Work’ Kang Carpet Last Quarter 17th Century 147 10ft.8in. x 3ft.5in. 331cm. x 107cm. A ‘Dragon’ Pillar Carpet Late 18th / Early 19th Century 153 10ft.8in. x 6ft.1in. 331cm. x 188cm. An ‘Eagle’ Gül Group II Main Carpet First Half 19th Century

10ft.11in. x 8ft. 333cm. x 243cm. A Tabriz Carpet

Circa 1890 165 11ft.1in. x 4ft.3in. 339cm. x 129cm. A Deccani Carpet 18th Century 180 11ft.1in. x 7ft.4in. 339cm. x 227cm. A Silk Qum Carpet

Circa 1950 192 11ft.2in. x 8ft.6in. 340cm. x 259cm. A Heriz Carpet

Circa 1870 167 11ft.8in. x 8ft.4in. 361cm. x 257cm. A Kashan ‘Mohtasham’ Carpet Late 19th Century 204 12ft. x 8ft.1in. 367cm. x 247cm. An Isfahan Carpet

Circa 1940 193 12ft.7in. x 10ft.9in. 389cm. x 333cm. A ‘Peony Lattice’ Kang Carpet 17th Century 142 12ft.8in. x 6ft.7in. 422cm. x 220cm. A Bijar Carpet

Circa 1870 189 13ft. x 10ft.2in. 396cm. x 309cm. An Agra Carpet Late 19th Century 163 13ft.1in. x 5ft.7in. 400cm. x 171cm. A Silk Pictorial Yarkand Polyptych Possibly Dated 1910 155 13ft.4in. x 6ft.4in. 411cm. x 198cm. A Ningxia Gallery Carpet Late 17th Century 152 14ft.1in. x 10ft.8in. 429cm. x 324cm. A Tabriz Carpet

Circa 1890 168 14ft.8in. x 11ft.10in. 448cm. x 359cm. A Benlian Tabriz Carpet Circa 1920 169 14ft.8in. x 3ft.7in. 447cm. x 109cm. A Khotan Saf Circa 1800 154 14ft.9in. x 11ft.3in. 456cm. x 345cm. A Heriz Carpet

Circa 1890 166 15ft.7in. x 9ft.10in. 474cm. x 299cm. An Ushak Carpet

Second Half 18th Century 173 15ft.9in. x 13ft.5in. 479cm. x 408cm. An Agra Carpet

Circa 1860 164 16ft.2in. x 5ft.5in. 494cm. x 169cm. A ‘Lotus Flower’ Gallery Carpet

Second Half 17th Century 151 16ft.2in. x 6ft.1in. 496cm. x 188cm. The ‘Benguiat’ Safavid ‘Strapwork’ Isfahan Carpet Early 17th Century 178 16ft.2in. x 6ft.5in. 492cm. x 196cm. A Kurdish Kelleh

Circa 1800 188 17ft.11in. x 14ft.2in. 547cm. x 433cm. A Tabriz Carpet

Circa 1880 195 18ft.3in. x 8ft.2in. 556cm. x 249cm. A Safavid Isfahan Carpet

Second Half 17th Century 177 18ft.4in. x 11ft.1in. 558cm. x 338cm. A Bakshaish Carpet

Circa 1890 199 18ft.5in. x 12ft.1in. 560cm. x 368cm. An Impressive Qajar Silk Heriz Carpet Mid 19th Century 156 19ft.6in. x 12ft. 595cm. x 366cm. A Sultanabad Carpet

Circa 1890 200 21ft.5in. x 12ft.4in. 653cm. x 377cm. A Large Petag Tabriz Carpet

Circa 1920 170 21ft.6in. x 11ft.5in. 655cm. x 348cm. A Large Bijar Carpet

Circa 1890 190 22ft.1in. x 14ft.1in. 674cm. x 430cm. A Large Tabriz Carpet

Circa 1890 194 26ft.6in. x 10ft.10in. 808cm. x 330cm. A Large Safavid Isfahan Carpet 17th Century 176 32ft. x 12ft. 975cm. x 366cm. An Impressive Large Safavid Isfahan Carpet 17th Century 175

CONDITIONS OF SALE • BUYING AT CHRISTIE’S

CONDITIONS OF SALE

These Conditions of Sale and the Important Notices and Explanation of Cataloguing Practice set out the terms on which we offer the lots listed in this catalogue for sale. By registering to bid and/or by bidding at auction you agree to these terms, so you should read them carefully before doing so. You will find a glossary at the end explaining the meaning of the words and expressions coloured in bold. As well as these Conditions of Sale, lots in which we offer Non-Fungible Tokens for sale are governed by the Additional Conditions of Sale – Non-Fungible Tokens, which can be found at Appendix A to these Conditions of Sale. For the sale of Non-Fungible Tokens, to the extent there is a conflict between the “London Conditions of Sale Buying at Christie’s” and “Additional Conditions of Sale – Non-Fungible Tokens”, the latter controls.

Unless we own a lot ( symbol), Christie’s acts as agent for the seller. This means that we are providing services to the seller to help them sell their lot and that Christie’s is concluding the contract for the sale of the lot on behalf of the seller. When Christie’s is the agent of the seller, the contract of sale which is created by any successful bid by you for a lot will be directly between you and the seller, and not between you and Christie’s.

• BEFORE THE SALE

A

1

• DESCRIPTION OF LOTS

(a) Certain words used in the catalogue description have special meanings. You can find details of these on the page headed ‘Important Notices and Explanation of Cataloguing Practice’ which forms part of these terms. You can find a key to the Symbols found next to certain catalogue entries under the section of the catalogue called ‘Symbols Used in this Catalogue’.

(b) Our description of any lot in the catalogue, any condition report and any other statement made by us (whether orally or in writing) about any lot, including about its nature or condition, artist, period, materials, approximate dimensions or provenance are our opinion and not to be relied upon as a statement of fact. We do not carry out in-depth research of the sort carried out by professional historians and scholars. All dimensions and weights are approximate only.

2

• OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR DESCRIPTION OF LOTS

We do not provide any guarantee in relation to the nature of a lot apart from our authenticity warranty contained in paragraph E2 and to the extent provided in paragraph I below.

• CONDITION

3

(a) The condition of lots sold in our auctions can vary widely due to factors such as age, previous damage, restoration, repair and wear and tear. Their nature means that they will rarely be in perfect condition Lots are sold ‘as is’, in the condition they are in at the time of the sale, without any representation or warranty or assumption of liability of any kind as to condition by Christie’s or by the seller.

(b) Any reference to condition in a catalogue entry or in a condition report will not amount to a full description of condition, and images may not show a lot clearly. Colours and shades may look different in print or on screen to how they look on physical inspection. Condition reports may be available to help you evaluate the condition of a lot Condition reports are provided free of charge as a convenience to our buyers and are for guidance only. They offer our opinion but they may not refer to all faults, inherent defects, restoration, alteration or adaptation because our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. For that reason they are not an alternative to examining a lot in person or taking your own professional advice. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have requested, received and considered any condition report.

• VIEWING LOTS PRE-AUCTION

4

(a) If you are planning to bid on a lot, you should inspect it personally or through a knowledgeable representative before you make a bid to make sure that you accept the description and its condition We recommend you get your own advice from a restorer or other professional adviser.

(b) Pre-auction viewings are open to the public free of charge. Our specialists may be available to answer questions at pre-auction viewings or by appointment.

5

• ESTIMATES

Estimates are based on the condition, rarity, quality and provenance of the lots and on prices recently paid at auction for similar property. Estimates can change. Neither you, nor anyone else, may rely on any estimates as a prediction or guarantee of the actual selling price of a lot or its value for any other purpose. Estimates do not include the buyer’s premium or any applicable taxes.

• WITHDRAWAL

6

Christie’s may, at its option, withdraw any lot at any time prior to or during the sale of the lot. Christie’s has no liability to you for any decision to withdraw.

• JEWELLERY

7

(a) Coloured gemstones (such as rubies, sapphires and emeralds) may have been treated to improve their look, through methods such as heating and oiling. These methods are accepted by the international jewellery trade but may make the gemstone less strong and/or require special care over time.

