London Art of the Islamic And Indian Worlds Including Rugs and Carpets by Christies

ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND

WORLDS INCLUDING RUGS AND CARPETS

ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS INCLUDING RUGS AND CARPETS

AUCTION

Thursday 30 October 2025

One session at 10.30am (Lots 1-172)

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

VIEWING

Saturday 25 October 12.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Sunday 26 October 12.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Monday 27 October 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

Tuesday 28 October 9.00 am - 8.00 pm

Wednesday 29 October 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

AUCTIONEERS

Eugenio Donadoni and Olivia Ghosh

AUCTION CODE AND NUMBER

In sending absentee bids or making enquiries, this sale should be referred to as SELENDI-23592

ABSENTEE AND TELEPHONE BIDS

Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 2658 Fax: +44 (0)20 7930 8870

CONDITIONS OF SALE

The sale of each lot is subject to the Conditions of Sale, Important Notices and Explanation of Cataloguing Practice, which are set out in this catalogue and on christies.com.

Please note that the symbols and cataloguing for some lots may change before the auction.

For the most up to date sale information for a lot, please see the full lot description, which can be accessed through the sale landing page on christies.com.

BUYER’S PREMIUM

In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol.

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

Principal Auctioneer: Adrien Meyer

Please scan for complete auction information

SPECIALISTS AND SERVICES FOR THIS AUCTION

Louise Broadhurst

International Head of Department

Rugs & Carpets

lbroadhurst@christies.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 2603

Archie Williams Junior Specialist

Islamic and Indian Art, Rugs & Carpets

awilliams@christies.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 2417

SPECIALISTS

Louise Broadhurst

Sara Plumbly

Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam

Barney Bartlett

Archie Williams

Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 2509

Fax: +44 (0)20 7389 2326

SALE COORDINATOR

Phoebe Jowett Smith

Tel: +44 (0)20 7752 3221

REGIONAL MANAGING

DIRECTOR

Ben Wiggins

Tel: +44 20 7389 2288

Sara Plumbly

Head of Department

Islamic and Indian Art

splumbly@christies.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 2374

Phoebe Jowett Smith

Sale Coordinator & Cataloguer

Islamic and Indian Art, Rugs & Carpets

pjowettsmith@christies.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7752 3221

SERVICES

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LOTS OF IRANIAN/PERSIAN ORIGIN

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 certain lots of this type into the USA. If you intend to use Christie’s licence, please contact us for further information before you bid.

Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam Head of Sale

Islamic and Indian Art

batighiMoghaddam@christies.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 2509

Emilie Frontera Head of Sale Management

efrontera@christies.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 2029

Barney Bartlett

Junior Specialist

Islamic and Indian Art

bbartlett@christies.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7752 3171

Ben Wiggins

Regional Managing Director

bwiggins@christies.com

Tel: +44 20 7389 2288

POST-SALE SERVICES

Christabel Asah

Post-Sale Coordinator

Payment, Shipping, and Collection

Tel: +44 (0)20 7752 3200

Fax: +44 (0)20 7752 3300

Email: PostSaleUK@christies.com

First initial followed by last name@ christies.com

(e.g. Phoebe Jowett Smith = pjowettsmith@christies.com)

For general enquiries about this auction, emails should be addressed to the Sale Coordinator.

FRONT COVER Lot 28

INSIDE FRONT COVER Lot 120 PAGE 2 Lot 20

OPPOSITE Lot 46

INSIDE

With special thanks to Neha Abid Sayeed

NOTICE FOR BUYERS WISHING TO IMPORT CERTAIN LOTS INTO THE EU

Certain lots in this sale may be impacted by the new licensing requirements and regulations relating to the import of “cultural goods” into the EU (Regulation (EU) 2019/880 and its Implementing Regulation 2021/1079). We recommend clients check before bidding whether the lot they wish to bid on is subject to these regulations. Please contact Phoebe Jowett Smith (pjowettsmith@christies.com) and see H2 of our Conditions of Sale for more information.

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION

A BRONZE FELINE HEAD FROM AN INCENSE BURNER

KHORASSAN, NORTH EAST IRAN, 12TH CENTURY

Cast with engraved and pierced decoration, the slightly open mouth with protruding teeth, openwork eyes, the neck with openwork lattice decoration 5Ωin. (13.6cm.) high

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Europe, until 1997

LITERATURE:

Hiroko Horiuchi, Selected by H. Horiuchi, Tokyo, 1997, no. 18

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

Zoomorphic incense burners grew in popularity towards the end of the 12th century, produced in workshops in North East Iran. The burners took the form of stylised felines and birds with perforated bodies. In the case of the feline incense burners, the head was hinged or removable in order to allow for the incense to be placed within the body (Eva Baer, Metalwork in Medieval Islamic Art, Albany, 1983, p.58).

An example which closely relates to ours was sold in these Rooms, 6 Oct 2009, lot 21. The similarities are pronounced in the striated detail around the mouth and protruding canines. In addition, they share the same almond shaped eyes and three-dimensional pentagonal nose sweeping into upright ears. The largest example of a feline incense burner is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.51.56) stands 84cm. tall and is dated AH 577/1181-1182 AD.

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A MINA'I POTTERY BOWL

CENTRAL IRAN, CIRCA 1200

The white ground painted over the glaze with polychrome enamels, the centre with three seated figures surrounded by a further nine in the cavetto, a band of kufic around the inside of the rim, the exterior with a band of black naskh, areas of restoration

7√in. (20.3cm.) diam.

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon sale, Christie's, London, 31 July 1997, lot 387

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

Mina’i ware began to appear in the 12th century and revolutionised the ceramic tradition of Iran at the time. The technique of overglazing allowed for more intricate detail and followed the tradition of manuscript painting. Mina’i ware often depicts courtly scenes, or scenes from the Shahnama. Ours diverges from this tradition as there does not appear to be a central royal figure. Instead, there are three well-dressed courtiers in conversation. They are ringed with a band of nine figures in colourful attire, separated by stylised foliage. Each of the nine figures has a gold halo, McClary suggests that of this feature, “when used on multiple figures in the same composition … [it] could have been intended to show that all of the protagonists are in paradise” (Richard McClary, A New Approach to Mina’i Wares: Chronology and Decoration, Persica, p.13).

There is a pseudo-kufic inscription repeated on the rim, reading aldawla which is often translated to mean ‘wealth’ There is a further band of undeciphered naskh poetry on the outside of the bowl. The band of figures and the pseudo-kufic closely relate to a fragment of a bowl in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.12.22). The presence of three figures, without one enthroned, is similar to a bowl sold in these Rooms, 23 Oct 2007, lot 90.

3 A KASHAN BLUE AND WHITE POTTERY BOWL

CENTRAL IRAN, EARLY 13TH CENTURY

Of conical form, the white ground decorated under the glaze in black and cobalt-blue, bands of waterweed-motif on a blue ground alternating with bands depicting fish on a white ground, repaired breaks, iridescence

7Ωin. (19.5cm.) diam.

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute, Japanese private collection, 1960s

From which acquired by the present owner, 2010

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

Kashan was one of the great lustre-producing centres in Iran in the late 12th and early 13th century. Inspired by the Syrian and Egyptian technique of painting under a transparent underglaze, Kashani potters refined this and began to use further colours and more intricate designs. The most popular colour palette was black and cobalt-blue, as seen on our bowl. Further marking our bowl as typically Kashan are the fish and floral motifs.

Our bowl has the same black and blue triangular panels as one in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (acc.no.1956-101) and another in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (acc.no.AL.5-1976). These confirm the attribution of our bowl to the early 13th century. A bowl similar to ours, but with calligraphic panels instead of our elegant fish motif, was sold in these Rooms, 25 Apr 2024, lot 11.

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4 A GILDED MINA'I POTTERY EWER

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 flanked by birds with four raised openwork bosses, the broad stepped shoulder rising to a narrow neck topped with a flattened spouted mouth, with handle, lower body and base plain, repaired breaks and restoration

7¿in. (18.2cm.) high

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

Private London Collection, 1981 until 2024

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

The careful elaboration and detailing of this Mina’i ewer displays the talent of 12th century ceramicists in Iran. The delicacy of the overglaze technique suggests that this was manufactured primarily for the upper classes and was only ever intended for display use (Ernst Grube, Islamic Pottery of the Eighth to the Fifteenth century in the Keir Collection, London, 1976).

The body is decorated with a repeated pairs of confronted birds, interspersed with gilded bosses with pierced holes. These gilded bosses further compound the suggestion that this ewer was designed to be decorative as well as purposeful. A bottle with similar decoration was sold in these Rooms, 1 May 2025, lot 17 and the distinctive gilded bosses can also be seen on a bowl in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.57.36.11).

PROPERTY FROM THE SCHØYEN COLLECTION

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AN 'EASTERN' KUFIC QUR'AN FOLIO

NEAR EAST OR NORTH AFRICA, 11TH/12TH CENTURY

Qur'an XLIV, sura al-jathiyah vv.19-37, and XLV, sura al-ahqaf, v.1, the folio with 15ll. of black 'Eastern' kufic, fatha and kasra in red, shadda, sukun, damma and hamsa in green, gold and black rosette verse markers, margins plain with illuminated medallions to mark divisions, marginal annotation in red, the extended sura title with 7ll. alternating red and black naskh set within green and gold frame with marginal pendant, in modern cloth binding 13¡ x 10√in. (34.1 x 27.5cm.)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 11 April 2000, lot 3a Sam Fogg, London

The Schøyen Collection, Oslo, MS 4594

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

θ6

A PINK QUR'AN FOLIO

ALMOHAD MARRAKESH, MOROCCO, FIRST HALF 13TH CENTURY Qur'an LXXIX, sura an-nazi'at, vv.18-26 (part), Arabic manuscript on pink paper, 5ll. in sepia maghribi script, diacritics in gold, shadda and sukun in silver, gold and black roundel verse markers, with additional large gold and polychrome motifs demarcating 'ashr and khamsa, in modern black cloth binding

13º x 10ºin. (33.5 x 26cm.)

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE: With Sam Fogg, 2000

The Schøyen Collection, MS 4593

LITERATURE:

The demise of a codified kufic script around the 10th century gave rise to a great diversity of 'New Style' scripts, which gave scribes more flexibility with letter forms. Here, the lam-alef ligatures appear in such a way that the letters cross over one another, as the tails of final nun and mim swoop into the line below. Though this script is often referred to as 'Eastern' kufic, François Déroche points to two manuscripts in the Khalili Collection to indicate that 'by the end of the 10th century, the Qur'an was being copied in the same style at two extremities of the Muslim world: Isfahan and Palermo' (Déroche, The Abbasid Tradition, Oxford, 1992, p.134). A further folio from this manuscript sold in these Rooms, 15 October 1998, lot 249, and two more were sold Dreweatts, London, 12 June 2020, lot 74. These show that the distinctive features of this folio - the horizontal crease line, the marginal annotations, and the extremely long sura titles - are consistent through the manuscript.

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

Sam Fogg, Islamic Manuscripts. Catalogue 22, London, 2000, no.7 pp.22-23

Historically, the distinctive colouring of the pages of the 'Pink Qur'an' has been associated with Andalusi paper makers, and particularly the paper mill of Xativa. Umberto Bongianino and Éleonore Cellard, however, have recently demonstrated that dyed paper like this was manufactured on both sides of the straits of Gibraltar. Given that the pages are slightly larger than normal Xativa sheets, and based on chemical analysis of the dyes, it is most likely that the Qur'an was produced in Marrakech, where it remained through the subsequent centuries thanks to an endowment in the Marinid period, marked by the perforations to the upper margin of each folio (Bongianino and Cellard, The Pink Qur'an: A Reverse Biography, forthcoming). The rich illuminations of the Qur'an, marking most of the different ways of splitting the mushaf into sections, make it one of the most remarkable Maghrebi manuscripts ever produced. Folios sold recently include one sold Sotheby's London, 24 April 2024, lot 18 and another in these Rooms, 25 April 2024, lot 21.

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A FOLIO FROM A MONUMENTAL UMAYYAD QUR’AN

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

7 A FRAGMENTARY MONUMENTAL KUFIC QUR'AN FOLIO

NEAR EAST OR NORTH AFRICA, 7TH/8TH CENTURY

Qur'an LXIX, sura al-haqqah, vv.51-52; LXX, sura al-ma'arij, vv.1-23, 30-44, Arabic manuscript on vellum, 15ll. of sepia kufic, slanting dashes to mark verse divisions, roundels in red ink to mark every tenth verse, later sura titles added in black ink

Folio 11æ x 12¡in. (29.8 x 31.5cm.)

£200,000-300,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent

From which acquired by the current owner

US$270,000-400,000

€230,000-340,000

Among the most impressive surviving examples of early Islamic calligraphy are the monumental kufic Qur'ans produced under the Umayyads and early Abbasids. Probably the most famous manuscript from this group is the Great Umayyad Codex of Sana’a, noted for its architectural illumination (Dar al-Makhtuttat, Sana’a, DAM 20-33.1). That manuscript has 20 lines to a page, and the largest fragments measure around 51 x 47cm. A second manuscript is preserved mainly in Tunisia, with 210 folios in the Musée des arts Islamiques, Kairouan (R.38, published François Déroche, Qur'ans of the Umayyads, Leiden, 2014, p.121). That manuscript has a slightly smaller folio size of around 50 x 43cm., and 20 lines to the page, but is executed in a more upright script than the Sana'a codex. Alain George argues that these manuscripts were produced in the early years of Umayyad caliphate, around the time when al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf is recorded to have circulated copies of the Qur’an around the major cities of the caliphate (Alain George, The Rise of Islamic Calligraphy, London, 2010, p.86). Later monumental kufic manuscripts were copied in slightly different hands, and often in horizontal formats.

This folios comes from a slightly smaller - but still monumental manuscript, recently designated the 'Codex Amrensis 24' by the Paleocoran project of the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaft. The largest portions of the manuscript are the 49 folios in the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris (acc.no.Arabe.332) and the 42 folios preserved in the National Library of Russia, St Petersburg (acc.no.Marcel.2). Another 10 folios are in the Vatican Library, Vatican City (acc.no.v.at.ar.1784). Damage to the manuscript means that later folios have partial losses, as seen on a fragmentary folio in the Khalili Collection (François Déroche, The Abbasid Tradition, Oxford, 1992, no.71), which features parts of suras LXIV and LX, only a few folios before our own. A folio in a still more advanced state of wear in the Penn Museum, Philadelphia (acc.no.E16264D). The complete pages in Paris are around 42 x 35cm. in size, and have 21 lines to the page. They also have the sura titles added in the same hand as those on each side of this folio.

