The auction of Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds at Christie’s

The auction of Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds on Thursday 7 April 2011 will continue to meet the hunger of this market for beautiful works of quality and rarity with over 400 richly decorated lots spanning a wide range of geographical areas, materials and time. Leading the sale is a highly important Fatimid bronze gazelle, dating to the late 10th or first half of the 11th century, Egypt (estimate: £800,000-1million), and a 16th century gold and turquoise-hilted knife, which is an exquisite example of jeweled metalwork from the golden period of Ottoman art (estimate: £400,000-600,000).

Among the many works offered with important provenance, the sale includes property from two private collections: the Estate of the Late Simon Digby, connoisseur, collector, scholar and linguist and that of Max Palevsky, an American innovator and forerunner in computers and systems technology. Other media featured includes Qur’ans and manuscripts, furniture, ceramics, metalwork, arms and armour, textiles, jewelery and miniatures, with estimates ranging from £1,000 to £1million. This sale is preceded by the auction of Oriental and European Rugs & Carpets including Turkmen Weavings from the Collection of Erik Risman on Tuesday 5 April, and is followed by Christie’s South Kensington’s sale of Art and Textiles of the Islamic and Indian Worlds on Friday 8 April.

Art and Textiles of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, South Kensington, 8 April:

This is Christie’s strongest South Kensington sale of Art and Textiles of the Islamic and Indian Worlds to date. Featuring three private collections, over 500 lots will be offered with estimates ranging from £500 to £8,000. The sale is expected to realize in excess of £800,000.

37 further works from the Collection of the Late Simon Digby are led by a fine 14th / 15th century Nepalese gilt-bronze Buddha (estimate: £6,000-8,000) and a very rare steel, brass and copper huqqa base in the shape of a yak’s horn (estimate: £3,000-5,000). Following the success of the Dr. Mohammed Said Farsi Collection in 2010, 50 final Islamic lots will be offered including a complete early 13th century Syrian Raqqa lustre pottery bowl, (estimate: £1,500-2,000). The third private collection is that of J.D. (Dick) van Oenen, which presents Gandhara schist sculptures, such as a head of a Bodhisattva (estimate: £3,000-5,000) and a benedictory frieze with Bodhisattva Maitreya (estimate: £3,000-5,000).

Elsewhere in the sale, a strong section of arms and armour lots from the Indian, Persian and Ottoman worlds features an elegant Persian gilt-brass dagger, circa 1800 (estimate: £2,000-4,000) and a large Ottoman silver-repousse jambiyya (estimate: £1,200-1,800). Manuscripts spanning nine centuries include a number of important scientific works as well as Qur’ans, other works on religion, poetry, and language, with a section from possibly the earliest recorded copy of Ibn Butlan’s Taqwim al-Sihha- an important abbasid medical synopsis on hygiene and dietetics -  written on beautiful 11th century paper (estimate: £5,000-7,000).

Some of the Masterpieces on the Christie’s sale:

225 / A Gujarat mother-of-pearl and black composition overlaid wooden pen box

NORTH WEST INDIA, LATE 16TH/EARLY 17TH CENTURY / Of rectangular form on four short feet, the interior divided into two compartments, the surfaces decorated with elegant mother-of-pearl inlay on black mastic ground, with courtly figures, hunting animals, birds, and two architectural pavilions all on background of very fine scrolling floral arabesques, front and back each with two nasta’liq inscription cartouches set on black mastic ground decorated with painted and gilt birds and vegetal shapes, three brass brackets on each corner, two further on each foot, base and rim with bands of geometric design, areas of loss to inlay around edges. 14in. (36cm.) long; 4in. (11.5cm.) wide

Estimate: £100,000-150,000/ US$160,000-230,000/ €120,000-170,000

226 / A Deccani cast, engraved and silver overlaid iron catch

CENTRAL INDIA, 16TH/17TH CENTURY / Of rectangular form with stylized lion’s head finial, its mouth open revealing ram’s head inside, hinge composed of two stylised horse- heads, a panel of silver inlay arabesque decoration underneath, two sides with engraved nasta’liq inscriptions with names of Shi’a Imams, top with central ridge with engraved floral spray design, rubbed. 5in. (14.2cm.) long.

Estimate: £5,000-8,000/ US$7,600-12,000/ €5,700-9,000

203 / A Timurid engraved steel mirror

IRAN, 15TH CENTURY / Of circular form on tubular shaft, the face polished smooth, the back engraved with an elegant and complex meandering vine issuing lotus flowers and surrounding a central cartouche issuing floral palmette, a band of plaited interlacing strapwork around the edge, the shaft with diagonal fluting and ball finial, some minor traces of corrosion and very slight rubbing. 13in. (34.9cm.) long

Estimate: £5,000-7,000/ US$7,600-11,000/ €5,700-7,900

207 / A late Safavid tinne-copper bowl

IRAN, DATED AH 1133/1720-21 AD / The bowl rising from spreading trumpet foot through wide rounded body to flaring rim, the body engraved with main register of hunting animals, cypress trees and other vegetation on a carved swirling floral background, bordered by two bands of carved scrolling floral decoration, the lower body with engraved interlacing medallions with stylised floral sprays, rim with band of elegant nasta’liq inscription on swirling floral ground 17in. (44.5cm.) diam.

Estimate: £12,000-18,000/ US$19,000-27,000/ €14,000-20,000

212 / An Indian brass torchstand

NORTH WEST INDIA, 16TH CENTURY / Rising from splayed foot through columnar shaft with pronounced collars to slightly flaring mouth, seperate dome-shaped lid with flat circular disk and cord finial, body and lid both with diagonal fluting, geometric engraving to base and foot, further circular ribbing on foot, edge of foot carved with stylised floral design, interior of lid with original oil resevoir, crack to one side of foot. 16in. (42cm.) high with lid.