(b) It will not be apparent to us whether a diamond is naturally or synthetically formed unless it has been tested by a gemmological laboratory. Where the diamond has been tested, a gemmological report will be available.

(c) All types of gemstones may have been improved by some method. You may request a gemmological report for any item which does not have a report if the request is made to us at least three weeks before the date of the auction and you pay the fee for the report.

(d) Certain weights in the catalogue description are provided for guidance purposes only as they have been estimated through measurement and, as such, should not be relied upon as exact.

(e) We do not obtain a gemmological report for every gemstone sold in our auctions. Where we do get gemmological reports from internationally accepted gemmological laboratories, such reports will

be described in the catalogue. Reports from American gemmological laboratories will describe any improvement or treatment to the gemstone. Reports from European gemmological laboratories will describe any improvement or treatment only if we request that they do so, but will confirm when no improvement or treatment has been made. Because of differences in approach and technology, laboratories may not agree whether a particular gemstone has been treated, the amount of treatment or whether treatment is permanent. The gemmological laboratories will only report on the improvements or treatments known to the laboratories at the date of the report. We do not guarantee nor are we responsible for any report or certificate from a gemmological laboratory that may accompany a lot

(f) For jewellery sales, estimates are based on the information in any gemmological report or, if no report is available, assume that the gemstones may have been treated or enhanced.

8 • WATCHES & CLOCKS

(a) Almost all clocks and watches are repaired in their lifetime and may include parts which are not original. We do not give a warranty that any individual component part of any watch or clock is authentic Watchbands described as ‘associated’ are not part of the original watch and may not be authentic. Clocks may be sold without pendulums, weights or keys.

(b) As collectors’ watches and clocks often have very fine and complex mechanisms, a general service, change of battery or further repair work may be necessary, for which you are responsible. We do not give a warranty that any watch or clock is in good working order. Certificates are not available unless described in the catalogue.

(c) Most watches have been opened to find out the type and quality of movement. For that reason, watches with water resistant cases may not be waterproof and we recommend you have them checked by a competent watchmaker before use. Important information about the sale, transport and shipping of watches and watchbands can be found in paragraph H2(g).

B • REGISTERING TO BID

1 • NEW BIDDERS

(a) If this is your first time bidding at Christie’s or you are a returning bidder who has not bought anything from any of our salerooms within the last two years you must register at least 48 hours before an auction to give us enough time to process and approve your registration. We may, at our option, decline to permit you to register as a bidder. You will be asked for the following:

(i) for individuals: Photo identification (driving licence, national identity card or passport) and, if not shown on the ID document, proof of your current address (for example, a current utility bill or bank statement).

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(b) We may also ask you to give us a financial reference and/or a deposit as a condition of allowing you to bid. For help, please contact our Credit Department on +44 (0)20 7839 9060.

2 • RETURNING BIDDERS

We may at our option ask you for current identification as described in paragraph B1(a) above, a financial reference or a deposit as a condition of allowing you to bid. If you have not bought anything from any of our salerooms in the last two years or if you want to spend more than on previous occasions, please contact our Credit Department on +44 (0)20 7839 9060.

• IF YOU FAIL TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT DOCUMENTS

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If in our opinion you do not satisfy our bidder identification and registration procedures including, but not limited to completing any anti-money laundering and/or anti-terrorism financing checks we may require to our satisfaction, we may refuse to register you to bid, and if you make a successful bid, we may cancel the contract for sale between you and the seller.

• BIDDING ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON

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(a) As authorised bidder. If you are bidding on behalf of another person who will pay Christie’s directly, that person will need to complete the registration requirements above before you can bid, and supply a signed letter authorising you to bid for them.

(b) As agent for a principal: If you register in your own name but are acting as agent for someone else (the “ultimate buyer(s)”) who will put you in funds before you pay us, you accept personal liability to pay the purchase price and all other sums due. We will require you to disclose the identity of the ultimate buyer(s) and may require you to provide documents to verify their identity in accordance with paragraph E3(b).

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• BIDDING IN PERSON

If you wish to bid in the saleroom you must register for a numbered bidding paddle at least 30 minutes before the auction. You may register online at www.christies.com or in person. For help, please contact the Credit Department on +44 (0)20 7839 9060.

• BIDDING SERVICES

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The bidding services described below are a free service offered as a convenience to our clients and Christie’s is not responsible for any error (human or otherwise), omission or breakdown in providing these services.

(a) Phone Bids

Your request for this service must be made no later than 24 hours prior to the auction. We will accept bids by telephone for lots only if our staff are available to take the bids. If you need to bid in a language other than in English, you must arrange this well before the auction. We may record telephone bids. By bidding on the telephone, you are agreeing to us recording your conversations. You also agree that your telephone bids are governed by these Conditions of Sale.

(b) Internet Bids on Christie’s LIVE™

For certain auctions we will accept bids over the Internet. For more information, please visit www.christies.com/register-and-bid As well as these Conditions of Sale, internet bids are governed by the Christie’s LIVE™ Terms of Use which are available at www.christies.

com/christies-live-terms

c) Written Bids

You can find a Written Bid Form at any Christie’s office or by choosing the sale and viewing the lots online at www.christies.com. We must receive your completed Written Bid at least 24 hours before the auction. Bids must be placed in the currency of the saleroom. The auctioneer will take reasonable steps to carry out written bids at the lowest possible price, taking into account the reserve If you make a written bid on a lot which does not have a reserve and there is no higher bid than yours, we will bid on your behalf at around 50% of the low estimate or, if lower, the amount of your bid. If we receive written bids on a lot for identical amounts, and at the auction these are the highest bids on the lot, we will sell the lot to the bidder whose written bid we received first.

• CONDUCTING THE SALE

C

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• WHO CAN ENTER THE AUCTION

We may, at our option, refuse admission to our premises or decline to permit participation in any auction or to reject any bid.

• RESERVES

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Unless otherwise indicated, all lots are subject to a reserve. We identify lots that are offered without reserve with the symbol • next to the lot number. The reserve cannot be more than the lot’s low estimate, unless the lot is subject to a third party guarantee and the irrevocable bid exceeds the printed low estimate. In that case, the reserve will be set at the amount of the irrevocable bid. Lots which are subject to a third party guarantee arrangement are identified in the catalogue with the symbol º♦

• AUCTIONEER’S DISCRETION

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The auctioneer can at their sole option:

(a) refuse any bid; (b) move the bidding backwards or forwards in any way they may decide, or change the order of the lots; (c) withdraw any lot; (d) divide any lot or combine any two or more lots; (e) reopen or continue the bidding even after the hammer has fallen; and (f) in the case of error or dispute related to bidding and whether during or after the auction, to continue the bidding, determine the successful bidder, cancel the sale of the lot, or reoffer and resell any lot. If you believe that the auctioneer has accepted the successful bid in error, you must provide a written notice detailing your claim within 3 business days of the date of the auction. The auctioneer will consider such claim in good faith. If the auctioneer, in the exercise of their discretion under this paragraph, decides after the auction is complete, to cancel the sale of a lot, or reoffer and resell a lot, they will notify the successful bidder no later than by the end of the 7th calendar day following the date of the auction. The auctioneer’s decision in exercise of this discretion is final. This paragraph does not in any way prejudice Christie’s ability to cancel the sale of a lot under any other applicable provision of these Conditions of Sale, including the rights of cancellation set forth in section B(3), E(2)(i), F(4) and J(1).

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• BIDDING

The auctioneer accepts bids from:

(a) bidders in the saleroom; (b) telephone bidders, and internet bidders through ‘Christie’s LIVE™ (as shown above in Section B6); and (c) written bids (also known as absentee bids or commission bids) left with us by a bidder before the auction.

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• BIDDING ON BEHALF OF THE SELLER

The auctioneer may, at their sole option, bid on behalf of the seller up to but not including the amount of the reserve either by making consecutive bids or by making bids in response to other bidders. The auctioneer will not identify these as bids made on behalf of the seller and will not make any bid on behalf of the seller at or above the reserve. If lots are offered without reserve, the auctioneer will generally decide to open the bidding at 50% of the low estimate for the lot. If no bid is made at that level, the auctioneer may decide to go backwards at their sole option until a bid is made, and then continue up from that amount. In the event that there are no bids on a lot, the auctioneer may deem such lot unsold.