The similarities are strongest with the Kairouan manuscript mentioned above. On both manuscripts, verses are marked with three stacked thin diagonal lines, and every fifth verse by a bold red circle. Both are also written in a script closest to what François Déroche termed group C.1a. Particularly distinctive is the final qaf with a neatly hooked curve below the eye. Apart from this flourish, the script has a distinct angularity in the straight-backed ta' and the upright lam-alef ligatures. Déroche identifies similarities between this script and the epigraphy to the inner band around the interior of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, an inscription dated AH 72 / 691 AD. Similarities with Hijazi script also lead him to postulate that the script was used through the 8th century (Déroche, op.cit. 1992, p,36). A C-14 date of the Kairouan manuscript gave a 95.6% probability that the parchment dated from between 648 and 691 AD (Déroche, op.cit., 2014, p.125). Even among the corpus of kufic folios, this lot comes from a particularly early and significant manuscript.

A CAST GOLD FINIAL

CENTRAL ASIA OR IRAN, 11TH OR 12TH CENTURY

Of baluster form, the ribbed circular base rising to three winged lion protomes with each lion's head in high relief, tapering fluted neck, hollow 2¬in. (6.5cm.) high

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

Private Swiss collection by 1999 Anon. sale, Christie's London, 6 October 2009, lot 26

US$54,000-81,000

€46,000-69,000

Lions have long been used as imperial symbols of power in Iranian art. However, lions modelled in repoussé as seen on the present lot seemed to be particularly popular in metalwork of Eastern Iran and Afghanistan between the 11th and 13th centuries. Similar lions can be found on the shoulders of brass candlesticks and ewers in major collections, for example a ewer in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Obj.no. 44.15) and an exceptional rosewater sprinkler in the David Collection, Copenhagen (inv.no. 15/1991).

From the known items decorated with repoussé lions of this type, our finial is particularly rare because it is made of gold. A gold repoussé belt ornament in the Freer Gallery of Art is decorated with a lion in relief, with chased details on ring-punched ground, similar to that on the present lot (acc.no. F1982.12). Our finial perhaps relates closest to a sword pommel from the Tehran Archaeological Museum (Esin Atil et. al., Catalogue of Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985, p. 72, fig. 28). The pommel is decorated with three seated winged-lions with heads in high-relief and is therefore very similar to our finial. The pommel was found in Gilan, on Iran's Caspian coast, and dated to the 11th century. The current finial represents an important third example of repoussé lions in gold to add alongside the Freer Gallery belt buckle and Tehran pommel.

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A SELJUK NIELLOED GOLD BRACELET

IRAN, 12TH OR 13TH CENTURY

Of hinged beveled tubular construction, stylised lion masks flanking the tubular hinge, the shank decorated with panels of nielloed vegetal motifs interrupted by diamond shaped panels outlined in granulation, the raised bezel with four claws holding a green gem and flanked by two lions, light surface dirt and incrustation

3in. (7.5cm.) diam.

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute, private Japanese Collection, 1970s

With Japanese trade, 1985

From which acquired by the present owner, 2009

US$27,000-40,000

€23,000-34,000

This bracelet comes from a fairly homogenous group of Seljuk gold bracelets which share many important features. These include a triangular cross-section and gold sheet construction. Generally, they fasten with a pin running into a central bezel setting, and are hinged on the other side. The terminals to either side of the hinge often feature the heads of lions or dragons (Michael Spink and Jack Ogden, The Art of Adornment, Oxford, 2013, p.294). In terms of decoration, the techniques on ours are similar to those on a bracelet

in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.59.84) and a near-pair in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (acc.no.65.249). In addition to granulation around the edges of the bevel, niello is added to incised panels around the band and to the sides of the bevel. Though nielloed jewelley has a history dating back to the Sasanian period, it is particularly strongly associated with the Seljuks (Na'ama Brosh, Islamic Jewelry, Jerusalem, 1987, p.61). The firm attribution of this bracelet to Greater Iran is strengthened by the decorative vocabulary. Rachel Hasson draws a parallel between the dragon finials on Seljuk bracelets and those which appear on the famous Bobrinski bucket, dated by inscription to Muharram AH 559/1163 AD ("Some characteristics of Medieval Iranian Jewellery" in Na'ama Brosh, Jewellery and Goldsmithing in the Islamic World, Jerusalem, 1987, p.59).

This bracelet belongs to a particular subgroup with three-dimensional felines to either side of the fitting. Examples include a bracelet in the Khalili Collection, which also has raised rhombus motifs on the band of the bracelet similar to those on the present lot (Spink and Ogden, op.cit., no.261, p.297). Another example from the collection, in addition to having the raised lion figures, also has nielloed geometric decoration below the bezel, as on the present lot (ibid., no.262, p.298). A further example from this subgroup is in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (acc.no.MIA2014.586).

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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE SWISS COLLECTION

A KHORASAN SILVER-INLAID BRONZE CASKET POSSIBLY HERAT, KHORASAN, 13TH CENTURY

The rectangular cast body on four feet with a hinged coffered lid, silver inlaid decoration throughout, three sides of the body, the base and the long sides of the lid with roundels containing an enthroned figure flanked by snakes, further decoration of fighting horseman against a scrolling ground and borders of hounds chasing hares, the base of the lid with a band of calligraphy, centre of the lid with a bud finial and loop handle, losses to the silver throughout, the lid clasp detached and hinges loose

6Ω x 5Ω x 4in. (17 x 14 x 10.2cm.)

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon sale, Sotheby's London, 24 October 2007, lot 83

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$54,000-81,000

€46,000-69,000

Around the lid, al-‘izz wa’l-iqbal / [a]l-dawa[la] wa’l-sa‘a[da] / al-ni‘ma wa’l‘afiya wa’l-‘inaya wa’l/-[da]wala(?) [wa’]l-ra[hma] / wa’l-raha / wa’l-ghana / wa’l-dawama wa’l-shukr wa’l-shakir[a], ‘Glory and success, turn of good fortune and happiness, (God’s) favour and health and (divine) solicitude and turn of good fortune and mercy and ease and wealth and perpetuity and gratitude and gratefulness.’

Roundels containing enthroned figures flanked by snakes are found on a number of examples of metalwork from 13th century Khorasan which are sometimes attributed to Herat. One of the most famous examples is the lid of the Vaso Vescovali in the British Museum (Reg. no. 1950,0725.1). Another comparable example is an inkwell formerly from the Nuhad Es-Said Collection and now in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (James Allen, Islamic Metalwork: The Nuhad Es-Said Collection, London, 1982, no.2, pp. 36-39; acc.no. MW.469.2007). On both comparable examples the roundels are set between confronted horsemen like they are here. Writing about the roundels of the Vaso Vescovali, Willy Hartner suggests these represent the demon of the eclipse 'Jawzahr'. He further suggests that the images of hares, found in the borders of the body of the present lot, signify the constellation Hare and relate to the roundels astrologically as powers of darkness ('The Vaso Vescovali in the British Museum: A Study on Islamic Astrological Iconography', Kunst Des Orients, vol.9, 1/2, 1973-74, pp. 99-130). To counter these images of darkness our casket bears an inscription of fortune, blessing and good wishes.

AN EARLY COPY OF THE MUFRADAT OF IBN AL-BAYTAR

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

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DIYA' AL-DIN ABU MUHAMMAD 'ABDULLAH IBN AHMAD AL-MALAQI, KNOWN AS IBN AL-BAYTAR (D.1248): KITAB AL-JAMI' LI-MUFRADAT ALADWIYAH WA'L-AGHDHIYAH

NEAR EAST, CIRCA 1300 AD

A medical encyclopedia, Arabic manuscript on paper, 319ff. plus 2 fly-leaves, each folio with 29ll. of black naskh, defined terms picked out in red, the names of key authorities in bold script, very occasional marginal annotations, catchwords, in blind tooled brown leather binding, the doublures paper, the pages trimmed, the final page replaced 12 x 9in. (30.4 x 22.8cm.)

£60,000-80,000

US$81,000-110,000

€69,000-92,000

Ibn al-Baytar's great contribution to the history of medicine was in amalgamating the pharmacological heritage of antiquity with the contributions made by Islamic physicians. He was born in al-Andalus, where he was able to absorb the developments made by the great scientists of Islamic Spain such as al-Zahrawi. As his name shows, his father was a veterinarian doctor (baitar), but al-Malaqi turned his hand to botany. His studies of botany took him first to Seville, then around Spain and then to North Africa, where he continued to collect plants and meet with other people of knowledge. In 1223, he travelled to Anatolia and Greece, before arriving in Egypt the following year. After he arrived, he found employment with Sultan al-Kamil, taking advantage of the Ayyubid expansion into Syria to travel there too, where he died in 1248 (Ayman Yasin Atat, Ibn al-Baytar's alMughni fi al-Tibb, Montreal, 2019). In crossing from one side of the Mediterranean to the other, he built up an encyclopedic knowledge of important authorities, as well as direct experience of all manner of herbs and remedies.

Of his seven known works, kitab al-mufradat is one of the most important. It contains an alphabetical list of plants, animals, and minerals, and their medical application. Written between 1242 and 1248, the text lists over 1,400 different drugs. Modern medical developments have confirmed the efficacy of many of ibn al-Baytar's cures: his prescribed cures for urinary issues, for instance, contain many effective diuretics and analgesics (İ. İşlek et al., "Ibn al-Baitar: a 13th century botanical scientist and his suggestions", Archives of Hellenic medicine, 37(2), 2020, pp.148-55). The text is striking for its use of a wealth of authorities: over 150 authors are cited, in our text their names written in bold. They include Arabic writers like Ibn Sina and al-Razi, as well as classical authors like Aristotle and Dioscorides. The text's lasting influence is measured by its wide translation: in subsequent centuries it appeared in Latin, Turkish, German, and French. Wendy L Applequist also notes that up to 80% of plants still used in Amazigh traditional medicine are documented by Ibn al-Baytar (Applequist, "Persistence of use among Amazigh people of medicinal plants documented by Ibn al-Baytar", Plants, 14(3), 2025).

Large in size and with the terms to be defined picked out in red, this is an impressive manuscript prepared with some care. It also appears to be complete, with the text beginning with alef and continuing through to waw and ya. Copies of the manuscript are found in several major institutions, including the Bodleian Library, Oxford. However, a few are as early as ours. A manuscript written in a comparable hand also datable to the 14th century is in the collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France,(acc.no.Arabe 2980). This is a rare and early copy of this important text, copied only a few decades after the death of the author.

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This dish is impressive for its size and completeness. Its aniconic decorative scheme belongs to the third phase of Kashan lustreware design, termed 'the Kashan style' by Oliver Watson, which combined places where the design was drawn on directly with lustre paint and others where the design had been inscribed into a coat of lustre. Structured around a central roundel with radiating poetic inscriptions alternating with palmettes heightened with cobalt blue, this dish can be compared with an example in the Sarikhani collection. That bowl is also of a similar size and has a profile which is similar to the present lot (acc.no. I.CE.2243; Oliver Watson, Ceramics of Iran, London, 2020, p.231, no.117).

A LARGE KASHAN LUSTRE POTTERY BOWL CENTRAL IRAN, EARLY 13TH CENTURY

The white ground decorated overglaze in strong lustre, cobalt-blue and turquoise with a radial design based around a central flowerhead and with bands of naskh on lustre ground alternating with elegant arabesque, all against a tight border of scrolls, the rim with borders of blue kufic and white naskh, the exterior with a similar band of naskh reserved against lustre ground and with lustre cusping above and below, repaired break 13Ωin. (34.3cm.) diam.

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

Excavated Kashan, 1934

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$54,000-81,000

€46,000-69,000

Around the inside of the rim, three Persian quatrains: ‘Oh, you whose will it is to hurt me for years and months’; ‘Oh you, for whose love the sated ones of the world are hungry’; ‘The heart saw in your tresses nothing but seduction’ Arabic verses in the bands radiating from the centre

Though the example in the Sarikhani collection also has two rows of calligraphy around the rim, it differs from ours in that they are both executed in a hurried naskh script, while the inner register on this example is realised in a confident kufic-style script, filled in with cobalt-blue. Originally a script developed for manuscripts, kufic had been used in an epigraphic context since the construction of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem by 'Abd al-Malik. Though it had largely fallen out of use as a bookhand by the 13th century, it survived in certain contexts. It appears on the rim of a remarkable dish sold as part of a Princely Collection, Sotheby's London, 5 October 2010, lot 76, which was dated by the inscription to Jumada I AH 590/April-May 1194 AD.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES 13

A

KUFIC QUR'AN SECTION

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

Comprising parts of diverse suras including some consecutive pages, Arabic manuscript on vellum, 10ff. each with 14ll. black kufic, red dots to mark fatha and kasra, yellow and green dots to mark hamza, three gold dots to mark verses with a ha' to mark every fifth and a rosette on every tenth, the margins plain, with one sura heading in gold Folio 9√ x 13in. (25 x 33cm.)

£80,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute with London trade, early 1990s

US$110,000-160,000

€92,000-140,000

way of navigating the kufic corpus, remain a model imposed onto a preexisting body of calligraphy, and not models which the calligraphers themselves were aware of, still less trying to emulate.

The script used for these folios is unusual, combining features of several of Déroche's 'families' of kufic letters. It broadly aligns with the 'D' family, with a curved jim, a broadly hooked alef, and a tail on final qaf descending immediately below the eye. However, in other regards the script is more akin to the 'C' group with its heavily-bracketed nun, two eyes in the ha', and a lam-alef ligature where the two ascenders run almost parallel. One folio in the group has a slight variant nun shape which is more clearly curved, corresponding with Déroche's group 'F', which this script also evokes with the elongated ta. Overall, this represents something of a transitional script which does not fit neatly into any one group, reminding us that Déroche's groups, while a helpful

On some pages of this group, such as the page with the sura heading, there is evidence of lightly-drawn rules to assist the scribe. On that folio, they appear faintly drawn vertically to either side of the text panel, with another drawn horizontally along the bottom line, extending slightly to the left of the word sura. Light short lines also appear intermittently between words along the base line, such as between the daal and alef at the start of the second line of the same folio: these could also be remains of the rules, but also potentially small quantities of ink that have run into the depression left by erased rules. It is unusual to see evidence like this of how the page was constructed, as such markers were normally carefully erased, if used at all. However, this makes these folios a revealing piece of evidence for early Abbasid scribal practices.

A bifolio from this manuscript was sold in these Rooms, 1 April 2021, lot 2, and is now in the Farjam Collection (Masterpieces of Islamic Art from the Farjam Collection, volume I, London, 2024, no.10, p.54). A section of four consecutive folios also sold in these Rooms, 2 May 2019, lot 2, and a further 10 folios, 28 October 2020, lot 9.