Estimate: £8,000-12,000/ US$12,000-18,000/ €9,000-13,000

216 / A silver wire and gilt pandan

NORTH INDIA, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY / The circular slightly tapering body with rimmed domed lid terminating in round finial, the body and cover covered with fine wire mesh overlaid with stylised gilt cypress tree motifs and floral roundels, bordered above and below with bands of gilt overlaid geometric design, finial on lid with stylised flowering lotus in gilt overlay, base of the interior with repoussé floral scrolls and central flowering lotus, in good condition 6¡in. (16cm.) diam.

Estimate: £3,000-4,000/ US$4,600-6,000/ €3,400-4,500

217 / A carved Indian Ivory powder horn

NORTH INDIA, 17TH CENTURY / Of bow shape, composed of two pieces of ivory carved with a dense design of hunting animals, with original brass stopper, each tapering end formed into shape of deer head with inlaid eyes. 10in. (26.7cm.) long

Estimate: £20,000-30,000/ US$31,000-45,000/ €23,000-34,000

240 / A brass-inlaid Bidri dish

BIDAR, CENTRAL INDIA, 17TH CENTURY / Of rounded form with curved rim, inlaid with a broad band of alternating radiating floral sprays interspersed with curved foliage and hanging flowers, between bands of stylized flowering vines, around a central rosette, the rim with scrolling flowers and a further band of flowering vines, slight loss of inlay to outer rim. 12in. (32.5cm.) diam.

Estimate: £10,000-15,000/ US$16,000-23,000/ €12,000-17,000

241 / A silver and brass-inlaid Bidri ewer

BIDAR, DECCAN, 17TH CENTURY / Rising from a hexagonal base through faceted tear-drop body to short neck with pronounced collar and hexagonal faceted flaring mouth, with two part ‘S’ shaped handle and curved spout with stylized flower head terminal, body decorated with carved silver and bronze inlaid flowering hyacinths and foliage, handle and spout decorated with stylized inlaid floral scrolling, bands of inlaid geometric design on rim, collar and foot, repair to base of spout slight loss of inlay, cover lacking. 12in. (30.5cm.) high

Estimate: £8,000-10,000/  US$12,000-15,000 /€9,000-11,000

230 / A Deccani brass ‘alam

CENTRAL INDIA, 17TH CENTURY / Of drop form with surrounding band with six dragon heads extending through buckle-shaped plaque to five palm fronds, part of lowest frond missing, fronds connected by stylized dragon forms, engraved religious inscriptions on body and fronds, on stand, rubbed, some finials missing. 21in. (54.6cm.) high.

Estimate: £2,000-3,000/ US$3,100-4,500/ €2,300-3,400

233 / A north-Indian bell-shaped brass hookah base

LAHORE, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY / Of typical form, with pronounced ring below the flaring mouth, two bands of carved scrolling floral decoration and two further bands with elegant floral sprays, lacking original black composition and some silver inlay. 6in. (16.5cm.) high.

Estimate: £2,000-3,000/ US$3,100-4,500/ €2,300-3,400

245 / A Deccani bird-shaped Brass ewer

DECCAN, CENTRAL INDIA, 16TH CENTURY / Rising from four short feet through stylized body with openwork tail feathers to slightly tapering conical neck with flared mouth, the spout formed as the bird’s neck and with bird head terminal, stopper and chain attached to its underside, ‘S’-shaped handle connecting tail feathers to neck, each side with pronounced wing decorated with carved fish scale pattern with geometric and scrolling vegetal border and central palmette, openwork tail feathers formed of small palmettes, bird head spout with carved features, two owners’ inscriptions in Nagari and Arabic, repair to underside. 12in. (31.8cm.) high.

Estimate: £8,000-12,000/ US$12,000-18,000/ €9,000-13,000

247 / A silver enameled lidded huqqa bowl cover

BOWL COVER, LUCKNOW, INDIA, CIRCA 1800 / Of squat globular form rising from short vertical base and with separate lid with faceted finial, with overall fine green and blue enameled decoration formed of floral meander punctuated by three cut-work palmettes filled with arabesque or avian design, the lid similar, some minor losses of enamel, three small holes around the top of the base for attachment. 3in. (9.5cm) high.

Estimate: £3,000-5,000/ US$4,600-7,500/ €3,400-5,600

249 / A silver enameled huqqa base

LUCKNOW, INDIA, CIRCA 1800 / Of elongated drop shape rising from short tapering foot to slightly flared neck with thin pronounced collar, the fine polychrome enameled decoration with a main register of three flowering trees inhabited by and surrounded by various species of bird, above and below minor bands with fish swimming amongst water lilies and lotuses, the neck with similar avian decoration, arcaded bands on foot and collar, some loss of enamel, old collection label on underside. 6in. (17.1cm) high

Estimate: £4,000-6,000/ US$6,100-9,000/ €4,500-6,700

224 / An ivory inlaid wooden casket

GUJARAT OR SINDH, NORTH INDIA, 17TH CENTURY / Of rectangular form with ivory inlaid decoration, with six drawers, front of casket divided into nine equal-sized ivory framed decorative panels each depicting mahouts riding elephants on scrolling floral background, top with central cartouche and four spandrels surrounded by geometric and flowering vine borders, sides with central rosette with spandrels surrounded by similar double border, back with large oval medallion decorated with scrolling palmettes, surrounded by spandrels and similar double border, original wooden front to casket now removed leaving drawers exposed. 22in. (55.9cm.) wide.

Estimate: £10,000-15,000/ US$16,000-23,000/ €12,000-17,000

Images: © Christie’s Images Limited 2011
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