6 • BID INCREMENTS

Bidding generally starts below the low estimate and increases in steps (bid increments). The auctioneer will decide at their sole option where the bidding should start and the bid increments.

• CURRENCY CONVERTER

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The saleroom video screens (and Christies LIVE™) may show bids in some other major currencies as well as sterling. Any conversion is for guidance only and we cannot be bound by any rate of exchange used. Christie’s is not responsible for any error (human or otherwise), omission or breakdown in providing these services.

• SUCCESSFUL BIDS

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Unless the auctioneer decides to use their discretion as set out in paragraph C3 above, when the auctioneer’s hammer strikes, we have accepted the last bid. This means a contract for sale has been formed between the seller and the successful bidder. We will issue an invoice only to the registered bidder who made the successful bid. While we send out invoices by post and/or email after the auction, we do not accept responsibility for telling you whether or not your bid was successful. If you have bid by written bid, you should contact us by telephone or in person as soon as possible after the auction to get details of the outcome of your bid to avoid having to pay unnecessary storage charges.

• LOCAL BIDDING LAWS

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You agree that when bidding in any of our sales that you will strictly comply with all local laws and regulations in force at the time of the sale for the relevant sale site.

D • THE BUYER’S PREMIUM, TAXES AND ARTIST’S RESALE ROYALTY

1 • THE BUYER’S PREMIUM

In addition to the hammer price, the successful bidder agrees to pay us a buyer’s premium on the hammer price of each lot sold. On all lots we charge 26% of the hammer price up to and including £800,000, 21% on that part of the hammer price over £800,000 and up to and including £4,500,000, and 15.0% of that part of the hammer price above £4,500,000. VAT will be added to the buyer’s premium and is payable by you. For lots offered under the VAT Margin Scheme or Temporary Admission VAT rules, the VAT may not be shown separately on our invoice because of tax laws. You may be eligible to have a VAT refund in certain circumstances if the lot is exported. Please see the “VAT refunds: what can I reclaim?” section of ‘VAT Symbols and Explanation’ for further information.

2 • TAXES

The successful bidder is responsible for all applicable tax including any VAT, GST, sales or compensating use tax or equivalent tax wherever such taxes may arise on the hammer price and the buyer’s premium VAT charges and refunds depend on the particular circumstances of the buyer. It is the buyer’s responsibility to ascertain and pay all taxes due. VAT is payable on the buyer’s premium and, for some lots, VAT is payable on the hammer price Following the departure of the UK from the EU (Brexit), UK VAT and Customs rules will apply only. For lots Christie’s ships or delivers to the United States, sales or use tax may be due on the hammer price buyer’s premium and/or any other charges related to the lot, regardless of the nationality or citizenship of the purchaser. Christie’s will collect sales tax where legally required. The applicable sales tax rate will be determined based upon the state, county, or locale to which the lot will be shipped or delivered. Successful bidders claiming an exemption from sales tax must provide appropriate documentation to Christie’s prior to the release of the lot. For shipments/deliveries to those states for which Christie’s is not required to collect sales tax, a successful bidder may be required to remit use tax to that state’s taxing authorities. Christie’s recommends you obtain your own independent tax advice with further questions.

For lots Christie’s ships or delivers to Jersey (Channel Islands), GST at a rate of 5% will be due on the hammer price, buyer’s premium, freight charges (as set out on your Shipping Quote Acceptance Form) and any applicable customs duty. Christie’s will collect GST from you, where legally required to do so.

For lots purchased by a successful bidder with a registered address in India and who has bid via Christie’s LIVE™, an Indian Equalisation Levy Tax at a rate of 2% will be due on the hammer price and buyer’s premium (exclusive of any applicable VAT). Christie’s will collect the Indian Equalisation Levy Tax from you, where required to do so.

• ARTIST’S RESALE ROYALTY

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In certain countries, local laws entitle the artist or the artist’s estate to a royalty known as ‘artist’s resale right’ when any lot created by the artist is sold. We identify these lots with the λ symbol next to the lot number. If these laws apply to a lot, you must pay us an extra amount equal to the royalty. We will pay the royalty to the appropriate authority on the seller’s behalf.

The artist’s resale royalty applies if the hammer price of the lot is 1,000 GBP or more if located in the United Kingdom at the time of sale. The total royalty for any lot cannot be more than 12,500 GBP. We work out the amount owed as follows:

Royalty for the portion of the hammer price (in Pounds Sterling)

4% up to 50,000

3% between 50,000.01 and 200,000

1% between 200,000.01 and 350,000 0.50% between 350,000.01 and 500,000 over 500,000, the lower of 0.25% and 12,500 GBP.

E • WARRANTIES

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• SELLER’S WARRANTIES

For each lot, the seller gives a warranty that the seller:

(a) is the owner of the lot or a joint owner of the lot acting with the permission of the other co-owners or, if the seller is not the owner or a joint owner of the lot, has the permission of the owner to sell the lot or the right to do so in law; and

(b) has the right to transfer ownership of the lot to the buyer without any restrictions or claims by anyone else.

If one or more of the above warranties are incorrect, the seller shall not have to pay more than the purchase price (as defined in paragraph F1(a) below) paid by you to us. The seller will not be responsible to you for any reason for loss of profits or business, expected savings, loss of opportunity or interest, costs, damages, other damages or expenses.

The seller gives no warranty in relation to any lot other than as set out above and, as far as the seller is allowed by law, all warranties from the seller to you, and all other obligations upon the seller which may be added to this agreement by law, are excluded.

• OUR AUTHENTICITY WARRANTY

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We warrant, subject to the terms below, that the lots in our sales are authentic (our ‘authenticity warranty’). If, within five years of the date of the auction, you give notice to us that your lot is not authentic subject to the terms below, we will refund the purchase price paid by you. The meaning of authentic can be found in the glossary at the end of these Conditions of Sale. The terms of the authenticity warranty are as follows:

(a) It will be honoured for claims notified within a period of five years from the date of the auction. After such time, we will not be obligated to honour the authenticity warranty

(b) It is given only for information shown in UPPERCASE type in the first line of the catalogue description (the ‘Heading’). It does not apply to any information other than in the Heading even if shown in UPPERCASE type

(c) The authenticity warranty does not apply to any Heading or part of a Heading which is qualified Qualified means limited by a clarification in a lot’s catalogue description or by the use in a Heading of one of the terms listed in the section titled Qualified Headings on the page of the catalogue headed ‘Important Notices and Explanation of Cataloguing Practice’. For example, use of the term ‘ATTRIBUTED TO…’ in a Heading means that the lot is in Christie’s opinion probably a work by the named artist but no warranty is provided that the lot is the work of the named artist. Please read the full list of Qualified Headings and a lot’s full catalogue description before bidding.

(d) The authenticity warranty applies to the Heading as amended by any Saleroom notice

(e) The authenticity warranty does not apply where scholarship has developed since the auction leading to a change in generally accepted opinion. Further, it does not apply if the Heading either matched the generally accepted opinion of experts at the date of the sale or drew attention to any conflict of opinion.

(f) The authenticity warranty does not apply if the lot can only be shown not to be authentic by a scientific process which, on the date we published the catalogue, was not available or generally accepted for use, or which was unreasonably expensive or impractical, or which was likely to have damaged the lot

(g) The benefit of the authenticity warranty is only available to the original buyer shown on the invoice for the lot issued at the time of the sale and only if, on the date of the notice of claim, the original buyer is the full owner of the lot and the lot is free from any claim, interest or restriction by anyone else. The benefit of this authenticity warranty may not be transferred to anyone else.

(h) In order to claim under the authenticity warranty, you must:

(i) give us written notice of your claim within five years of the date of the auction. We may require full details and supporting evidence of any such claim;

(ii) at Christie’s option, we may require you to provide the written opinions of two recognised experts in the field of the lot mutually agreed by you and us in advance confirming that the lot is not authentic If we have any doubts, we reserve the right to obtain additional opinions at our expense; and

(iii) return the lot at your expense to the saleroom from which you bought it in the condition it was in at the time of sale.