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A WOVEN SILK PANEL

PROBABLY SA'ADIAN FEZ, MOROCCO, 16TH OR 17TH CENTURY

Woven with a central column of a variety of panels containing different motifs, mostly geometric but two panels depicting stylised birds in trees, red border running along each side, losses to each end 8ft. 4in. x 2ft.10in. (253.5 x 82cm.)

£30,000-50,000 US$41,000-67,000 €35,000-57,000

PROVENANCE:

Acquired in London, 1970s, by repute

The design of this textile, as well as the lampas technique used to create it, is evocative of the silk wall hangings of Nasrid Spain, an example of which is in the museum of the Hispanic Society of America (acc. no.H921). However, the overall colour palette as well as the inclusion of a register of birds and trees indicate that this is more likely to have been produced in Morocco in the centuries after the fall of Granada, when many skilled artisans fled the reconquista An unusual multiple-niche design (saf) was with Michael Franses in 1997 (HALI 92, p.147). Closer to the present lot are examples in the George Washington Textile Museum, Washington D.C. (acc.no.74.5) and the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois (acc.no.2003.105). Over time the design became progressively more simplified, so that by the 18th century the birds which appear on our textile had been omitted altogether. An example of a later sash is in the Roger S. Pratt Collection, New Jersey. A further example sold in these Rooms, 7 April 2011, lot 121.

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AN INSCRIBED MARBLE UMAYYAD CAPITAL

POSSIBLY

MADINA AL-ZAHRA, UMAYYAD AL-ANDALUS, CIRCA 960

The rounded white marble body, deeply carved with parallel stems branching into narrow leaves, above it a narrow bead and reel stripe, rising to a broad capital top, spiralling floral volutes, the abacus with Maghribi kufic-style inscription punctuated by fleurons to each side, the upper surface plain and smooth, the base with a round socket, one quarter undecorated where previously engaged with the architecture 11in. (27.9cm.) high; 13¬in. (34.6cm.) max diam.

£30,000-50,000

US$41,000-67,000

€35,000-57,000

In the early days of Umayyad rule in Spain, buildings tended to be constructed with spoliated classical capitals. These can be seen in the oldest parts of the Mosque of Cordoba built by Abd al-Rahman I (75688), which features an eclectic assortment of different capitals. This has been variously interpreted as evidence of the more modest resources of the Umayyad Emirate (as opposed to the caliphate that it would later become) or a deliberate attempt to emulate classical precedent. Either way, by the time of the extension to the mosque built by Abd al-Rahman III (929-61), newly-made capitals were being used instead, reflecting the greater confidence and economic strength of the caliphate, or simply a dwindling supply of Roman and Visigothic archiectural material.

Abd al-Rahman's extension coincided with the founding of the palace-city of Madina al-Zahra not far from the mosque. As a city, it was intended to rival the grandeur of Fatimid al-Qahira and Abbasid Baghdad. The extensive use of hypostyle architecture necessitated the numerous capitals. Unlike those used in later phases of the Mosque of Cordoba, these were richly decorated with deep carving. The inclusion of Arabic inscriptions, however, mean that they are unmistakably the products of Umayyad workshops, and not reused material. Ironically, these newly-made columns were themselves spoliated after the city was sacked in the 11th century, being used by Almohad and Almoravid architects: a small number can be seen at the top of the Giralda tower in Seville, for instance.

The fact that some are dated allows them to be attributed quite precisely: a particularly impressive example in the al-Sabah collection, Kuwait was carved by a certain al-Falih, and bears the date AH 362/972-3 AD (acc.no.LNS 2 S). Further inscribed examples of a similar size to ours include exampes in the Museum fur Islamische Kunst, Berlin (acc.no.I.5053) and the Conjunto Arqueológico Madinat al-Zahra (acc.no.ISAW no. 34.). Uninscribed examples of very similar design and size to the present lot include capitals in the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto (acc.no.AKM663) and the Museo Arqueológico de Córdoba. Similarly designed capitals were also used in other Umayyad building projects, such as the Castillo de Albaida (El esplendor de los Omeyas Cordobeses, Granada, 2001, p.383).

A RARE FATIMID SILVER BRACELET

A SILVER BRACELET

PROBABLY FATIMID EGYPT OR SYRIA, 11TH/12TH CENTURY

Of circular form with hollow construction, with a central hinge and two lionhead terminals with a pin fastening, the exterior with a band of linked roundels issuing split leaves with reeded borders above and below, the roundels containing a variety of animals and birds in confronting pairs, restoration to the hinge 4¬in. (11cm.) diam.

£80,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon sale, Christie's London, 10 October 2000, lot 351

US$110,000-160,000

€92,000-140,000

When this bracelet sold in these Rooms, 10 October 2000, lot 351, it was catalogued as having been made in Spain around the year 1000. This was based on stylistic similarities with pieces of contemporaneous

metalwork. Though surviving examples of jewellery from the Umayyad and Taifa periods in Spain are scarce, hoards have yielded some comparable material. One such hoard is the Garrucho hoard, which was acquired by the Instituto Valencia de Don Juan de Madrid in 1944. It includes a pair of hollow silver tubular bracelets, joined with a pin and hinged on one side. The surface is decorated with deeply-carved aniconic motifs which were described as ‘caliphal flowers’. The hoard also includes a hinged bracelet comprising one curved silver sheet which was incised and nielloed. To either side of a central roundel are running hares, similar to those which appear on this bracelet (Cristina Forteza del Rey Oteiza and Ernesto Augustí García, El Tesorillo Islámico de Garrucha, del Instituto Valencia de Don Juan, Madrid, 1988). The clasp on this bracelet is also similar to that on a pair of silver tubular bracelets in the Armaguilla Hoard, though in that case rather than a cast feline head those were decorated with filigree wire (Ainhoa Díaz de Monasterioguren Aporta, Las Joyas de las Armaguilla y Otros

© Julia Jarrett

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Tesoros del Siglo X, Madrid, 2021, fig.8). A fragmentary tubular bracelet is also in the Museo de la Alhambra, and was found in the Medina Elvira hoard. However, all of the bracelets in the Armaguilla and Medina Elvira hoards are lightly decorated with simple grooves, and lack the complex decorative programme of our example.

The decoration on our bracelet is more closely comparable with bracelets found in hoards in the Fatimid lands. In 1961, three pairs of fragmentary silver tubular bracelets were found in Caesarea with extensive repoussé work: they are now in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem (acc.no.IAA 1961-1286-631). The largest pair are decorated with interlaced strapwork creating circular fields, in which there are running hares and birds, as on our bracelet (Na’ama Brosh, Islamic Jewelry, Jeruslam, p.15). Similar bracelets were found in other hoards, including nine bracelets from Ramla (acc.no.2008-640 to 648) and five found in the vicinity of the Haram al-Sharif (acc.no.1986-626 to 631), which are

also in the Israel Museum. A further silver example, similar in design to the present lot is in the L. A. Mayer Museum, Jerusalem (acc.no.J151). Tubular bracelets were also made in gold in the Fatimid period, with examples including a celebrated example in the Musée de Louvre, Paris (acc.no.MAO 495) and one with a gem-set clasp in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.58.37).

The decorative elements on this bracelet find parallels in broader Fatimid material culture. Particularly similar to this bracelet is a silver mirror in the Benaki Museum, Athens with a benedictory kufic inscription as well as similar scrolling motifs around the circumference (acc.no.13770). Hares also appear on Fatimid lustre pottery, such as a bowl in the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto (acc.no.AKM684) and another in the Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio (acc.no.1948.90). The combination of strapwork and confronted hares finds perhaps its closest comparison in a woodwork panel offered Sotheby’s London, 10 June 2020, lot 97.

θ17

QUR'AN

MAMLUK EGYPT OR SYRIA, 14TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 236ff. plus three fly-leaves, each folio with 11ll. fine black muhaqqaq, gold and polychrome roundel verse markers, the margins plain with illuminated medallions to mark divisions, sura headings in either large gold thuluth or in white thuluth set within gold and polychrome illuminated panels, the opening bifolio with later Mamluk-style illumination enclosing 6ll. black naskh, in later gilt-tooled brown leather binding, the doublures paper Folio 15¡ x 11in. (39 x 27.8cm.)

£100,000-150,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent From which acquired by the current owner

US$140,000-200,000

€120,000-170,000

This impressive Qur’an has features which place it firmly in the Mamluk period. The elegant black muhaqqaq script is similar to that of another Mamluk Qur'an in the National Museum of Kuwait (acc. no.LSN47MS). That one was dated 1346 AD and is illustrated in David James, Qur'ans of the Mamluks, 1989, cat.22.

The gold thuluth headings, some with the interstices in polychrome, and the script are similar to a Qur'an sold in these Rooms, 21 April 2016, lot 71. However, this Qur’an distinguishes itself with sura headings set within rectangular gold and polychrome panels as well. While both sura heading styles are typical of 14th century Mamluk Qur'ans, it is unusual to find the two used in the same manuscript. Our Qur'an alternates between the styles providing the scribe and illuminator with the opportunity to display the full range of their skills.

It is also interesting to note that within the opening folios, there is a waqf inscription in Arabic. This records that the Qur’an was endowed by Muhammad, the imperial doorkeeper (al-bawwab al-sultani) to the mosque he built in Thessaloniki at the beginning of Muharram AH 1050/April 1640 AD. Later on, there is another waqf inscription belonging to the Kapuci Agha, ‘Chief Doorkeeper’, who is presumably the same person. While it is not possible to pin down which mosque this Qur’an was endowed to, these waqf inscriptions lend further provenance to the manuscript and help us to trace its journey from the Mamluk period to Ottoman Greece.

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θ18

A QUR'AN SECTION

MAMLUK EGYPT OR SYRIA, CIRCA 1310-20

Comprising the second half of Juz' XXIV, from Qur'an XL, sura al-ghafir, v.34 (part) to XLI, sura al-fussilat, v.46, Arabic manuscript on paper, 32ff. plus eight fly-leaves, each with 4ll. strong black muhaqqaq, gold rosette verse markers, the margins plain with illuminated medallions to mark divisions, one sura heading with white kufic in a blue rectangular panel with marginal pendant, in blind-tooled brown leather binding with flap, the doublures plain Folio 10º x 7ºin. (26.1 x 18.5cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent

From which acquired by the current owner

EXHIBITED:

US$27,000-40,000

€23,000-34,000

The Qur'an: A British Library Exhibition, World of Islam Festival, London, 3 April - 15 August 1976

LITERATURE:

Martin Lings and Yasin Hamid Safadi, The Qur'an, London, 1976, no.78, p.55, illustrated

The elegant script on this folio makes full use of the space provided, with only four lines to the page providing ample space for calligraphic flourish. This manuscript would have once formed part of a multi-part

Qur'an. As well as providing additional room for scribal virtuosity, David James highlights that this would have made it easier to use Qur'an manuscripts in collective reading sessions (The Master Scribes, Oxford, 1992, no.39, p.158). Other volumes from this Qur'an are well known and published: in addition to two folios from juz' XV in the Khalili Collection (James, op.cit., no.39), juz' XIX is in the Chester Beatty Library (MS.1461) and juz' XXII was displayed alongside this one in the World of Islam Festival at the British Library in 1976 (Martin Lings and Yasin Hamid Safadi, The Qur'an, London, 1976, no.77, p.55). Additional sections have been sold in these Rooms, 11 October 2013, lot 718 and 24 April 2015, lot 245. Of these the latter finished at verse 20 of sura al-mu'minin, only a few verses before our section begins.

The fact that our section includes an illuminated sura heading allows it to be dated quite precisely from comparable examples. A Qur'an in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin (acc.no.1479) has a frontispiece with similar eastern kufic calligraphic panels, as well as a similar feathery motif in a marginal pendant: it is dated by James to between 1306 and 1315 (Qur'ans of the Mamluks, London, 1988, no.3, p.221). Very similar calligraphic panels also appear on the frontispiece of a Qur'an in the Topkapi Museum, Istanbul, dated to AH 713/1313 AD (acc.no.TIEM450).

The fact that on both of those manuscripts these panels only appear on the frontispiece, whereas in ours they appear throughout, give a sense of the unusual quality of this section, and the Qur'an from which it originally came.

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A QUR'AN SECTION

RASULID YEMEN, 14TH CENTURY

Qur'an V, sura ma'idah vv.44 (part)-109 (part); VI, sura al-anam vv.1-36 and 99-119, Arabic manuscript on paper, 8ff. each with 13ll. of which the top and bottom lines in large black muhaqqaq outlined in gold, the middle line in gold muhaqqaq, the rest in black naskh, tajwid notes in red ink, gold rosette verse markers, the margins plain with gold and blue medallions to mark divisions, unbound, restoration and rewriting to black muhaqqaq, each folio mounted, framed and glazed

Folio 15¡ x 12¿in. (39.1 x 30.7cm.) (8)

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent

From which acquired by the current owner

US$54,000-81,000

€46,000-69,000

Although a Mamluk Egyptian origin cannot be completely discounted, David James suggests that the distinctive layout, as well as the use of a variety of scripts which include muhaqqaq, thuluth and naskh, indicate that this Qur’an was produced outside the area under direct control of the Mamluk Sultans. He suggests that it might have been copied under Rasulid patronage in Yemen (1229-1454). Other folios from the manuscript are in the Khalili Collection (inv. QUR 850, J. M. Rogers, The Arts of Islam: Treasures from the Nasser D Khalili Collection, Abu Dhabi, 2007, no.165, p.143), the Lygo Collection (Will Kwiatowski, Pages of the Qur’an, the Lygo Collection, London, n.d., pp.100-101, no.58) and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A bifolio from the same Qur’an sold in these Rooms, 9 October 2014, lot 2 and more recently four folios sold 27 April 2017, lot 11.

19 (part lot)

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AN IMPRESSIVE RASULID CANDLESTICK

This impressive candlestick is one of the few surviving examples of royal Rasulid metalwork. The Rasulids ruled Yemen for two centuries (AH 626/1228 AD to AH 858/1454 AD). Their strategic position was fundamental for Indian Ocean trade and most ships stopped in Rasulid ports before entering the Red Sea and reaching Mamluk ports. The link with Mamluk Egypt was one of the strongest and literary sources mention “frequent exchanges of embassies, often bearing gifts, and commercial relations between Yemen and Egypt which were not without influence on the art of Yemen” (M.S. Dimand, Unpublished metalwork of the Rasulid Sultans of Yemen, Metropolitan Museum Studies, vol.3 pp.229-237 no.2).

This candlestick is dedicated to the Rasulid Sultan al-Malik al-Mujahid Sayf ad-Din ‘Ali (r. 1322-63) and was most likely made by a Mamluk craftsman. Despite occasional tensions between the two Sultanates, the artistic output of the Rasulid caliphate was greatly influenced by Mamluk taste and this candlestick is an example of this cultural exchange. The overall decoration follows the Mamluk aesthetic, with a large thuluth inscription interspaced by medallions and a dense foliate background. The five-petaled rosette found here, and on other examples of Rasulid metal and glass, is however a distinctive Rasulid mark of identification. It is likely that the metalwork made for the Rasulid Sultans of Yemen and their officials was made in Cairo or Damascus and either delivered as diplomatic gifts from Mamluk Sultans or as the result of direct commissions.

The reign of Sultan al-Mujahid was prolific in terms of artistic production. Around twenty pieces of metalwork dated to that period and with similar decoration have survived. A tray now in the Louvre

*20

A RARE AND IMPRESSIVE CANDLESTICK MADE FOR THE RASULID SULTAN AL-MUJAHID EGYPT OR SYRIA, CIRCA 1320-60, THE NECK AND MOUTH MOSUL, 13TH CENTURY

The gently sloping body inscribed with bold thuluth set against a dense vegetal field, the inscription broken with two large lobed medallions containing a central five-petalled copper inlaid rosette blazon amongst flowering vine, the drip pan with lotus vine decoration broken by two similar copper inlaid rosette blazons, the associated neck with silver-inlaid arabesque decoration, rising to a mouth with knotted kufic calligraphy broken by alternating roundels of eight-petalled gold inlaid rosettes and geometric decoration, two later owner's inscriptions on the interior, crack and historic restoration to shoulder 11√in. (30.3cm.) high; 10in. (25.5cm.) diam.

£200,000-300,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute Private Collection, South of France, 1960s

Thence by descent until sold 2024

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$270,000-400,000

€230,000-340,000

Around the body, ‘izz li-mawlana wa-malikina al-sultan al-malik a/l-mujahid sayf al-dunya wa’l-din ‘ali al-malik al-mu’ayyad, ‘Glory to our lord and ruler the Sultan al-Malik al-Mujahid Sayf al-Dunya wa’l-Din ‘Ali, the king who is supported [by God].’

Around the mouth, part deciphered, al-‘izz da’iman(?) … ‘Glory, perpetually(?)

is dedicated to the same Sultan and is decorated with similar copper five-petaled rosettes though lacks the silver inlay (inv.no. OA6008; S. Makariou (ed.), Islamic Art at the Musée du Louvre, Paris 2012, p.265). Another contemporaneous basin now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York has very fine silver inlay, similar to that on our candlestick (inv.no.91.1.589; M. S. Dimand, A Handbook of Muhammadan Art, New York, 1944. p.152).

The neck and socket of our candlestick are not original to the base, but are very fine examples of the metalwork of 13th century Mosul. The elegant interlacing arabesque that decorates the shaft relates very closely to a candlestick in the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (MW.112.1999; published James Allan, Metalwork Treasures from the Islamic Courts, Doha, 1992, no.8, p.42). In his catalogue of the collection, James Allan refers to the arabesque design on the candlestick as very unusual and a "tour de force". The relief rosette through which it is attached (seen only on the inside), is also a feature of Mosuli candlesticks (see 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, New York, 2012, p.34).

A very similar candlestick, also dedicated to the Rasulid Sultan al-Malik al-Mujahid Sayf ad-Din ‘Ali, was sold in these Rooms, 8 October 2015, lot 19. That example, which also had an associated neck, was formerly in the collection of Alphonse Delort de Gléon and is now in the collection of the Musée du Louvre (MAO 2285) and is currently on view at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

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*21

TWO FOLIOS FROM A BOOK OF GEOMANCY

MAMLUK EGYPT OR SYRIA, 14TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 2ff. each with 13ll. black or red naskh with black vocalisation, in red interlinear rules, each with a heading in black or red muhaqqaq with a central roundel containing red dots, the field crosshatched with leaves and palmettes, in red rules, the narrow margins plain, mounted, framed and glazed in modern gilt wooden frames

Text panel 9√ x 6¬in. (25.1 x 16.8cm.) (2)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

Previously in the Private Collection of Jacques Chevallier (1911-1971), Algiers, by at least 1971

Thence by descent to his daughter, Marie-France Barret (b. 1942), FranquevilleSaint-Pierre

By descent until sold Oger-Blanchet, Paris, 4 December 2023, lot 48

These folios are from a manual on ‘geomancy’, from the Latin geomantia, a translation of the Arabic ‘ilm al-ramal (the science of sand), this was a system of divination attributed to the archangel Jibra’il (Gabriel) and popular at least as early as the AD1250s, when geomancers of Qutuz, who would become the third Mamluk sultan, predicted his ascension and victory over the Mongols.

The figures named in the titles are al-’ataba al-kharija (The Outer Threshold), shakl al-hamra (The Red Form), al-inkis (The Inverted), and al-nusra al-kharija (The External Victory), with the manual body explaining the relation between each geomantic figure and its

associated house, colour, day, planet, letter, mineral, and personality. The indented ninth line of each folio urges the reader to heed the advice of the urjuza (didactic verse) on the geomantic figure or geomancy itself, comprising the final four lines.

In A Thousand and One Nights, Qamar al-Zaman carries ‘a set of instruments, as well as a [geometric] divination tablet’ while posing as a fortune-teller in order to access the palace, saying ‘I am he who calculates, who knows what is hidden, who divines the answers, and who writes charms’ (Emily Savage-Smith, ‘Divination’, in Emily SavageSmith, Science, Tools, and Magic: Part One, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection, Oxford, 1997, pp.148-49). Geomancy could be executed complemented by a variety of tools, such as the geomantic plate, dice, and text written on cloth, examples of which are all held in the Khalili Collection. Dice constituted divination's most accessible form, and geomantic literature was reserved for the most educated class of divinator (Savage-Smith, op.cit., nos.105, 108-111, pp.152-159).

Ibn Khaldun wrote extensively on the subject, stating in his Muqaddimah: ‘Geomancy is prevalent in civilised regions. There exists a literature dealing with it. Outstanding ancient and modern personalities were famous for it’ (Ibn Khaldun, trans. F. Rosenthal, ed. N. J. Dawood, The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History, Princeton, 2005, pp.159-60). Manuals on geomancy are also cited by a 13th century geomantic table inscription in the British Museum, which states that ‘from my intricacies there comes about insight superior to books concerned with the study of the art’ (acc.no.1888,0526.1).

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*22

A

MAMLUK BRASS BOWL

EGYPT OR SYRIA, 15TH CENTURY

With slightly tapering sides, the exterior engraved with round and elongated cusped cartouches, the round cartouches with blazons and geometric decoration, the elongated cartouches of alternating thuluth inscriptions and dense vegetal motif, on flat brass base

7æin. (19.7cm.) diam. at base

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

By repute Private Collection, South of France, 1960s

Thence by descent until sold 2024

The decoration on this bowl is very similar to that on two related vessels in the collection of the British Museum, London (acc. nos.1866,1229.65 and 1866,1229.67). This includes decorative features typical of the

later Mamluk period, such as the lattice of Y-shaped motifs in the roundels between calligraphic panels, as well as an apparently identical poetic inscription. The only clear difference is that both appear to be smaller in

size than our bowl. Like the British Museum bowls, our example has on it the penboxshaped blazon of the dawadar, used by court functionaries associated with the Mamluk chancery.

A SILVER-INLAID BRASS VENETO-SARACENIC COVERED BOWL

PROBABLY MAMLUK SYRIA, LATE 15TH CENTURY

The bowl of hemispherical form, the rounded base with a quatrefoil split palmette motif encircled by large alternating flowerheads, the sides with a combination of split palmette roundels and large flowerheads, the rim with interlocking s-shaped motifs, the flat circular cover with split-palmette roundel surrounded by palmettes, the underside with four silver-inlaid fish facing towards a central point, the interior of the bowl similarly incised with six fish

2Ωin. (6.4cm.) high; 5Ωin. (13.4cm.) diam.

£6,000-8,000

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

Veneto-Saracenic metalwork was originally thought to have been produced in Europe. However, scholarship has evolved to that this 15th century metalwork was produced in Syria for export to Venice and other European cities.

The purpose of our hemispherical bowl with watertight lid is unknown. Auld proposes that these were either designed to hold incense, as contemporary incense burners shared all of the same motifs, or alternatively, sweet-meats (Sylvia Auld, Veneto-Saracenic Metalwork, Edinburgh, 1989, p.187) The lotus blossoms in a band interspersed with cruciform rosettes are characteristic of this type of metalwork. A

bowl with similar cruciform rosettes was sold in these Rooms, 26 Oct 2017, lot 65.

A typical feature is the fish-whorl motif. This can be seen in two places in our bowl, on the underside of the lid and the inside of the bowl. When one looks closely, it is apparent that the latter’s “engraved fish-heads conform to – and disguise – concentric circles, which are indicative of the spinning process” (Auld, op.cit.). An identical example of this fish-whorl motif can be found on a bowl formerly in the Aron Collection (James Allan, Metalwork of the Islamic World, the Aron Collection, London, 1986, p.96-97).

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θ24

QUR'AN

MAMLUK EGYPT OR SYRIA, EARLY TO MID-14TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 272ff. each with 13ll. black naskh, tajwid picked out in red ink, gold and polychrome rosette verse markers, sura headings in black-outlined gold thuluth, the margins plain with exegesis in red and divisions marked in gold thuluth, opening bifolio with geometric panels and five-pointed stars with white thuluth calligraphic cartouches above and below, the first two sura headings in white thuluth set within gold illuminated panels, finishing with brief dua' in white thuluth, in contemporaneous blind-tooled brown leather binding, the doublures plain Folio 12¡ x 9¬in. (31.3 x 24.5cm.)

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

US$54,000-81,000

€46,000-69,000

By repute private collection, London, by 1974 and thence by descent Anon. sale, Christie's London, 5 October 2010, lot 141

This Mamluk Qur’an features in its opening illumination a central eight-armed star-polygon in blue and gold. A comparable design can be found on a Qur'an in the National Library, Cairo (acc.no.714), dated 1332. The design of the central panel is almost identical, though the border and margins differ. The calligraphic cartouche has been written in a different script but shares the same ovoid bracketed design. It shares the same white thuluth heading design as another Qur’an in the National Library, Cairo (acc.no.8) which is signed and dated AH 757/1356 AD (Martin Lings, The Qur’anic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination, London, 1976, p74).

The central panel dates this as a likely precursor to the distinctive Sultan Sha’ban ‘Star Polygon Group’ Qur’ans, termed by David James (David James, Qur’ans of the Mamluks, London, 1988, p178). Our Qur’an does not have the later chinoiserie border and distinctive floral design pushing into all points of the central star polygon which would date it during the reign of Sultan Sha’ban. Furthermore, the absence of the decorated margins would suggest that this is perhaps a prototype for the ‘Star Polygon Group’.

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THE NOMIKOS CANDLESTICK

*25

A SILVER-INLAID BRASS CANDLESTICK

MAMLUK DAMASCUS, SYRIA, CIRCA 1320-60

With waisted body slightly flaring towards the base, flat overhanging shoulder, tubular neck and sloping socket, the body inscribed with a band of thuluth interrupted by two radial calligraphic roundels with six-petalled whirling rosettes at the centre, the shoulder and drip-tray decorated with a band of foliate and bird motifs, the neck and socket decorated with foliate arabesques, small areas of silver remaining, rubbed 8Ωin. (21.4cm.) high

£70,000-100,000

PROVENANCE:

US$95,000-130,000

€81,000-110,000

Andreas Nomikos (1917-1999), Alexandria, Athens, London and New York by 1956,

From whom given to William Rankin Crowder, Jr. (1947-2021) and his husband Joseph Hoesl, North Carolina, in the late 1970s or early 1980s, before 1983 Thence by descent to his brother Gene W. Crowder, North Carolina

INSCRIPTIONS:

Around the body, 'izz li-mawlana al-sultan al-malik al-nasir al-'alim 'Glory to our Lord the Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir'

In the calligraphic roundels, 'izz li-mawlana al-sultan al-malik al-nasir al-'alim al-'amil al-'adil al-mujahid al-murabit 'Glory to our Lord the Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir the wise, the industrious, the just, the holy warrior, the defender'

The Nomikos candlestick is a fine example of a group of inlaid candlesticks of this shape and technique that were made in Damascus, Syria, between the mid-13th century and the early 15th century, several of which are in public collections (these include candlesticks in the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, 115M; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 29.26; Museum for Islamische Kunst, Berlin, B111; the Louvre, Paris, AA 101).

The earliest examples are decorated with figural designs typical of the Ayyubid period. The Nomikos candlestick belongs to a distinctive series within this group that was made for the Mamluk court between about 1320 and 1360. The candlesticks in this series are classic examples of Mamluk metalwork, most with magnificent thuluth inscriptions around the body and radial inscriptions in roundels. These would have been sumptuously inlaid with gold and silver. The inscriptions usually honour an anonymous amir of al-Nasir; only one other candlestick is inscribed to the sultan himself (Géza Fehérvári, Islamic Metalwork of the 8th to the 15th century in the Keir Collection, London, 1976, no 159 and fig. 6).

One of the candlesticks from this group is inscribed to a named amir, Sayf al-Din Turji al-Saqi al-Nasiri, cupbearer to al-Nasir Muhammad, and bears his cup blazon. Turji became an important Mamluk amir, leading the Hajj in 1319 and 1325 and was promoted to amir majlis He died in 1331. The titles suggest a date early in the 1320s before his promotion.

The candlesticks continued to be made for courtiers of sons of al-Nasir Muhammad. A candlestick in the Toulouse Lautrec collection was dedicated to an amir of al-Malik al-Salih (Sultan Ismail 1342-5 or Sultan Salih 1351-54). Some of the group dedicated to an amir of al-Nasir could refer to al-Nasir Hasan (1347-51, 1354-61), rather than his father al-Nasir Muhammad.

Three late 14th to early 15th century candlesticks of this type were found in a shipwreck datable to c.1404 by coins from Syrian mints (The Israel Museum, From the Depths of the Sea, Jerusalem 1985 p.31). The ship contained a variety of copper wares that were being sent from Syria to Cairo to feed the mint during the economic crises, including metal shortages, of the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Two of the candlesticks were not yet decorated, the other had cast-in decoration and all three had bad casting faults, which explains why they were selected for recycling. These three excavated candlesticks confirm Syria, probably Damascus, as the location of the workshop producing these candlesticks. Although many of them were probably intended for members of the court in Cairo.

The Syrian candlesticks can be compared to the cast candlesticks made in Cairo during the 14th and 15th centuries. These are a similar size and also have spiralling grooves in the neck to screw in a taller support when required but are made in a completely different way.

We are grateful to Rachel Ward for her help in preparing this essay.