(i) Your only right under this authenticity warranty is to cancel the sale and receive a refund of the purchase price paid by you to us. We will not, in any circumstances, be required to pay you more than the purchase price nor will we be liable for any loss of profits or business, loss of opportunity or value, expected savings or interest, costs, damages, other damages or expenses.

(j) Books. Where the lot is a book, we give an additional warranty for 14 days from the date of the sale that if on collation any lot is defective in text or illustration, we will refund your purchase price, subject to the following terms:

(i) This additional warranty does not apply to:

(a) the absence of blanks, half titles, tissue guards or advertisements, damage in respect of bindings, stains, spotting, marginal tears or other defects not affecting completeness of the text or illustration;

(b) drawings, autographs, letters or manuscripts, signed photographs, music, atlases, maps or periodicals;

(c) books not identified by title;

(d) lots sold without a printed estimate;

(e) books which are described in the catalogue as sold not subject to return; or

(f) defects stated in any condition report or announced at the time of sale.

(ii) To make a claim under this paragraph you must give written details of the defect and return the lot to the sale room at which you bought it in the same condition as at the time of sale, within 14 days of the date of the sale.

(K) South East Asian Modern and Contemporary Art and Chinese Calligraphy and Painting.

In these categories, the authenticity warranty does not apply because current scholarship does not permit the making of definitive statements. Christie’s does, however, agree to cancel a sale in either of these two categories of art where it has been proven the lot is a forgery. Christie’s will refund to the original buyer the purchase price in accordance with the terms of Christie’s authenticity warranty provided that the original buyer notifies us with full supporting evidence documenting the forgery claim within twelve (12) months of the date of the auction. Such evidence must be satisfactory to us that the lot is a forgery in accordance with paragraph E2(h)(ii) above and the lot must be returned to us in accordance with E2h(iii) above. Paragraphs E2(b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) and (i) also apply to a claim under these categories.

(l) Chinese, Japanese and Korean artefacts (excluding Chinese, Japanese and Korean calligraphy, paintings, prints, drawings and jewellery).

In these categories, paragraph E2 (b) – (e) above shall be amended so that where no maker or artist is identified, the authenticity warranty is given not only for the Heading but also for information regarding date or period shown in UPPERCASE type in the second line of the catalogue description (the “SubHeading”). Accordingly, all references to the Heading in paragraph E2 (b) – (e) above shall be read as references to both the Heading and the SubHeading

3 • YOUR WARRANTIES

(a) You warrant that the funds used for settlement are not connected with any criminal activity, including tax evasion, and you are neither under investigation, nor have you been charged with or convicted of money laundering, terrorist activities or other crimes.

(b) Where you are bidding as agent on behalf of any ultimate buyer(s) who will put you in funds before you pay Christie’s for the lot(s), you warrant that:

(i) you have conducted appropriate customer due diligence on the ultimate buyer(s) and have complied with all applicable anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing and sanctions laws;

(ii) you will disclose to us the identity of the ultimate buyer(s) (including any officers and beneficial owner(s) of the ultimate buyer(s) and any persons acting on its behalf) and on our request, provide documents to verify their identity;

(iii) the arrangements between you and the ultimate buyer(s) in relation to the lot or otherwise do not, in whole or in part, facilitate tax crimes;

(iv) you do not know, and have no reason to suspect that the ultimate buyer(s) (or its officers, beneficial owners or any persons acting on its behalf) are on a sanctions list, are under investigation for, charged with or convicted of money laundering, terrorist activities or other crimes, or that the funds used for settlement are connected with the proceeds of any criminal activity, including tax evasion; and

(v) where you are a regulated person who is supervised for anti-money laundering purposes under the laws of the EEA or another jurisdiction with requirements equivalent to the EU 4th Money Laundering Directive, and we do not request documents to verify the ultimate buyer’s identity at the time of registration, you consent to us relying on your due diligence on the ultimate buyer, and will retain their identification and verification documents for a period of not less than 5 years from the date of the transaction. You will make such documentation available for immediate inspection on our request.

F • PAYMENT

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• HOW TO PAY

(a) Immediately following the auction, you must pay the purchase price being:

(i) the hammer price; and

(ii) the buyer’s premium; and

(iii) any amounts due under section D3 above; and

(iv) any duties, goods, sales, use, compensating or service tax or VAT.

Payment is due no later than by the end of the seventh calendar day following the date of the auction, or no later than 24 hours after we issue you with an invoice in the case of payment made in cryptocurrency, as the case may be (the ‘due date’).

(b) We will only accept payment from the registered bidder. Once issued, we cannot change the buyer’s name on an invoice or re-issue the invoice in a different name. You must pay immediately even if you want to export the lot and you need an export licence.

(c) You must pay for lots bought at Christie’s in the United Kingdom in the currency stated on the invoice in one of the following ways:

(i) Wire transfer

You must make payments to:

Lloyds Bank Plc, City Office, PO Box 217, 72 Lombard Street, London EC3P 3BT. Account number: 00172710, sort code: 30-00-02 Swift code: LOYDGB2LCTY. IBAN (international bank account number): GB81 LOYD 3000 0200 1727 10.

(ii) Credit Card

We accept most major credit cards subject to certain conditions. You may make payment via credit card in person. You may also make a ‘cardholder not present’ (CNP) payment by calling Christie’s Post-Sale Services Department on +44 (0)20 7752 3200 or for some sales, by logging into your MyChristie’s account by going to: www.christies. com/mychristies. Details of the conditions and restrictions applicable to credit card payments are available from our Post-Sale Services Department, whose details are set out in paragraph (e) below.

If you pay for your purchase using a credit card issued outside the region of the sale, depending on the type of credit card and account you hold, the payment may incur a cross-border transaction fee. If you think this may apply to, you, please check with your credit card issuer before making the payment.

Please note that for sales that permit online payment, certain transactions will be ineligible for credit card payment.

(iii) Cash

We accept cash subject to a maximum of £5,000 per buyer per year at our Cashier’s Department only (subject to conditions).

(iv) Banker’s draft

You must make these payable to Christie’s and there may be conditions.

(v) Cheque

You must make cheques payable to Christie’s. Cheques must be from accounts in pounds sterling (GBP) from a United Kingdom bank.

(vi) Cryptocurrency

With the exception of clients resident in Mainland China, payment for a lot marked with the symbol may be made in a cryptocurrency or cryptocurrencies of our choosing. Such cryptocurrency payments must be made in accordance with the Terms for Payment by Buyers in Cryptocurrency set out at Appendix B in these Conditions of Sale.

(d) You must quote the sale number, lot number(s), your invoice number and Christie’s client account number when making a payment. All payments sent by post must be sent to: Christie’s, Cashiers Department, 8 King Street, St James’s, London, SW1Y 6QT.

(e) For more information please contact our Post-Sale Service Department by phone on +44 (0)20 7752 3200 or fax on +44 (0)20 752 3300.

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• TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP TO YOU

You will not own the lot and ownership of the lot will not pass to you until we have received full and clear payment of the purchase price, even in circumstances where we have released the lot to the buyer.

3 • TRANSFERRING RISK TO YOU

The risk in and responsibility for the lot will transfer to you from whichever is the earlier of the following:

(a) When you collect the lot; or

(b) At the end of the 30th day following the date of the auction or, if earlier, the date the lot is taken into care by a third-party warehouse as set out on the page headed ‘Storage and Collection’, unless we have agreed otherwise with you in writing.