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A FOLIO FROM THE 'FIVE SURAS' MANUSCRIPT

IRAN OR MESOPOTAMIA, 14TH CENTURY

Qur'an XVIII, sura al-kahf, vv.32-35, Arabic manuscript on paper, 5ll. of strong black muhaqqaq script outlined in gold, gold and black roundel verse markers, catchword, set within gold and polychrome rules, in later margins, in modern cloth binding

Text panel 14 x 9√in. (35.6 x 25.1cm.); folio 14¬ x 10Ωin. (37.1 x 26.6cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

This folio is from a prayer-book known as the Five Suras, which contains each of the suras that begin with the phrase al-hamdu li'llah (I, VI, XVIII, XXXIV and XXXV). David James writes that the manuscript from which these folios come "must have been one of the finest of its type to have been produced in the late 14th century or the early 15th" (David James, After Timur. Qur'ans of the 15th and 16th Centuries, London, 1992, p.16). He notes that the muhaqqaq is done with "such faultless perfection equalled only by Ibn al-Suhrawardi in the Qur'an he produced in Baghdad in the early years of the 14th century, probably for Ghazan Khan" (James, op. cit., p. 16).

A marginal medallion on the colophon of the manuscript mentions that it was 'copied by the weak slave who implores the Lord's mercy, Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Qayyum, son of Muhammad, son of Karamshah-i Tabrizi'. Abolala Soudavar suggests that the epithet, Tabrizi, indicates that the manuscript was copied in a city other than Tabriz (Abolala Soudavar, Art of the Persian Courts, New York, 1992, p.50). He goes on to suggest that given the imperial quality of the manuscript, it may have been copied at the court of the Jalayrid prince Shaykh Uways, a considerable patron of the arts, in Baghdad.

Other folios from this copy of the Five Suras are found in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection (James, op. cit., cat. 1, p.16) and the David Collection (Kjeld von Folsach, Art from the World of Islam in the David Collection, Copenhagen, 2001, fig.8, p.59). Another was formerly part of the Art and History Trust Collection (Soudavar, op. cit., cat.19, p.50), now on loan to the Sackler Gallery, Washington. Further folios were sold in Sotheby's, 9 April 2008, lot 24, 8 October 2008, lot 18 and a bifolio on 8 October 2008, lot 19. 26

27 A LARGE MOULDED STAR-SHAPED POTTERY TILE

TIMURID IRAN, SECOND HALF 15TH CENTURY

In the form of an eight-pointed star, the receded ground glazed cobalt-blue and turquoise in the centre, a raised unglazed central star issuing four large split palmettes with four smaller arabesque panels in between, the raised sections carved with scrolling motifs, the raised border glazed turquoise, intact 17æin. (45cm.) diam.

£100,000-150,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon sale, Christie's London, 7 October 2008, lot 147

US$140,000-200,000

€120,000-170,000

This tile is impressive for its size as well as the extremely high quality of relief decoration which is rare to find in ceramics. The deep carving is typical of Timurid tilework from the mid-14th century. It was first employed at scale in the Shah-i Zindeh necropolis in Samarkand with the sizes of tiles and depth of carving increasing with time before ceasing in popularity by the 16th century (Jean Soustiel and Yves Porter, Tombs of Paradise, Paris, 2003, p. 196). The pools of cobalt and turquoise glaze used to decorated the receded ground on our tile are also typical of Timurid architectural decoration but this tile is notable for the unglazed carved elements which make it a very rare example of its type.

Other known examples demonstrate that Timurid tile makers did create tiles with areas of decoration left intentionally unglazed, for example fragment in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London from the Madrasa of Shah Zindeh in Samarkand (acc.no. 648-1900). However, the unglazed areas of the present tile, with tightly scrolling arabesques, are of far higher quality than other ceramic examples and have more in common with Timurid stone and wood carving (see Lentz and Lowry, Timur and the Princely Vision, Los Angeles, 1989, fig. 70).

The design itself, with the radiating palmette interlace, also relates closely to the wider Timurid aesthetic vocabulary and can be found on a Timurid textile fragment in the David Collection, Copenhagen (inv. No. 42/1999). It is well established that the cartoons and drawings of the Timurid kitabkhane were as important for stonework, woodwork and textile production as they were for the arts of the book (Lentz and Lowrry op.cit., p. 208) and this tile demonstrates the same for ceramics. Whilst the design was evidently popular in the Timurid period, examples of the same basic concept can be found in 13th century Karakhanid tilework at the mausoleum of Cheshmey-e Ayoub, Vabkent, and 11th century Buyid stucco at the Jameh Masjid of Ardestan, Iran.

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A RARE AND IMPORTANT EARLY SAFAVID ZINC TANKARD FROM THE PERIOD OF SHAH ISMA’IL I (1501-1527)

PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE FRENCH COLLECTOR

*28

AN EARLY SAFAVID GOLD INLAID ZINC TANKARD (MASHRABE/ MAŞRAPA)

TABRIZ, NORTH WEST IRAN, PERIOD OF SHAH ISMA’IL I (1501-1527)

Of rounded body with a cylindrical neck and a short foot, the zinc body elegantly engraved and inlaid with gold, with four cusped medallions containing split palmette arabesques alternating with four half medallions of similar design on a stippled ground, the neck with cartouches of gold scrolling vine issuing split-palmettes against a ground with a scrolling vine in relief, two holes for a handle 4ºin. (10.2cm.) high

£1,500,000-1,800,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute, Private Collection, Paris, 1860s Private French collection, since 1988

US$2,100,000-2,400,000

€1,800,000-2,100,000

This magnificent zinc tankard, with its elegant and restrained decoration is of royal quality. It is a rare survival from the period of Shah Isma'il I. With most of the closest comparables in the Topkapı Palace Museum, this is the only Safavid zinc vessel known to remain in private hands and the only example ever to have appeared on the open market.

ZINC

The element zinc had been used in metallurgy for many centuries in the Islamic world by the time that this remarkable small tankard was made. It is a critical constituent of brass. Al-Biruni, writing in the 11th century says that brass is “copper made yellow by mixing into it [a substance called] tutiya with sweetened things (halawat) etc. as additives until it becomes like gold” (James Allan, Persian Metal Technology, 1300-1700 AD, Oxford, 1979, p.40). Tutiya, from descriptions of its manufacture, can be shown to have been zinc ore which has been refined to zinc oxide. One property of elemental zinc however is that at normal atmospheric pressure its melting point is higher than its sublimation point, which means that, when heated, it turns into gaseous zinc which immediately oxidises in air to form clouds of zinc oxide. In India, before the 14th century, the tiryakpatanam process was devised whereby a mix of Calamine (zinc ore) with organic reducing agents and sodium salts were heated strongly together. The resultant hot gaseous zinc which was emitted could be passed through a sealed long tube and then cooled, which would therefore condense the pure metal (The fourteenth century Indian source Rasaratnasamuccaya quoted by A.P.C. Ray, History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Calcutta, 1956, reported in I.C. Freestone et al., “Zinc production in Zawar, Rajasthan,” Furnaces and Smelting Technology in Antiquity, British Museum Occasional Paper No 48, London, 1985, pp.232 and 237).

In Iran there is no evidence of any such technology being used before 1500, so “the existence in Topkapı Palace treasury of a group of zinc objects […..] comes as something of a surprise. The earliest of them are clearly Safavid in style and must have formed part of the booty from the battle of Chaldiran and the Ottoman capture of Tabriz in 1512” (James Allan, “Early Safavid Metalwork”, in Jon Thompson and Sheila R. Canby (eds.), The Hunt for Paradise, exhibition catalogue, New York and Milan, 2003, p.218). It is not known for sure where the zinc for these vessels was refined. The material clearly attracted Shah Isma’il whose treasury contained a number of exquisitely decorated items fashioned in this new material.

STYLISTIC ANALYSIS

The tankard is of a classic form known in various materials. The largest number are of brass very finely overlaid with silver and gold, many which are associated with Timurid Herat but which continued to be made in the early Safavid period (British Museum inv. 1878,1230.732.a; ibid, no.8.6, pp.210-211). Also of this form is a spectacular black jade example made for the founder of the Safavid dynasty, Shah Isma’il, (r.1501-1527) which is inlaid with gold spirals and a large inscription (Topkapı Saray Museum, inv.2/1844; Linda Komaroff (ed.), Dining with the Sultan, the Fine Art of Feasting, exhibition catalogue, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 20013, frontispiece). The present tankard also had a handle which is no longer attached, almost certainly of zinc, with upper terminal in the form of a dragon’s head; the holes in the body and the rim show where it was attached.

The tankard has three registers of design, each of which has a slightly different technique. In the lowest medallions the gold is inlaid flush into the ground, and is then itself carved and engraved with delicate further ornamentation. The part-medallions that form the middle row have similarly decorated gold arabesques but against a ground that is cut away and stippled to leave them in relief. In the upper band around the mouth the ground around the similarly decorated gold is mostly cut away but there is also a carved second level of scrolling flowering tendrils that interlace with the arabesques. This double level scrolling design is also a particular feature of Iranian carpet design, appearing first in Tabriz weavings of the later 15th century (for example Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. 22.100.75; M.S. Dimand and Jean Mailey, Oriental Rugs and Carpets in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, no.1, p.96 and fig. 59, p.39).

The form of the arabesques and particularly the carved and engraved lines within the gold work relate particularly closely to those of other works of art created at the early Safavid court such as a dagger hilt in the Al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, which relates closely to the Shah Isma’il jade tankard (inv. LNS 618 HS; sold in these Rooms 29 April 2003, lot 85 illustrated left). Similar work can also be seen on a dagger blade in the Furusiyya Collection (inv. R-1024).

CONTEXT

By far the largest number of comparable pieces are today in the Topkapı Palace Museum, having formed part of the booty captured after the battle of Chaldiran by the Ottoman forces under Sultan Selim. The treasury contains just over one hundred vessels made of zinc and of these the vast majority date from the first half of the 16th century, before zinc in its metallic form became more readily available (Emine Bilirgen, Osmanlı saray hazinesinden sıra dışı tutya eserler, www.antikalar.com). While some are plain, most are decorated, usually in gold and frequently with the addition of inset gemstones. The earliest were clearly made in Iran, almost certainly in Tabriz, and show clearly the hallmarks of the early Safavid style already referred to. (Bilirgen op.cit., suggests that zinc was refined and worked slightly earlier in late Timurid Herat, but there is little firm evidence of this. However the Herat link could help explain how an Indian technology arrived in Tabriz). After the occupation of Tabriz many workmen were rounded up and brought back to Istanbul by the Ottomans. Separating early Safavid metalwork from Ottoman metalwork of 1515-1530 or so is sometimes therefore very difficult, and it is possible that this tankard was made by Iranian craftsmen in Istanbul shortly after the battle of Chaldiran. However the Ottoman designs quickly adopted the more floral forms that typified decoration in the second half of the 16th century (Topkapı Saray Museum invs.2/2856 and 2/2873; J.M. Rogers and R.M. Ward, Süleyman the Magnificent, exhibition catalogue, London, 1988, nos.65 and 66, pp.132-3).

It is among these other vessels in the Topkapı Palace that the closest similarities are to be found. There are twenty-nine tankards (maşrapa) listed of similar form to this example. Some of the earlier examples with shorter squatter bodies are covered with an overall arabesque design (Topkapı Saray Museum invs.2/2859 and 2/2863) while others, as here, have medallions set against a plain ground (Topkapı Saray Museum inv.2/2858). Many show the design in relief, as here, against a stippled ground (Topkapı Saray Museum invs.2/2859, 2/2863 and 2/2871). The feature of the secondary slightly lower carved but not gilded flowering tendril offering a counterpoint to the gold arabesques is seen on some of the most magnificent of all examples such as the bottle (Topkapı Saray Museum inv.2/2875; Arthur Upham Pope, A Survey of Persian Art, Oxford, 1938, pl.1380), the pencase, and the belt of Shah Isma’il himself dated 913/1507-8. Many sources at the time refer directly to Shah Isma’il’s love of opulence, both when describing his encampment and also from the list of gifts for example that he sent to the Mamluk Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri in AH 918/1512-13 AD (James Allan in The Hunt for Paradise, p.205). Items that were sent to Qansuh al-Ghuri may also now be part of the Topkapı treasury after the Ottoman defeat of the Mamluk sultan four years later.

The question of why zinc was quite so popular under Shah Isma’il is an interesting one. Clearly the rarity and novelty of this material was a major factor. Another is that this was a metal which, once formed, was very corrosion resistant. It is also one whose surface could relatively easily be treated to make it black, as it clearly was on many of the vessels now in Istanbul, for example a spectacular small silver-lined bowl (Topkapı Saray Museum inv.2/1869; The Hunt for Paradise no.8.2, pp.204-5). This tankard still retains a very dark patina which is probably original, allowing the gold to stand out particularly strongly.

RARITY

No other example of a royal quality Safavid zinc vessel is known outside major public collections. Almost every other example is in Istanbul. One large circular deep dish is in the Hermitage; the added openwork gold medallions on the interior walls indicate that that, too, was at one stage at the Ottoman court. A late 17th century silver mounted Ottoman zinc bottle now in Doha came from an Iranian family collection, but that was made long after zinc had lost its rarity as a material (Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, inv. MW.560.2004; sold in these Rooms 12 October 2004, lot 126). This gold decorated zinc tankard is the only example of such a royal vessel ever to have appeared on the open market.

Gold inlaid black jade dagger hilt, Iran circa 1500-1520, Al-Sabah Collection, LNS 618 HS

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A COURTING COUPLE

SHAYBANID BUKHARA, UZBEKISTAN, 16TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, laid down with a line of gold and blue nasta'liq above and below, within gold and polychrome rules, gold sprinkled buff margins with blue and white outer rules, the verso plain, mounted, framed and glazed

Painting 5Ω x 3¬in. (13.8 x 9.2cm.); text panel 6√ x 3æin. (17.5 x 9.8cm.); folio 10Ω x 7in. (26.5 x 17.6cm.)

£7,000-10,000

EXHIBITED:

AMIR KHUSRAW DEHLAVI (D.1325): DIVAN

SIGNED JALAL AL-DIN MUHAMMAD, TURKMAN SHIRAZ, IRAN, CIRCA 1490

Persian manuscript on finely burnished paper, 356ff. plus one fly-leaf, each folio with 15ll. fine black nasta'liq arranged in two columns, section headings in gold thuluth against lightly illuminated blue and gold cartouches, set within blue and gold rules, the margins plain, catchwords, the opening bifolio with 7ll. black nasta'liq reserved against gold cloudbands with illuminated cartouches of white thuluth above and below and finely illuminated margins, with 8 later Safavid-style full-page illustrations, the colophon signed, in gilt stamped black leather binding, the doublures red leather

Text panel 6¿ x 3¿in. (15.6 x 7.8cm.); folio 9æ x 6in. (24.7 x 15.2cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

Madame Djahanguir Riahi Collection sold Sotheby's, Paris, 6 July 2017, lot 83

Amir Khusraw Dehlavi (1253-1325), the "Parrot of India", is considered the greatest Persian language poet of medieval India. His knowledge of Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Hindi allowed him to produce an exciting new repertoire of literary puns and wordplays in his lyrics, panegyrics and epics (Annemarie Schimmel, "Amir Kosrow Dehlavi", E. Yarshater (ed.), Encyclopaedia Iranica, vol.1, Pennsylvania, 1989, pp.963-965).

The style and palette of illumination found on the opening frontispiece of the this copy relates closely to that found in Shirazi manuscripts of the late 15th century. An illustrated Mihr O Mushtari of Muhammad 'Assar Tabrizi dated AH 895/1490 AD with similarly illuminated opening bifolio was sold in these Rooms 1 May 2025, lot 37.

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

The inscriptions above and below read, 'story concerning the service and resolution of travellers'

The text may be an alternative for one of the stories from the Bustan of Sa'adi which is ‘story concerning the patience and resolution of travellers’. The faces of the couple in the present lot, and in particular the decorated turban of the young man, are stylistically very similar to a painting of a loving couple signed by Zaini which was sold in these rooms, 7 April 2011, lot 152.

θ31

ABD AL-RAHMAN JAMI (D.1492): SILSILAT ALDHAHAB

SAFAVID IRAN, DATED AH 962 / 1554-5 AD

Persian manuscript on gold-speckled paper, 238ff. each folio with 14ll. fine black nasta'liq arranged in two columns, section headings in cobalt-blue, red or gold reserved against lightly illuminated panels, set within gold and polychrome rules, the opening bifolio identifying the title and author in white nasta'liq set within gold palmette against illuminated margins, 2 illuminated headpieces within the text, the colophon dated and lightly illuminated, in giltstamped Safavid binding, the gilt doublures with blue decoupé panels

Text panel 6¡ x 3¿in. (16.2 x 7.9cm.); folio 10º x 6Ωin. (25.9 x 16.4cm.)

£25,000-35,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 18 April 1984, lot 90

US$34,000-47,000

€29,000-40,000

The Saeed Motamed Collection - Part II, Christie's London, 7 October 2013, lot 92

The silsilat al-dhahhab is the first part of the Haft Awrang of Jami. Composed in the late 15th century, it comprises a series of short pithy stories intended for moral instruction. A double-page frontispiece from a Khamsa of Nizami in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is very similar to the frontispiece of ours in the overall composition, using green and blue strapwork in the field rather than turquoise and orange as seen here (acc.no.M.73.5.486). Since no subsequent folios of that manuscript are preserved, it is hard to know how similar the rest of the manuscript would have been to ours. This style of interlacing framework within the field is very typical of work done in Safavid Shiraz, and can be seen on the frontispiece of the Loewi Khamsa, which sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2024, lot 60.

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AN IMPORTANT MANUSCRIPT COPIED FOR PRINCE IBRAHIM MIRZA IN SABZAVAR, ILLUSTRATED BY MIRZA ALI

MAWLANA MAHMUD ARIFI (D.1449): GUY O CHAUGAN (BALL AND MALLET)

SIGNED MEHDI QOLI, PAINTINGS ATTRIBUTED TO MIRZA 'ALI, SABZAVAR, SAFAVID IRAN, DATED 19 RABI' I 981 AH/29 JULY 1573 AD

Poetry, Persian manuscript on gold-sprinkled burnished paper, 21ff., each page with 15ll. neat black nasta'liq arranged in two columns with double gold intercolumnar rules, text panel within gold, red, green and blue rules, headings in white reserved against gold and set in cartouches flanked by flowers, alternating blue and cream margins with elegant gold-stencilled decoration of flowers, animals and arabesques, catchwords, opening bifolio with a double page illustration depicting a prince and his court in a garden, three further full-page illustrations, opening folio of the text with gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece surmounting 10ll. text, colophon signed and dated, f.1r with numerous owner's inscriptions and seal impressions, with later associated paper boards, in modern green fabric lined box and slip-case

Text panel 6º x 3Ωin. (16.1 x 9.2cm.); folio 10Ω x 6√in. (26.4 x 17.3cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

Private American Collection by 1930, and thence by descent

LITERATURE:

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

Stuart Cary Welch, "A Salute to a coauthor: Martin Bernard Dickson", Michel B. Mazzaoui and Vera B. Moreen (eds.) Intellectual Studies on Islam, Salt Lake City, 1990, p.21

This is a manuscript of considerable historical importance, a crucial piece of evidence for understanding the lives of Mirza Ali, one of Safavid Iran' great artists, and Ibrahim Mirza, one of its great patrons. In 1981, when Stuart Cary Welch and Martin Dickinson wrote the seminal study of the Shah Tahmasp Shahnama, Mirza Ali's activity after the completion of the Freer Haft Awrang in 1565 was somewhat unknown. It was a challenging time to be an artist in Iran: it coincided with Shah Tahmasp's Edict of Sincere Repentance, after which the ruler swore off artistic patronage, and the exile of Ibrahim Mirza to the wilds of Azerbaijan as Governor of Sabzavar. While there, he apparently lived on grain from the local harvest and scraped by on one tuman a day (Massumeh Farhad and Marianna Shreve-Simpson, ‘Sources for the study of Safavid painting and patronage, or méfiezvous de Qazi Ahmad’, Muqarnas, vol.10, p.288). Along with his patron, Mirza Ali faded into relative obscurity; consequently Dickson and Welch attributed all Mirza Ali's later works, particularly the single-leaf portraits, to the late 1560s (Martin Bernard Dickson and Stuart Cary Welch, The Houghton Shahnama, volume I, Cambridge MA, 1981, p.150).

This manuscript allowed that chronology to be revised. The colophon is significant because as well as being dated precisely to 1573, it states that the text was copied in dar al-mu'minin, 'the abode of the faithful' (a standard way for Shi'i writers to refer to the Safavid realm), Sabzavar. This exactly coincided with Ibrahim Mirza's exile, between about 1567 and 1574. Even more significant, in Cary Welch's eyes, were the three colour illustrations in the manuscript which - though damaged - were

attributable to Mirza Ali. The opening frontispiece depicted a jovial gathering in a rocky landscape. In its composition and colour palette, it is similar to a frontispiece now split between the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (acc.no.14.624) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (12.223.1). It is also comparable in several points of detail: the orangejacketed prince appears on the right hand side of both frontispieces, his right hand held out in a similar gesture; while to the left a motley gathering of courtiers stand while a horse peers out from behind an outcrop, laden with an almost identically patterned saddle, looking on as one figure caresses another's cheek.

Yet in these paintings there are also echoes of Mirza Ali's earlier career and his work on some of the single most significant paintings of the 16th century. The tented pavilion in which the prince sits on the right may be compared to the painting from the Shah Tahmasp Shahnama now in the Khalili Collection (acc.no.MSS 1030), in which the musician Barbad conceals himself in a tree to play for Khusraw by night (f.731r., Eleanor Sims, The Tale and the Image, volume I, Oxford, 2022, fig.18.10, p.203). On both pavilions, below the canopy is a burgundy fringe cut out into repeating palmette shapes. The cobalt-blue band around our canopy is echoed by that at the top of the tent panels of the Shah Tahmasp painting. Both tents also have turquoise-blue floor mats, stencilled in gold. Interestingly, in both pictures there is a kneeling figure in a yellow jacket to the left of the pavilion in an identical rounded hat with a continuous band of fur around the outside. The musician in the lower right corner may be considered another visual reference to the Shah Tahmasp painting, echoing Barbad in the tree of the other. If this was a deliberate reference, then it may be suggested that the prince sat in Khusraw's throne in our painting is none other than Ibrahim Mirza.

Recognising the work's significance, in 1984 Stuart Cary Welch asked for permission to mention this book in a forthcoming Festschrift for his co-writer, Martin Dickinson. He was excited to present it on this occasion since it confirmed a theory both of them held but had not spelled out in the book: "that the great artist Mirza Ali had gone to Sabzavar with the virtually exiled Sultan Ibrahim". In his letter to the owner, he described the confirmation of that theory to be "very satisfying". Knowledge of this manuscript encouraged Cary Welch to revise his previous dating of the later paintings of Mirza Ali to the 1560s. In his 1981 catalogue of the collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, he ascribed two miniatures of courtly youths as the products of this period of artistic exile, dating them to the 1570s (Anthony Welch and Stuart Cary Welch, Arts of the Islamic Book, Ithaca, 1982, no.27). In her later cataloguing of the two paintings, Sheila Canby suggested that they may be even later, dating to circa 1580, after the prince returned from Qazvin, based on similarities with contemporaneous painting in the capital (Princes Poets and Paladins, London, 1998, no.39). A new chapter in the life of Mirza Ali, whose earlier life had included work on one of the most celebrated manuscripts ever produced, could now be written.

†33

A LARGE BLUE AND WHITE POTTERY DISH

SAFAVID KIRMAN, SOUTH EAST IRAN, 17TH CENTURY

The white ground painted in cobalt-blue, green, sepia and brick-red under the glaze, with a foliated lattice, a central green rosette issuing four rectangular floral panels, four cusped panels of similar decoration around the rim, between them petal-shaped panels of green and red floral decoration, the white ground with incised fish scale decoration, the reverse with abstract meandering vine decoration, the base with four Chinese-style characters, intact 15¿in. (38.5cm.) diam.

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,200-14,000

Dishes from Kirman in the second half of the 17th century are known for their use of Chinese blue and white motifs coupled with distinctively Persian polychrome slip painting. As Chinese pottery became increasingly popular, Kirman potters sought to replicate this success and profit from the growing industry.

Our dish is a perfect example of intermingling influences. The green and brick-red carnations are “reminiscent of Mughal pietra dura” (Lisa Golombek, Persian Pottery in the First Global Age, Boston, 2014, p. 104.) whereas the blue clustered flowers on an incised white ground is distinctively Chinese. The earliest dated example of this style is in the David Collection, Copenhagen (acc.no.10), dated AH 1084/1673-74 AD. This dish has the same colour palette and use of carnations.

A Kirman dish sharing these characteristics can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.91.1.92). Another closely related example was sold in these Rooms, 5 Oct 2012, lot 683. For an example of the incised white palmettes, see a dish in the Louvre, Paris (acc.no.AD 5216).

*34

A

DRAWING OF A YOUTH

SAFAVID IRAN, MID-16TH CENTURY

Ink heightened with gold on paper, 2ll. black nasta'liq above and below on marbled paper, reserved against gold illuminated cloudbands, in goldstencilled borders and gold and polychrome rules, the salmon-pink margins similarly stencilled with foliage and birds in gold, the reverse with old French auction label, mounted, framed and glazed

Painting 4Ω x 3¬in. (11.3 x 9.2cm.); folio 14¿ x 9ºin. (35.8 x 23.5)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

By repute Japanese private collection, 1979 From which acquired by the current owner

US$11,000-16,000

€9,200-14,000

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF ANDRÉ LHOTE •*35

JAMSHID SUBDUES THE DIVS

SAFAVID SHIRAZ, IRAN, CIRCA 1560-1580

An illustration from a Shahnama of Firdawsi, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, set within gold and blue rules, the buff margins plain, the verso with 25ll. black nasta'liq arranged in four columns, heading in red, set within gold and blue rules within plain buff paper margins, mounted, framed and glazed

Painting 8 x 5¿in. (20.2 x 12.9cm.); folio 12 x 7æin. (30.5 x 19.7cm.)

£3,000-5,000

PROVENANCE:

Pen and ink drawings of courtiers and other characters seen around Safavid Qazvin became popular from the 16th century, setting the groundwork for a genre that would greatly expand after the establishment of a new capital at Isfahan. One of the undisputed early masters of this art was Shaykh Muhammad, whose works include a youth in a fur hat in the Musée de Louvre, Paris (acc.no.OA7117) and a groom struggling with a camel in the Cleveland Museum of Art (acc. no.1944.489). Many of these drawings have the quality of sketches, including charming details such as the detailed - if slightly caricaturedfox in the upper corner of our work.

US$4,100-6,700

€3,500-5,700

Collection of André Lhote (d.1962), Paris, thence by descent to the present owner

André Lhote (1885-1962) was a French Cubist painter, writer and theorist. He trained in Bordeaux and moved to painting in Paris in 1905, but his greatest success came as an educator. He tought at various Paris art schools before he founded the Académie Montparnasse in 1922 and taught dozens of prominent artists including Henri CartierBresson and Lino Enea Spilimbergo. A Qajar oil painting also from the collection of André Lhote was sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2024, lot 83.

NO RESERVE

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VARIOUS PROPERTIES

θ36

SELECTED POEMS FROM THE HADIQA ALHAQIQAT

SIGNED SHAH MAHMUD NISHAPURI, PROBABLY MASHHAD, SAFAVID IRAN, MID 16TH CENTURY

Persian manuscript on paper, 39ff. plus four fly-leaves, each folio with 11ll. fine black nasta'liq arranged in two columns, headings in white nasta'liq on gold cartouches within blue illuminated panels, set within gold and polychrome rules, the margins dyed, some stencilled with gold scrolling arabesques, others painted with birds, vines and palmettes, the opening folio with illuminated headpiece, with two full-page colour illustrations heightened with gold, the colophon signed, in stamped black leather binding with flap, the doublures paper

Text panel 5√ x 3Ωin. (14.9 x 8.8cm.); folio 10¡ x 6√in. (26.5 x 17.6cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent From which acquired by the current owner

US$27,000-40,000

€23,000-34,000

This manuscript contains selected poems from the Hadiqa al-Haqiqat va Shari’at al-Tariqa (The Walled Garden of Truth) which belong to a corpus of mystic and Sufi poetry. This was composed by Sana’i Ghaznavi (d. between 1131 and 1141). Arabic verse techniques such as the qasida, ghazal, and mathnawi appear throughout this manuscript and Sana’i is credited with introducing these into the Persian literary tradition.

Shah Mahmud Nishapuri (d. 1581-82), also known as Zarrin Qalam (‘Golden Pen’), was born in Nishapur where he gained his nisba and where he is said to have studied under his uncle 'Abdi Nishapuri He then rose to success and became the royal calligrapher to Shah Tahmasp (d. 1574). He spent most of his life in Tabriz, only moving to Mashhad when Shah Tahmasp’s interest in the arts waned. During this time, he completed many commissions for the royal family and was respected as one of the greatest calligraphers of his time. Notably, he completed the Khamsa of Nizami for Shah Tahmasp which is now in The British Library, London (acc.no.Or.2265). His work was particularly appreciated for the refinement of the nasta’liq script (Norah Titley, Persian Miniature Painting, London, 1983, p.84).