4 • WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO NOT PAY

(a) If you fail to pay us the purchase price in full by the due date, we will be entitled to do one or more of the following (as well as enforce our rights under paragraph F5 and any other rights or remedies we have by law):

(i) to charge interest from the due date at a rate of 5% a year above the UK Lloyds Bank base rate from time to time on the unpaid amount due;

(ii) we can cancel the sale of the lot. If we do this, we may sell the lot again, publicly or privately on such terms we shall think necessary or appropriate, in which case you must pay us any shortfall between the purchase price and the proceeds from the resale. You must also pay all costs, expenses, losses, damages and legal fees we have to pay or may suffer and any shortfall in the seller’s commission on the resale;

(iii) we can pay the seller an amount up to the net proceeds payable in respect of the amount bid by your default in which case you acknowledge and understand that Christie’s will have all of the rights of the seller to pursue you for such amounts;

(iv) we can hold you legally responsible for the purchase price and may begin legal proceedings to recover it together with other losses, interest, legal fees and costs as far as we are allowed by law;

(v) we can take what you owe us from any amounts which we or any company in the Christie’s Group may owe you (including any deposit or other part-payment which you have paid to us);

(vi) we can, at our option, reveal your identity and contact details to the seller;

(vii) we can reject at any future auction any bids made by or on behalf of the buyer or to obtain a deposit from the buyer before accepting any bids;

(viii) to exercise all the rights and remedies of a person holding security over any property in our possession owned by you, whether by way of pledge, security interest or in any other way as permitted by the law of the place where such property is located. You will be deemed to have granted such security to us and we may retain such property as collateral security for your obligations to us; and (ix) we can take any other action we see necessary or appropriate.

(b) If you owe money to us or to another Christie’s Group company, we can use any amount you do pay, including any deposit or other partpayment you have made to us, or which we owe you, to pay off any amount you owe to us or another Christie’s Group company for any transaction.

(c) If you make payment in full after the due date, and we choose to accept such payment we may charge you storage and transport costs from the date that is ninety (90) calendar days following the auction in accordance with paragraphs Gc and Gd.

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• KEEPING YOUR PROPERTY

If you owe money to us or to another Christie’s Group company, as well as the rights set out in F4 above, we can use or deal with any of your property we hold or which is held by another Christie’s Group company in any way we are allowed to by law. We will only release your property to you after you pay us or the relevant Christie’s Group company in full for what you owe.

However, if we choose, we can also sell your property in any way we think appropriate. We will use the proceeds of the sale against any amounts you owe us and we will pay any amount left from that sale to you. If there is a shortfall, you must pay us any difference between the amount we have received from the sale and the amount you owe us.

• COLLECTION AND STORAGE

G

(a) You must collect purchased lots within thirty (30) days from the auction (but note that lots will not be released to you until you have made full and clear payment of all amounts due to us).

(b) If you do not collect any lot within ninety (90) days following the auction we can, at our option:

(i) charge you storage costs at the rates set out at www.christies.com/ en/help/buying-guide/storage-fees.

(ii) move the lot to another Christie’s location or an affiliate or third party warehouse and charge you transport costs and administration fees for doing so and you will be subject to the third party storage warehouse’s standard terms and to pay for their standard fees and costs.use’s standard terms and to pay for their standard fees and costs. (iii) sell the lot in any commercially reasonable way we think appropriate.

(c) The Storage Conditions which can be found at www.christies.com/en/ help/buying-guide/storage-conditions will apply.

(d) Nothing in this paragraph is intended to limit our rights under paragraph F4.

• TRANSPORT AND SHIPPING

H

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• TRANSPORT AND SHIPPING

We will enclose a transport and shipping form with each invoice sent to you. You must make all transport and shipping arrangements. However, we can arrange to pack, transport and ship your property if you ask us to and pay the costs of doing so. We recommend that you ask us for an estimate especially for any large items or items of high value that need professional packing before you bid. We may also suggest other handlers, packers, transporters or experts if you ask us to do so. For more information, please contact Christie’s Art Transport on +44 (0)20 7839 9060. See the information set out at www.christies.com/ shipping or contact us at arttransportlondon@christies.com. We will take reasonable care when we are handling, packing, transporting and shipping a lot. However, if we recommend another company for any of these purposes, we are not responsible for their acts, failure to act or neglect.

• EXPORT AND IMPORT

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Any lot sold at auction may be affected by laws on exports from the country in which it is sold and the import restrictions of other countries. Many countries require a declaration of export for property leaving the country and/or an import declaration on entry of property into the country. Local laws may prevent you from importing a lot or may prevent you selling a lot in the country you import it into. We will not be obliged to cancel your purchase and refund the purchase price if your lot may not be exported, imported or it is seized for any reason by a government authority. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy the requirements of any applicable laws or regulations relating to the export or import of any lot you purchase.

(a) You alone are responsible for getting advice about and meeting the requirements of any laws or regulations which apply to exporting or importing any lot prior to bidding. If you are refused a licence or there is a delay in getting one, you must still pay us in full for the lot. We may be able to help you apply for the appropriate licences if you ask us to and pay our fee for doing so. However, we cannot guarantee that you will get one. For more information, please contact Christie’s Art Transport Department on +44 (0)20 7839 9060. See the information set out at www.christies.com/shipping or contact us at arttransport_ london@ christies.com.

(b) You alone are responsible for any applicable taxes, tariffs or other government-imposed charges relating to the export or import of the lot. If Christie’s exports or imports the lot on your behalf, and if Christie’s pays these applicable taxes, tariffs or other governmentimposed charges, you agree to refund that amount to Christie’s.

(c) Lots made of protected species

Lots made of or including (regardless of the percentage) endangered and other protected species of wildlife are marked with the symbol ~ in the catalogue. This material includes, among other things, ivory, tortoiseshell, crocodile skin, rhinoceros horn, whalebone, certain species of coral, and Brazilian rosewood. You should check the relevant customs laws and regulations before bidding on any lot containing wildlife material if you plan to export the lot from the country in which the lot is sold and import it into another country as a licence may be required. In some cases, the lot can only be shipped with an independent scientific confirmation of species and/or age, and you will need to obtain these at your own cost. Several countries have imposed restrictions on dealing in elephant ivory, ranging from a total ban on importing African elephant ivory in the United States to importing, exporting and selling under strict measures in other countries. The UK and EU have both implemented regulations on selling, exporting and importing elephant ivory. In our London sales, lots made of or including elephant ivory material are marked with the symbol and are offered with the benefit of being registered as ‘exempt’ in accordance with the UK Ivory Act. Handbags containing endangered or protected species material are marked with the symbol ≈ and further information can be found in paragraph H2(h) below. We will not be obliged to cancel your purchase and refund the purchase price if your lot may not be exported, imported or it is seized for any reason by a government authority. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy the requirements of any applicable laws or regulations relating to the export or import of property containing such protected or regulated material.

(d) Lots of Iranian origin

As a convenience to buyers, Christie’s indicates under the title of a lot if the lot originates from Iran (Persia). Some countries prohibit or restrict the purchase and/or import of Iranian-origin property. It is your responsibility to ensure you do not bid on or import a lot in contravention of any sanctions, trade embargoes or other laws that apply to you. For example, the USA prohibits dealings in and import of Iranian-origin “works of conventional craftsmanship” (such as carpets, textiles, decorative objects, and scientific instruments) without an appropriate licence. Christie’s has a general OFAC licence which, subject to compliance with certain conditions, may enable a buyer to import this type of lot into the USA. If you use Christie’s general OFAC licence for this purpose, you agree to comply with the licence conditions and provide Christie’s with all relevant information. You also acknowledge that Christie’s will disclose your personal information and your use of the licence to OFAC.

(e) Gold

Gold of less than 18ct does not qualify in all countries as ‘gold’ and may be refused import into those countries as ‘gold’.

(f) Jewellery over 50 years old

Under current laws, jewellery over 50 years old which is worth £39,219 or more will require an export licence which we can apply for on your behalf. It may take up to eight weeks to obtain the export jewellery licence.