In addition to the fine calligraphy, the margins of our manuscript are wonderfully detailed throughout. The gold stencilled decoration and polychrome medallions heighten the luxuriousness of this manuscript. The pairs of birds on the opening bifolio are picked out in blue and gold, paired birds were a common motif in Sufiism and are fitting here for the mystic Hadiqa al-Haqiqat. Furthermore, the illustrated folio tells an unusual but captivating story (Chapter 7, Poem 30, Hadiqa alHaqiqat) of an old man with a daughter named Mahsati and three cows. When the Angel of Death, Azrael, appears, instead of protecting his sick daughter, the old man begs Azrael to take her instead. The story finishes with a comic twist when it transpires that it is not the Angel of Death at all, but a cow with a pot stuck on its head. The choice to depict this scene injects a certain light-heartedness into the manuscript.

Another example of Shah Mahmud's calligraphy was sold in these Rooms, 7 October 2008, lot 315.

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θ37

A PRAYERBOOK INCLUDING THE MUNAJAT OF IMAM 'ALI

COPIED FOR MUSTAFA QULI KHAN QURCHI-BASHI, SIGNED AHMAD AL-NAYRIZI, DAR AL-SALTANA, SAFAVID ISFAHAN IRAN, DATED AH 1141/1728-9 AD

Arabic and Persian religious manuscript on paper, 150ff. plus one fly-leaf, each folio with 9ll. strong black naskh reserved against gold illuminated cloudbands, interlinear Persian translation in red nasta'liq, the headings in gold thuluth in illuminated panels, after f.86 each with 12ll. reserved against gold cloudbands without translation, set within blue and gold rules, headings in gold thuluth set within the text, the margins plain with naskh notes set diagonally within gold outer rules, catchwords, the opening bifolio with turquoise scalloped medallions containing 8ll. gold naskh, the following folio with illuminated headpiece, the lengthy colophon signed and dated, in lacquer binding signed Ali Ashraf, the doublures red lacquer

Text panel 6Ω x 3¡in.(16.5 x 8.7cm.); folio 8º x 4æin. (21.1 x 12.2cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 25 October 2018, lot 105

US$27,000-40,000

€23,000-34,000

This manuscript includes the Munajat-i Khams ‘Ashar (Fifteen Supplications) of Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin. In addition to the hadith of Imam ‘Ali, these munajat provide another form of doctrinal guidance for Shi’a Muslims. Included in this manuscript are other prayers including the Du‘a-i Mujir, the Du‘a-i Mashlul, the Du’a-i I‘tiqad, the Du‘a-i Ihtijab. These prayers range from warding off enemies to escaping from difficulties.

The colophon is signed at the end by Ahmad al-Nayrizi. Nayrizi undertook his calligraphic and religious training in Nayriz, from where he took his nisba, and went on to become a hugely successful calligrapher in the 18th century. He regularly undertook commissions for the royal family and has been credited with significantly developing the naskh script. This work is copied in AH 1141/1728-29 AD in the Dar alSaltana, Isfahan. Further dating this is the seal impression with the date AH 1173/1759-60 AD. A prayer book which shares similar gold and red illumination and red interlinear translations was sold in these Rooms, 16 Oct 2001, lot 44.

The final folio of our manuscript contains a dedication to Mustafa QuliKhan Qurchi-Bashi (Chief Guard). This would appear to be Mustafa Quli Khan Sa‘adlu, who was from the Qizilbash Sa‘dlu clan that played a prominent role throughout the Safavid period and seem to have had a particular association with the position of the Qurchi-Bashi, the head of the sultan’s personal guard. Mustafa Quli Khan was the Qurchi-Bashi under the last Safavid sultan, Shah Sultan Husayn (Ali Abolghasemi, ‘The Role and Status of the Sarukhan Sa’dloo Qurchi-Bashi Family in the Military and Administrative Structure of the Safavid State’, Journal of Historical Researches, 2025).

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θ38

QUR'AN

SIGNED HUSAYN AL-FAKHKHAR AL-SHIRAZI, SAFAVID SHIRAZ, IRAN, DATED RAJAB AH 965/APRIL-MAY 1558 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 258ff. each with 14ll. black naskh, red tajwid notation, gold rosette verse markers, set within gold and polychrome rules, the margins plain with illuminated medallions and thuluth notes to mark divisions, sura headings in white or gold thuluth set within gold or polychrome cartouches on blue illuminated panels, opening bifolio with 3ll. gold muhaqqaq in blue cartouches with extremely fine cobalt and gold illuminated and pricked margins and calligraphic panels above and below, framed with illuminated lappets, the following bifolio with illuminated headpiece and the text reserved against gold illuminated cloudbands, closing with dua's and a colophon signed and dated reserved against gold cloudbands, in Safavid gilt stamped black leather binding with flap, the gilt doublures with blue decoupé medallion and spandrels

Text panel 7æ x 4ºin. (19.7 x 10.7cm.); folio 11√ x 7¡in. (30.1 x 18.6cm.)

£120,000-180,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent From which acquired by the current owner

US$170,000-240,000

€140,000-210,000

The unusual and intricate frontispiece features the text of al-fatiha written in chrysography on six illuminated blue cartouches. This unusually sparse use of the written word leaves more space for illumination, and means that the following bifolio begins with the basmala of sura al-baqara. Repeated cartouches, uninscribed but similar in form to ours, appear in the panels above and below the text on a manuscript of Sa'di's Kulliyat which sold in these Rooms, 31 March 2022, lot 1, and was dated to AH 901/1496 AD. The same use of

cartouches can be seen in the frontispiece of a Qur'an in the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto (acc.no.AKM316), of very similar dimensions to the present lot.

The panels above and below feature a gold field - heightened by using a combination of different gold pigments - decorated with delicatelydrawn blue cloudbands. This is much more reminiscent of a Qur'an in the Khalili Collection, which Anthony Welch suggested may have been made for Shah Tahmasp, and seems to have later belonged to Shah Jahan (David James, After Timur, Oxford, 1992, no.43, p.172). A further similarity is the interlaced gold border, also lightly pricked to bring out the gold. The sura titles in polychrome cartouches later in the manuscript are an additional feature which indicate that this is a manuscript of exceptional quality.

Unusually for most Safavid Qur'ans from Shiraz, this manuscript is signed. The scribe, Husayn al-Fakhkhar al-Shirazi, is recorded by Qadi Ahmad as being related to the Atabaks of Fars (Calligraphers and Painters, A Treatise by Qadi Ahmad son of Mir-Munshi, translated by V. Minorsky, Washington 1959, p. 76 and Qazi Mir Ahmad Munshi Qomi, Golestan-e Honar, ed. by A. Soheyli-Khwansari, Tehran, 1352, p. 34). Other manuscripts by him include a copy of the Bahjat al-Manahij in the Gulistan Library, Tehran; a copy of the sayings of Imam Ali; two calligraphic folios in the Topkapi library; and a Qur'an in the Khalili Collection (James, op.cit., no.45, p.184). Additional manuscripts signed by him include a Qur'an offered Sotheby's London, 20 November 1986, lot 318, and a further copy of the sayings of Imam Ali, sold in these Rooms, 7 October 2008, lot 303. Of those, the Gulistan manuscript is dated 1545 and one of the books of the sayings of Imam Ali are dated to 1562-3, situating this manuscript within the period when he is known to have been active.

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A MARINE IVORY HILTED KARD (DAGGER) IN THE NAME OF SHAH SULEYMAN (R. 1666-94)

SAFAVID IRAN, SECOND HALF 17TH CENTURY

The single-edged watered steel blade with a reinforced tip, both sides of the forte chiselled with split palmette arabesques containing inscriptions against a gold-inlaid ground, further chiselled and gold-inlaid decoration on the spine which extends into the hilt, the marine ivory grips inscribed with metal khatamkari, leather scabbard with silver chape 15æin. (40cm.) long

£25,000-35,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon sale, Bonhams, London, 28 April 2005, lot 502

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$34,000-47,000

€29,000-40,000

On the hilt, 'in the name of Sultan of the World, Shah Suleyman Safavi'

On the blade, Qur'an III, sura al-'Imran, v.126 (part), Qur'an XI, sura hud, v. 88 (part), Qur'an LXI, sura al-saf, v.13 (part), and further invocations

The hilt of this large kard is in the name of Shah Suleyman Safavi (r. 1666-94). The beginning of his reign is notable for his having two coronations, after the first occurred at an inauspicious time. This unusual occurrence is recorded by the French traveller John Chardin, who had been granted privileged access to the Safavid court by Sulayman's predecessor Shah 'Abbas II (J. Chardin, Le Couronnement de Soleïmaan Troisiéme, Roy de Perse, Tehran, 1976).

The present lot relates to a small group of particularly finely decorated and large kards made with watered steel. The earliest securely dated kard of this type is from the Tanavoli collection and dated 1024 AH/1615-16 AD (James Allan and Brian Gilmour, Persian Steel: The Tanavoli Collection, Oxford, 2000, no.A10, p.153). Other similar examples are in Louvre, Paris (inv.no. R901), the Nasser D. Khalili Collection (David Alexander, The Arts of War: Arms and Armour of the 7th to 19th century, Oxford, no.83, p.142) and one other belongs to a private German collection (Claud-Peter Haase et al., Oriental Splendor, Islamic Art from German Private Collections, Hamburg, 1993, no.139).

FOUR LARGE ILLUSTRATED SHAHNAMA FOLIOS

QAJAR IRAN, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, each illustrated with elaborate combat scenes extending out of the text panel and into the margins above and below, three enclosing columns of black nasta'liq script, set within gold rules, the verso of each with 29ll. black nasta'liq arranged in four columns, section headings in red, set within gold rules with additional colouring in green, blue, and red pigments, the margins plain, catchwords

Each text panel 11º x 6¡in. (28.6 x 16.1cm.); painting 18¬ x 10¡in. (47.4 x 26.3cm.); folio 20 x 11Ωin. (50.7 x 29.1cm.) (4)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

Acquired from London trade, 1999

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

Completed in the Qajar period, just before the introduction of the lithograph, these four Shahnama folios represent renewed vigour and energy committed to the tradition of manuscript illustration. The Shahnama illustrations here were not purely to continue the long tradition of pre-Islamic Persian kings and to solidify the Qajar royal family’s place in society but to express “the dynasty’s evolving concepts of ideal Persian kingship” (Hyunjin Cho, Illustrated Manuscripts and Lithographic Books in Dialogue: Firdawsi’s Shahnama in NineteenthCentury Iran, Boston, 2023). Cho makes particular note of the frequency of vibrant battle scenes in the 18th and 19th century. This can be seen with ours and in a closely related example in the British Library, London (acc.no. IO Islamic 3442). Two similar folios were sold in these Rooms, 11 April 2014, lot 187.

(Part lot)

θ41

A LARGE QUR'AN

THE TEXT COPIED BY IBRAHIM AL-QUMMI, SAFAVID IRAN, AH 1130/17178 AD, ILLUMINATED BY MUHAMMAD ALI, QAJAR IRAN, RAMADAN AH 1264/AUGUST 1848 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 262ff. each with 14ll. black naskh reserved against gold cloudbands with rules above and below, red tajwid notation, gold and polychrome rosette verse markers, set within gold and polychrome rules, the margins plain with elaborate illuminated and pricked marginal devices to mark divisions, outer rules with gold stencilled framing, gold illuminated catchwords, sura titles in gold thuluth on illuminated panels, the opening bifolio with two gold roundels containing 7ll. white naskh with pendants above and below, the following bifolio with 5ll. reserved against gold cloudbands with illuminated margins and calligraphic cartouches above and below, the closing folio with lengthy colophon in gold thuluth in large blue roundels on a gold stencilled ground, in Qajar lacquer binding, the doublures signed Sa'id ibn Muhammad and Ibrahim al-Qumi and dated AH 1130

Text panel 12¿ x 6√in. (30.9 x 17.5cm.); folio 16¬ x 10√in. (42.2 x 27.5cm.)

£30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent From which acquired by the current owner

US$41,000-54,000

€35,000-46,000

This impressive Qur'an HAS A NUMBER OF DOCUMNETARY INSCRIPTIONS by internal evidence, giving a sense of its long history. The text in the blue roundel at the end of the mushaf states that the the Qur'an entered the collection of the Governor of Fars in Ramadan AH 1264, and that it lacked sura headings and annotation at that time. The back cover however bears the name of Ibrahim al-Qummi, and the date AH 1130/1717-8 AD, presumably a reference to the copying of the text. Al-Qummi was a prominent late Safavid calligrapher of the reigns of Shahs Sulayman and Sultan Husayn Bayani records works

by him dated between AH 1098/1686-7 AD and Rabi‘ II AH 1118/1706 AD (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. I, Tehran 1345 sh, pp.295-304, vol.II, 1346, pp. 305-7). He was also the teacher of the iconic late Safavid calligrapher Ahmad Nayrizi (see lot 37). Like Nayrizi, al-Qummi was particularly renowned for his naskh, which enhanced the legibility of late Safavid Qur'an manuscripts. This manuscript is also notable for its large size: though Qajar Qur'ans on this scale were produced in reasonable numbers, fewer survive from the late Safavid period. The reputation of the calligrapher and the impressive scale of the manuscript may account for why the manuscript was preserved, although it was unilluminated.

The colophon adds that illumination and sura headings were added by Muhammad Ali at the behest of a certain Mirza Abd al-Wahhab. The lacquer binding is signed by a certain Sa'id ibn Muhammad to the front cover. The governor for whom this was done was Muhammad Husayn Khan Muqaddam Maragha'i Nizam al-Dawla (d.1866/7). He had taken on the post in AH 1260/1844 AD, following years as the Governor of Yazd and before that in various diplomatic and military roles, including that of ajudant-en-chef (Adjudan-basi). His tenure as Governor was marked by an ambitious project to divert the waters of the Sespir river to Shiraz, as well as a rivalry with Amir Kabir. After the outbreak of disturbances in Shiraz, Amir Kabir dismissed Husayn Khan from his post (H. Mahbubi Ardakani, "Hosayn Khan Ajudan-Basi", Encylocopaedia Iranica, 2013).

The illumination of this manuscript, with a large amount of plain gold in the frontispiece, is similar to another Qur'an which sold in these Rooms, 1 May 2025, lot 54. Like our manuscript, it was a Safavid text - signed by al-Qummi's pupil, Ahmad Nayrizi - which was illuminated between 1868 and 1870 for an important dignitary, in that case Hamza Mirza Hishmat al-Dawla. Another Ahmad Nazrizi Qur'an with Safavid illumination sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2009, lot 134.