(g) Watches

Many of the watches offered for sale in this catalogue are pictured with straps made of endangered or protected animal materials such as alligator or crocodile. These lots are marked with the symbol ψ in the catalogue. These endangered species straps are shown for display purposes only and are not for sale. Christie’s will remove and retain the strap prior to shipment from the sale site. At some sale sites, Christie’s may, at its discretion, make the displayed endangered species strap available to the buyer of the lot free of charge if collected in person from the sale site within one year of the date of the sale. Please check with the department for details on a particular lot. For all symbols and other markings referred to in paragraph H2, please note that lots are marked as a convenience to you, but we do not accept liability for errors or for failing to mark lots

(h) Handbags

A lot marked with the symbol ≈ next to the lot number includes endangered or protected species material and is subject to CITES regulations. This lot may only be shipped to an address within the country of the sale site or personally picked up from our saleroom. The term “hardware” refers to the metallic parts of the handbag, such as the buckle hardware, base studs, lock and keys and/or strap, which are plated with a coloured finish (e.g. gold, silver, palladium). The terms “Gold Hardware”, “Silver Hardware”, “Palladium Hardware”, etc. refer to the tone or colour of the hardware and not the actual material used. If the handbag incorporates solid metal hardware, this will be referenced in the catalogue description.

I • OUR LIABILITY TO YOU

(a) We give no warranty in relation to any statement made, or information given, by us or our representatives or employees, about any lot other than as set out in the authenticity warranty and, as far as we are allowed by law, all warranties and other terms which may be added to this agreement by law are excluded. The seller’s warranties contained in paragraph E1 are their own and we do not have any liability to you in relation to those warranties

(b) (i) We are not responsible to you for any reason (whether for breaking this agreement or any other matter relating to your purchase of, or bid for, any lot) other than in the event of fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation by us or other than as expressly set out in these Conditions of Sale; or (ii) we do not give any representation, warranty or guarantee or assume any liability of any kind in respect of any lot with regard to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, description, size, quality, condition, attribution, authenticity, rarity, importance, medium, provenance, exhibition history, literature, or historical relevance. Except as required by local law, any warranty of any kind is excluded by this paragraph.

(c) In particular, please be aware that our written and telephone bidding services, Christie’s LIVE™, condition reports, currency converter and saleroom video screens are free services and we are not responsible to you for any error (human or otherwise), omission or breakdown in these services.

(d) We have no responsibility to any person other than a buyer in connection with the purchase of any lot

(e) If, in spite of the terms in paragraphs (a) to (d) or E2(i) above, we are found to be liable to you for any reason, we shall not have to pay more than the purchase price paid by you to us. We will not be responsible to you for any reason for loss of profits or business, loss of opportunity or value, expected savings or interest, costs, damages, or expenses.

J • OTHER TERMS

1 • OUR ABILITY TO CANCEL

In addition to the other rights of cancellation contained in this agreement, we can cancel a sale of a lot if: (i) any of your warranties in paragraph E3 are not correct; (ii) we reasonably believe that completing the transaction is or may be unlawful; or (iii) we reasonably believe that the sale places us or the seller under any liability to anyone else or may damage our reputation.

2 • RECORDINGS

We may videotape and record proceedings at any auction. We will keep any personal information confidential, except to the extent disclosure is required by law. However, we may, through this process, use or share these recordings with another Christie’s Group company and marketing partners to analyse our customers and to help us to tailor our services for buyers. If you do not want to be videotaped, you may make arrangements to make a telephone or written bid or bid on Christie’s LIVE™ instead. Unless we agree otherwise in writing, you may not videotape or record proceedings at any auction.

• COPYRIGHT

3

We own the copyright in all images, illustrations and written material produced by or for us relating to a lot (including the contents of our catalogues unless otherwise noted in the catalogue). You cannot use them without our prior written permission. We do not offer any guarantee that you will gain any copyright or other reproduction rights to the lot

5

4 • ENFORCING THIS AGREEMENT

If a court finds that any part of this agreement is not valid or is illegal or impossible to enforce, that part of the agreement will be treated as being deleted and the rest of this agreement will not be affected.

• TRANSFERRING YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

You may not grant a security over or transfer your rights or responsibilities under these terms on the contract of sale with the buyer unless we have given our written permission. This agreement will be binding on your successors or estate and anyone who takes over your rights and responsibilities.

• TRANSLATIONS

6

If we have provided a translation of this agreement, we will use this original version in deciding any issues or disputes which arise under this agreement.

• PERSONAL INFORMATION

7

We will hold and process your personal information and may pass it to another Christie’s Group company for use as described in, and in line with, our privacy notice at www.christies.com/about-us/contact/ privacy and if you are a resident of California you can see a copy of our California Consumer Privacy Act statement at https://www.christies. com/about-us/contact/ccpa

8 • WAIVER

No failure or delay to exercise any right or remedy provided under these Conditions of Sale shall constitute a waiver of that or any other right or remedy, nor shall it prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy. No single or partial exercise of such right or remedy shall prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy.

9 • LAW AND DISPUTES

This agreement, and any contractual or non-contractual dispute arising out of or in connection with this agreement, will be governed by English law. Before either you or we start any court proceedings and if you and we agree, you and we will try to settle the dispute by mediation in accordance with the CEDR Model Mediation Procedure. If the dispute is not settled by mediation, you agree for our benefit that the dispute will be referred to and dealt with exclusively in the English courts; however, we will have the right to bring proceedings against you in any other court.

10 •REPORTING ON WWW.CHRISTIES.COM

Details of all lots sold by us, including catalogue descriptions and prices, may be reported on www.christies.com. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, financing fees, or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits. We regret that we cannot agree to requests to remove these details from www.christies.com

• GLOSSARY

K

auctioneer: the individual auctioneer and/or Christie’s. authentic: a genuine example, rather than a copy or forgery of:

(i) the work of a particular artist, author or manufacturer, if the lot is described in the Heading as the work of that artist, author or manufacturer; (ii) a work created within a particular period or culture, if the lot is described in the Heading as a work created during that period or culture;

(iii) a work for a particular origin source if the lot is described in the Heading as being of that origin or source; or

(iv) in the case of gems, a work which is made of a particular material, if the lot is described in the Heading as being made of that material.

authenticity warranty: the guarantee we give in this agreement that a lot is authentic as set out in section E2 of this agreement.

buyer’s premium: the charge the buyer pays us along with the hammer price catalogue description: the description of a lot in the catalogue for the auction, as amended by any saleroom notice

Christie’s Group: Christie’s International Plc, its subsidiaries and other companies within its corporate group.

condition: the physical condition of a lot

due date: has the meaning given to it in paragraph F1(a).

estimate: the price range included in the catalogue or any saleroom notice within which we believe a lot may sell. Low estimate means the lower figure in the range and high estimate means the higher figure.

The mid estimate is the midpoint between the two.

hammer price: the amount of the highest bid the auctioneer accepts for the sale of a lot

Heading: has the meaning given to it in paragraph E2.

SubHeading: has the meaning given to it in paragraph E2.

lot: an item to be offered at auction (or two or more items to be offered at auction as a group).

other damages: any special, consequential, incidental or indirect damages of any kind or any damages which fall within the meaning of ‘special’, ‘incidental’ or ‘consequential’ under local law.

purchase price: has the meaning given to it in paragraph F1(a).

provenance: the ownership history of a lot

qualified: has the meaning given to it in paragraph E2 and Qualified Headings means the section headed Qualified Headings on the page of the catalogue headed ‘Important Notices and Explanation of Cataloguing Practice’.

reserve: the confidential amount below which we will not sell a lot saleroom notice: a written notice posted next to the lot in the saleroom and on www.christies.com, which is also read to prospective telephone bidders and notified to clients who have left commission bids, or an announcement made by the auctioneer either at the beginning of the sale, or before a particular lot is auctioned.

UPPER CASE type: means having all capital letters.

warranty: a statement or representation in which the person making it guarantees that the facts set out in it are correct.

VAT SYMBOLS AND EXPLANATION (FOR ALL LOTS EXCLUDING NFTS)

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

The VAT liability in force on the date of the sale will be the rules under which we invoice you. You can find the meanings of words in bold on this page in the glossary section of the Conditions of Sale.

VAT PAYABLE

Symbol

No Symbol We will use the VAT Margin Scheme in accordance with Section 50A of the VAT Act 1994 & SI VAT (Special Provisions) Order 1995.

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price

VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

† θ We will invoice under standard VAT rules and VAT will be charged at 20% on both the hammer price and buyer’s premium and shown separately on our invoice. For qualifying books only, no VAT is payable on the hammer price or the buyer’s premium

* These lots have been imported from outside the UK 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 our invoice.

Ω These lots have been imported from outside the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Customs Duty as applicable will be added to the hammer price and Import VAT at 20% will be charged on the Duty Inclusive hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

α The VAT treatment will depend on whether you have registered to bid with a UK address or non-UK address:

• If you register to bid with an address within the UK you will be invoiced under the VAT Margin Scheme (see No Symbol above).

• If you register to bid with an address outside of the UK you will be invoiced under standard VAT rules (see † symbol above)

‡ For wine offered ‘in bond’ only. If you choose to buy the wine in bond no Excise Duty or Clearance VAT will be charged on the hammer If you choose to buy the wine out of bond Excise Duty as applicable will be added to the hammer price and Clearance VAT at 20% will be charged on the Duty inclusive hammer price

Whether you buy the wine in bond or out of bond, 20% VAT will be added to the buyer’s premium and shown on the invoice.

VAT refunds: what can I reclaim?

Non-UK buyer If you meet ALL of the conditions in notes 1 to 3 below we will refund the following tax charges:

No symbol We will refund the VAT amount in the buyer’s premium

† and α We will refund the VAT charged on the hammer price. VAT on the buyer’s premium can only be refunded if you are an overseas business. The VAT amount in the buyer’s premium cannot be refunded to non-trade clients.

‡ (wine only)

No Excise Duty or Clearance VAT will be charged on the hammer price providing you export the wine while ‘in bond’ directly outside the UK using an Excise authorised shipper. VAT on the buyer’s premium can only be refunded if you are an overseas business. The VAT amount in the buyer’s premium cannot be refunded to non-trade clients.

* and Ω We will refund the Import VAT charged on the hammer price and the VAT amount in the buyer’s premium

1. We CANNOT offer refunds of VAT amounts or Import VAT to buyers who do not meet all applicable conditions in full. If you are unsure whether you will be entitled to a refund, please contact Client Services at the address below before you bid.

2. No VAT amounts or Import VAT will be refunded where the total refund is under £100.

3. To receive a refund of VAT amounts/ Import VAT (as applicable) a non-UK buyer must:

a) have registered to bid with an address outside of the UK; and

b) provide immediate proof of correct export out of the UK within the required time frames of: 30 days of collection via a ‘controlled export’, but no later than 90 days from the date of the sale for * and Ωlots. All other lots must be exported within 90 days of the sale.

5. Following the UK’s departure from the EU (Brexit), private buyers will only be able to secure VAT-free invoicing and/or VAT refunds if they instruct Christie’s or a third party commercial shipper to export out of the UK on their behalf.

4. Details of the documents which you must provide to us to show satisfactory proof of export/ shipping are available from our VAT team at the address below. We charge a processing fee of £35.00 per invoice to check shipping/ export documents. We will waive this processing fee if you appoint Christie’s Shipping Department to arrange your export/shipping.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE No part of this catalogue may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Christie’s. © COPYRIGHT, CHRISTIE, MANSON & WOODS LTD. (2024)

6. Private buyers who choose to export their purchased lots from the UK hand carry will now be charged VAT at the applicable rate and will not be able to claim a VAT refund.

7. IfyouappointChristie’sArtTransport or one of our authorised shippers to arrange your export/shipping we will issue you with an export invoice with the applicable VAT or duties cancelled as outlined above. If you later cancel or change the shipment in a manner that infringes the rules outlined above we will issue a revised invoice charging you all applicable taxes/charges. If you export via a third party commercial shipper, you must provide us with sufficient proof of export in order for us to cancel the applicable VAT or duties outlined above.

9. All reinvoicing requests, corrections, or other VAT adjustments must be received within four years from the date of sale.

If you have any questions about VAT refunds please contact Christie’s Client Services on info@christies.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 2886. Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 1611.

8. If you ask us to re-invoice you under normal UK VAT rules (as if the lot had been sold with a † symbol) instead of under the Margin Scheme the lot may become ineligible to be resold using the Margin Schemes. You should take professional advice if you are unsure how this may affect you.

SYMBOLS USED IN THIS CATALOGUE

The meaning of words coloured in bold in this section can be found in paragraph K, Glossary, of the section of the catalogue headed ‘Conditions of Sale’.

º Christie’s has a direct financial interest in the lot. See Important Notices and Explanation of Cataloguing Practice in the Conditions of Sale for further information.

º

♦

Christie’s has provided a minimum price guarantee and has a direct financial interest in this lot. Christie’s has financed all or a part of such interest through a third party. Such third parties generally benefit financially if a guaranteed lot is sold. See the Important Notices in the Conditions of Sale for further information.

Christie’s has a financial interest in the lot. See Important Notices in the Conditions of Sale for further information.

Christie’s has a financial interest in this lot and has financed all or a part of such interest through a third party. Such third parties generally benefit financially if a guaranteed lot is sold. See the Important Notices in the Conditions of Sale for further information.

¤ A party with a direct or indirect interest in the lot who may have knowledge of the lot’s reserve or other material information may be bidding on the lot

λ

Artist’s Resale Right. See paragraph D3 of the Conditions of Sale for further information.

• Lot offered without reserve

Lot incorporates material from endangered species which could result in export restrictions. See paragraph H2(c) of the Conditions of Sale for further information.

≈

Handbag lot incorporates material from endangered species. International shipping restrictions apply. See paragraph H2 of the Conditions of Sale for further information.

Lot incorporates elephant ivory material. See paragraph H2 of the Conditions of Sale for further information.

ψ

Lot incorporates material from endangered species which is shown for display purposes only and is not for sale. See paragraph H2(h) of the Conditions of Sale for further information.

Lot is a Non Fungible Token (NFT). Please see Appendix A

– Additional Conditions of Sale – Non- Fungible Tokens in the Conditions of Sale for further information.

Lot contains both a Non Fungible Token (NFT) and a physical work of art. Please see Appendix A – Additional Conditions of Sale – Non-Fungible Tokens in the Conditions of Sale for further information.

With the exception of clients resident in Mainland China, you may elect to make payment of the purchase price for the lot via a digital wallet in the name of the registered bidder, which must be maintained with one of the following: Coinbase Custody Trust; Coinbase, Inc.; Fidelity Digital Assets Services, LLC; Gemini Trust Company, LLC; or Paxos Trust Company, LLC. Please see the lot notice and Appendix B – Terms for Payment by Buyers in Cryptocurrency in the Conditions of Sale for further requirements and information.

See VAT Symbols and Explanation in the Conditions of Sale for further information.

See Storage and Collection Page.

Please note that lots are marked as a convenience to you and we shall not be liable for any errors in, or failure to, mark a lot

IMPORTANT NOTICES

CHRISTIE’S INTEREST IN PROPERTY CONSIGNED FOR AUCTION

Δ Property in which Christie’s has an ownership or financial interest

From time to time, Christie’s may offer a lot in which Christie’s has an ownership interest or a financial interest. Such lot is identified in the catalogue with the symbol Δ next to its lot number. Where Christie’s has an ownership or financial interest in every lot in the catalogue, Christie’s will not designate each lot with a symbol, but will state its interest in the front of the catalogue.

º Minimum Price Guarantees

On occasion, Christie’s has a direct financial interest in the outcome of the sale of certain lots consigned for sale. This will usually be where it has guaranteed to the Seller that whatever the outcome of the auction, the Seller will receive a minimum sale price for the lot. This is known as a minimum price guarantee. Where Christie’s holds such financial interest, we identify such lots with the symbol ° next to the lot number.

º♦ Third Party Guarantees/Irrevocable bids

Where Christie’s has provided a Minimum Price Guarantee, it is at risk of making a loss, which can be significant if the lot fails to sell. Christie’s therefore sometimes chooses to share that risk with a third party who agrees, prior to the auction, to place an irrevocable written bid on the lot. If there are no other higher bids, the third party commits to buy the lot at the level of their irrevocable written bid. In doing so, the third party takes on all or part of the risk of the lot not being sold. Lots which are subject to a third party guarantee arrangement are identified in the catalogue with the symbol º♦ In most cases, Christie’s compensates the third party in exchange for accepting this risk. Where the third party is the successful bidder, the third party’s remuneration is based on a fixed financing fee. If the third party is not the successful bidder, the remuneration may either be based on a fixed fee or an amount calculated against the final hammer price. The third party may also bid for the lot above the irrevocable written bid.

Third party guarantors are required by us to disclose to anyone they are advising their financial interest in any lots they are guaranteeing. However, for the avoidance of any doubt, if you are advised by or bidding through an agent on a lot identified as being subject to a third party guarantee you should always ask your agent to confirm whether or not they have a financial interest in relation to the lot

Property in which Christie’s has an interest and Third Party Guarantee/Irrevocable bid

Where Christie’s has a financial interest in a lot and the lot fails to sell, Christie’s is at risk of making a loss. As such, Christie’s may choose to share that risk with a third party whereby the third party contractually agrees, prior to the auction, to place an irrevocable written bid on the lot. Such lot is identified with the symbol next to the lot number. Where the third party is the successful bidder on the lot, they will not receive compensation in exchange for accepting this risk. If the third party is not the successful bidder, Christie’s may compensate the third party. The third party is required by us to disclose to anyone they are advising of their financial interest in any lot in which Christie’s has a financial interest. If you are advised by or bidding through an agent on a lot in which Christie’s has a financial interest that is subject to a contractual written bid, you should always ask your agent to confirm whether or not they have a financial interest in relation to the lot

Bidding by parties with an interest

When a party with a direct or indirect interest in the lot who may have knowledge of the lot’s reserve or other material information may be bidding on the lot, we will mark the lot with this symbol ¤. This interest can include beneficiaries of an estate that consigned the lot or a joint owner of a lot Any interested party that successfully bids on a lot must comply with Christie’s Conditions of Sale, including paying the lot’s full buyer’s premium plus applicable taxes.

Post-catalogue notifications

If Christie’s enters into an arrangement or becomes aware of bidding that would have required a catalogue symbol, we will notify you by updating christies.com with the relevant information (time permitting) or otherwise by a pre-sale or prelot announcement.

Other Arrangements

Christie’s may enter into other arrangements not involving bids. These include arrangements where Christie’s has advanced money to consignors or prospective purchasers or where Christie’s has shared the risk of a guarantee with a partner without the partner being required to place an irrevocable written bid or otherwise participating in the bidding on the lot. Because such arrangements are unrelated to the bidding process they are not marked with a symbol in the catalogue.

Please see: http://www.christies.com/ financial-interest/ for a more detailed explanation of minimum price guarantees and third party financing arrangements.

EXPLANATION OF CATALOGUING PRACTICE

Terms used in a catalogue or lot description have the meanings ascribed to them below. Please note that all statements in a catalogue or lot description as to authorship are made subject to the provisions of the Conditions of Sale, including the authenticity warranty. Our use of these expressions does not take account of the condition of the lot or of the extent of any restoration. Written condition reports are usually available on request.

A term and its definition listed under ‘Qualified Headings’ is a qualified statement as to authorship. While the use of this term is based upon careful study and represents the opinion of specialists, Christie’s and the consignor assume no risk, liability and responsibility for the authenticity of authorship of any lot in this catalogue described by this term, and the authenticity warranty shall not be available with respect to lots described using this term.

PICTURES, DRAWINGS, PRINTS, MINIATURES AND SCULPTURE

Name(s) or Recognised Designation of an artist without any qualification: in Christie’s opinion a work by the artist.

QUALIFIED HEADINGS

Attributed to…”: in Christie’s qualified opinion probably a work by the artist in whole or in part.

“Studio of …”/“Workshop of …”: in Christie’s qualified opinion a work executed in the studio or workshop of the artist, possibly under their supervision.

“Circle of …”: in Christie’s qualified opinion a work of the period of the artist and showing their influence.

“Follower of …”: in Christie’s qualified opinion a work executed in the artist’s style but not necessarily by a pupil.

“Manner of …”: in Christie’s qualified opinion a work executed in the artist’s style but of a later date.

“After …”: in Christie’s qualified opinion a copy (of any date) of a work of the artist.

“Signed …”/“Dated …”/ “Inscribed …”: in Christie’s qualified opinion the work has been signed/dated/inscribed by the artist.

“With signature …”/“With date …”/ “With inscription …”: in Christie’s qualified opinion the signature/ date/inscription appears to be by a hand other than that of the artist.

The date given for Old Master, Modern and Contemporary Prints is the date (or approximate date when prefixed with ‘circa’) on which the matrix was worked and not necessarily the date when the impression was printed or published.

STORAGE AND COLLECTION

COLLECTION LOCATION AND TERMS

Specified lots (sold and unsold) marked with a filled square ( ) not collected from Christie’s, 8 King Street, London SW1Y 6QT by 5.00pm on the day of the sale will, at our option, be removed to Crozier Park Royal (details below). Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite.

If the lot is transferred to Crozier Park Royal, it will be available for collection from 12.00pm on the second business day following the sale.

Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Crozier Park Royal. All collections from Crozier Park Royal will be by prebooked appointment only

Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060

Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com.

If the lot remains at Christie’s, 8 King Street, it will be available for collection on any working day (not weekends) from 9.00am to 5.00pm.

COLLECTION AND CONTACT DETAILS

Lots will only be released on payment of all charges due and on production of a Collection Form from Christie’s. Charges may be paid in advance or at the time of collection. We may charge fees for storage if your lot is not collected within thirty days from the sale. Please see paragraph G of the Conditions of Sale for further detail.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060

Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com

SHIPPING

AND DELIVERY

Christie’s Post-Sale Service can organise local deliveries or international freight. Please contact them on +44 (0)20 7752 3200 or PostSaleUK@christies.com.

CROZIER PARK ROYAL

Unit 7, Central Park Central Way London NW10 7FY

Vehicle access via Central Way only, off Acton Lane.

COLLECTION FROM CROZIER PARK ROYAL

Please note that the opening hours for Crozier Park Royal are Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm and lots transferred are not available for collection at weekends.

As a leader in the art market,

Christie’s is committed to building a sustainable business model that promotes and protects the environment. Our digital platform on christies.com offers a conscious approach, creating an immersive space where we bring art to life through high quality images, videos and in-depth essays by our specialists.

With this robust online support, Christie’s will print fewer catalogues to ensure that we achieve our goal of Net Zero by 2030. However, when we do print, we will uphold the highest sustainable standards.

Please scan for more information about our sustainability goals and projects.

The catalogue you are reading is:

printed on fully recycled paper;

printed with vegetable-based ink and biodegradable laminates;

printed in close proximity to our markets in an effort to reduce distribution emissions.

IDENTITY VERIFICATION

From January 2020, new anti-money laundering regulations require Christie’s and other art businesses to verify the identity of all clients. To register as a new client, you will need to provide the following documents, or if you are an existing client, you will be prompted to provide any outstanding documents the next time you transact.

Private individuals:

• A copy of your passport or other government-issued photo ID

• Proof of your residential address (such as a bank statement or utility bill) dated within the last three months

Please upload your documents through your christies.com account: click ‘My Account’ followed by ‘Complete Profle’. You can also email your documents to info@christies.com or provide them in person.

Organisations:

• Formal documents showing the company’s incorporation, its registered ofice and business address, and its oficers, members and ultimate benefcial owners

• A passport or other government-issued photo ID for each authorised user

Please email your documents to info@christies.com or provide them in person.

Dubai | 24 April - 8 May 2025

HIGHLIGHTS VIEW

10–18 April, 3–8 May 2025

Gate Village, Building 5, Podium Level, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai

CONTACT

Marie-Claire

Thijsen Head of Sale

mcthijsen@christies.com

AHMED MATER (B. 1979, TABUK)

Illumination X-Ray (Diptych)

each: signed and dated ‘Ahmed Mater 2011’ (lower left)

gold leaf, tea, pomegranate, ink and offset x-ray film print on archival Arche paper, in two parts

each: 59.7/8 x 40.1/8in. (152 x 102cm.)

Executed in 2011

US$50,000-70,000

£39,000-54,000

€46,000-64,000