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θ42

QUR'AN

THE TEXT TURKMAN IRAN, DATED RAJAB AH 899/APRIL-MAY 1494 AD; THE MARGINAL TEXT COPIED BY 'ABD AL-HUSAYN IBN MUHAMMAD, QAJAR IRAN, DATED AH 1273/1856-7 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 331ff. plus four fly-leaves, each folio with 13ll. black naskh, red tajwid notation, gold rosette verse markers, the word Allah and the bismillah picked out in gold, alternating lines written in gold for the first three pages of sura Maryam, sura titles in gold thuluth, set within gold and polychrome rules, the margins with Qajar illuminated pendants in upper corners and medallions to mark divisions, each new sura with brief exegesis in black nasta'liq reserved against gold cartouche, catchwords, the opening bifolio with 7ll. black naskh and the bismillah in gold within Qajar illuminated headpieces and margins, the colophon dated, closing with falnama in Ottoman Turkish, in modern gilt black leather binding, the doublures red leather Text panel 5¿ x 3in. (13 x 7.5cm.); folio 7¬ x 4Ωin. (19.5 x 11.5cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent From which acquired by the current owner

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

The end of the text is followed by two versified Falnamas, the first in Ottoman Turkish, the second in Persian. The Turkish Falnama appears to be the same one or at least contains some of the same verses, as a Falnama found at the end of a copy of the Qur’an containing Muhammad bin Hamza’s early 15th century Turkish translation of the Qur’an, though the editor of the printed edition of the that text believes the Falnama was added later (Mehmet Selim Ayday, ‘Fortune-telling, Qur’anic Fortune-Telling and the Approaches of the Commentators to the Subject’, Journal of Kocatepe Islamic Sciences, 5/2, December 2022, pp. 587-588). The presence of a Turkish and Persian falnama in tandem is highly unusual, but evokes the linguistically complex world of late Turkman Iran.

The text of this Qur'an, refurbished in the 19th century, was copied in the late Turkman period. The naskhi script, gold thuluth sura headings, and compact size of the manuscript are often seen in manuscripts attributed to the great Abbasid scribe, Ya'qut al-Musta'simi. Codicologically, there are resemblances between this and a Qur'an manuscript in the Khalili Collection, cautiously attributed by David James to Iran or Iraq, between 1250 and 1450 AD (The Master Scribes, Oxford, 1992, no.12). Our manuscript has no such scribal attribution, and there is no reason to doubt the date given in the colophon, given the overall consistency of the paper with other manuscripts from the 15th century.

The manuscript has subsequently been renovated on at least two occasions. The paper used for the margins is likely to be 18th century in date, possibly from the late Safavid period. Illumination was then added in a typically Qajar style: the marginal illumination on the frontispiece somewhat resembles that on a Qur'an dated to AH 1317/1899 AD in the Khalili collection (Manijeh Bayani, The Decorated Word, volume II, Oxford, 2009, p.152). Other renovated Qur'ans from this period include one with an added Ya'qut colophon and Safavid illumination which sold in these Rooms, 27 April 2023, lot 39. Another manuscript that sold Sotheby's London, 1 May 2019, lot 32 also had Qajar illumination around a text copied in Timurid Samarqand and dated to AH 885/1480 AD.

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†43

TWO ANGELS

OTTOMAN EMPIRE, 16TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, one line of black Turkish nasta'liq above and 3ll. below, within gold and polychrome rules, the margins plain, verso with 11ll. black, gold and blue nasta'liq, inventory sticker and inscriptions to upper right margin, mounted, framed and glazed

Painting 4¡ x 3ºin. (11 x 8.1cm.); text panel 5æ x 3ºin. (15 x 8.1cm.); folio 8√ x 5æin. (22.5 x 14.5cm.)

£6,000-8,000

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

This illustration, which shows the angel Israfil with another unidentified angel, is very similar to another depicting an angel sounding a trumpet on the Day of Judgement in the Harvard Art Museums (Obj. no. 1956.196). Both folios are probably from the same manuscript which could be the Ahval-i Kiyamet. The text, which concerns the end of the world and subsequent events, was popular in the Ottoman domains in the late 16th and 17th centuries.

θ44

A BOOK OF POETRY

OTTOMAN TURKEY, EARLY 16TH CENTURY

Poetry attributed to Kalami, Nesimi and Sultan Hasan, Ottoman Turkish manuscript on paper, 31ff. plus two flyleaves, each with 4ll. black nasta'liq of which the top 3ll. set diagonally and the last line straight, each f. with cartouche of gold thuluth at the top of the page with the name of the poet, set within gold rules and lightly illuminated, the margins plain, catchwords, the opening folio with illuminated roundel containing 5ll. white nasta'liq with illuminated spandrels, in contemporaneous gilt-tooled binding, the doublures marbled paper Text panel 4 x 2¡in. (10.2 x 6cm.); folio 6¬ x 4Ωin. (16.8 x 11.3cm.)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 7 April 2011, lot 298

This miniature anthology contains verses from various writers, identifying the authors in the cartouches at the upper end of each page as Kelami, Nesimi, and Sultan Hasan. It is a somewhat eclectic selection: Kelami likely refers to the 16th century Bektashi poet, while Nesimi is remembered as one of the great writers of Turkic poetry. The poems have a slight Shi'i valence, and after the names of each poet is a brief invocation to God, of the sort which generally follows the names of rulers. On the opening folio is a roundel of the sort that often indicates a manuscript to have come from a royal library, though unfortunately the right-hand page which would contain the name of the sultan is missing. The style of the roundel is somewhat similar to that on a copy of the Miftah abwab al-Sa'adat sold Bonham's London, 10 April 2008, lot 28, which was dedicated to Bayezid II (r.1481-1512) and dated AH 913/1507-8 AD.

A small poetic anthology, also written in nasta'liq set at angles and illuminated throughout, was sold Sotheby's London, 6 October 2010, lot 42.

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AN ILLUMINATED AND ILLUSTRATED BIFOLIO FROM THE QISAS AL-ANBIYA

OTTOMAN TURKEY, SECOND HALF 16TH CENTURY

Persian manuscript on paper, the recto with 6ll. of black nasta'liq reserved against gold cloudbands, within a gold illuminated panel with calligraphic cartouches above and below, set within gold and polychrome rules, with a blue and gold illuminated edging around the rules with illuminated pendant, the outer margins stencilled in gold, the verso with 10ll. of black nasta'liq reserved against gold cloudbands with a calligraphic cartouche above set with illuminated headpiece, the margins with polychrome stippled birds, with full page miniature in opaque pigments heightened with gold, set within gold and polychrome rules, illuminated in the same style as the recto, in modern cloth presentation case

Recto text panel 3æ x 3ºin. (9.4 x 8cm.); verso text panel 5¡ x 4¬in. (13.6 x 11.7cm.); miniature 8 x 5¿in. (20.4 x 13cm.); bifolio 13¡ x 16æin. (34.1 x 42.6cm.)

£5,000-7,000

PROVENANCE:

US$6,800-9,400

€5,800-8,000

Anon. sale, Christie's South Kensington, 12 October 2000, lot 242

With Sam Fogg, London, June 2001

The Schøyen Collection, MS 4600.

This bifolio comes a manuscript titled Qisas al-Anbiya or ‘Stories of the Prophet’. This collection of narratives focuses on the lives of Islamic prophets, most of whom are biblical. The miniature painting on the verso has not been identified but it could be Yusuf on the road to reunite with his father Yaqub.

A manuscript with the same unusual polychrome stippled designs and identical rules are published in Stories of the Prophet (Rachel Milstein, Karin Rührdanz and Barbara Schmitz, Stories of the Prophet, Costa Mesa, 1999). This manuscript is in the Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul (acc. no.H.1228) and Milstein mentions that it is missing the first folios and likely an illustrated folio from between fols. 59 and 60. It seems likely that our bifolio comes from the same manuscript.

Although written in Persian, the majority of these texts were copied and illustrated in Ottoman Turkey by a group of unknown painters. We can use Milstein’s analysis of 21 copies of three different texts titled Qisas al-Anbiya to confidently locate this as having been copied between 1570 and 1580.

Another example with closely related illuminated margins, text and miniatures can be found in the Harvard Art Museum, Massachusetts (acc. no.1985.275).

(recto)

(verso)

A LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE IZNIK TANKARD

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

*46

A LARGE IZNIK POTTERY TANKARD

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1580

The white ground painted under the glaze with bole-red, cobalt-blue, green, and black, with a design of cusped palmettes of blue or green 'fish-scale' design with white split palmettes, a register of white cusping above and below, the square handle decorated with blue stripes and set into the side, the interior plain, the base plain, intact 8in. (20.4cm.) high

£60,000-80,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, France, early 1990s

US$81,000-110,000

€69,000-92,000

The fish-scale design on Iznik pottery seems to be connected with pottery traditions in Western Europe and the Far East. Similar fishscale appears on the body of a mythical beast on a Yuan-dynasty plate in the Topkapi Palace Museum (Morris Rossabi, Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire, Washington D.C., 2009, fig.30.8, p.228). Similar decoration also appears around the rim of Italian majolica dishes from the mid-16th century (Frédéric Hitzel and Mireille Jacotin, Iznik: l'aventure d'une collection, Paris, 2005, p.71). Among the earliest-documented uses of the 'fish scale' design in Iznik pottery is, rather aptly, on a jug in the shape of a fish in the Benaki Museum, Athens, dating from around 1525 (inv.no.10, Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, Iznik, the Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, London, 1989, no.451, pl.124, p.106). The decoration, however, soon became abstracted and was applied to all manner of vessels in order to lend texture to a monochrome ground: it was used on Damascus ware in the 1540s, such as a remarkable dish in the Musée de la Renaissance, Chateau d'Ecouen (inv.no.Cl.9419, Hitzel and Jacotin, op.cit., no.49).

With the introduction of bole-red into Iznik pottery, the design reached its mature form. Most commonly, fields of blue and green interlocking scales were divided by red and white saz leaves or split palmettes. Particularly closely comparable to this tankard for the drawing of those palmettes is a dish which sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2011. The additional palmettes in each oval, shaped on our example like inverted hearts, are similar to a ewer with an entirely green field which sold Bonhams London, 29 April 2004, lot 194. Very similar in decoration is an unusual lidded bowl in the Koç collection (Hülya Bilgi, The Ömer Koç Iznik Collection, Istanbul, 2015, no.139).

The cylindrical tankard seems to have originated in Ottoman ceramics in the early 16th century: the Diwan i-Slimi of 1515-20 includes a drawing of one, apparently being used as a flowerpot (Atasoy and Raby, op.cit., p.47). Few tankard forms with the fish-scale design are known although another tankard with tulips separating the colour fields sold Sotheby’s London, 24 April 2013, lot 243.

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θ47

MEHMED CAMIZADE KNOWN AS KELAMI-I RUMI: VEKAYI-I 'ALI PASHA

(EVENTS OF 'ALI PASHA)

OTTOMAN TURKEY, 17TH CENTURY

Biography of Yavuz Ali Pasha, prose and verse, Ottoman manuscript on light burnished paper, 144ff., plus 5 fly-leaves, each folio with 18ll. neat black diwani arranged in one and two columns, key words, punctuation and headings in red ink, gold sprinkled text panel within gold and black rules, catchwords, f.2v with gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece, f.77r with colophon in red ink marked by red string thumbpiece on f.76, f.1r with preface in triangular text panel, red morocco binding with gilt stamped cusped arabesque medallions on the covers and flap

Text panel 7¿ x 4¡in. (18 x 11cm.); folio 11Ω x 7Ωin. (29.2 x 19.8cm.)

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

US$17,000-24,000

€14,000-21,000

With Rudolf Dvořák (d.1920), Czechoslovakia, per handwritten inscription on the opening flyleaf

The text of this manuscript gives an account of the period when Yavuz Ali Pasha was Governor of Egypt, between 1601 and 1603. Though his period of rule was short, it was eventful: it was largely dominated by a devestating famine, which he sought to remedy by punishing grain hoarders, as well as encouraging the people of Egypt to take part in a collective prayer for rain, the preparations for which are explained in detail (Bilal Güzel, "Traces of social life in Katibi's Nuzhet ul-Cenan work", Turkish studies - language and literature, 15(1), p.142). It also includes descriptions of important places in Egypt, including the pyramids. Finally, it is interspersed with verses praising Ali Pasha written by fifty-five poets, including many statesmen and soliders not otherwise recorded as poets. The main author, however, was the poet Camizade, also known as Kelami-i Rumi, who was Ali Pasha's clerk in

Egypt. When his governorate came to an end, Yavuz Ali Pasha returned to Constantinople in order to become Grand Vizier on the 16 October 1603. He died only a year later while travelling to take control of the Ottoman army in the Balkans. His armour-piercing axe is preserved in the Hisart Canli Tarih Müzesi, Istanbul.

Four other copies of this text are known. There is an illustrated copy in the Suleymaniye library, Istanbul (acc.no.612), as well as two copies in the National Library of Egypt, Cairo (acc.nos.5527 and 55784). A final copy in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris (acc.no.Turc 77) is copied in a similar divani script to the present lot, more commonly associated with firmans than luxury manuscript like this one. A similar script, also with titles picked out in red, was used to copy the works of another Grand Vizier, Lutfi Pasha, for a manuscript which sold Sotheby's London, 20 April 2016, lot 32. A critical edition of the text of our manuscript was published by Soner Demirsoy, Vekay-i Ali Pasa, Istanbul, 2012.

A note on the fly-leaf indicates that this manuscript was formerly in the collection of the Czech orientalist Rudolf Dvořák (1860-1920). Following the opening of the Czech University in 1882, Dvořák became a professor of oriental languages. A remarkable linguist, he was proficient in Chinese as well as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, old Ethiopic, and Hebrew. He also established the fields of Assyriology and Egyptology at the Czech university. His academic drive was partly motivated by the desire to promote Czech academia on the world stage, and ultimately hoped to see his country freed from the domination of the Habsburgs in Vienna. His life was celebrated by an exhibition at the Clementium, Prague, 10 November 2021 - 8 January 2022, and is further explored in Olga Lomova et al., Ex oriente lux, Prague, 2020.

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θ48

AN OTTOMAN ANTHOLOGY

SIGNED MUSTAFA IBN ABD AL-RAHMAN, OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED MONDAY 9 RABI' II AH 985/25 JUNE 1577 AD

Autograph copy, Ottoman Turkish manuscript on gold-speckled paper occasionally dyed pink or yellow, 28ff. plus 10 fly-leaves, each folio with 9ll. strong black nasta'liq, section headings, Qur'anic quotations and certain names in gold, vocalisation mostly in red, set within thick gold and blue borders, the margins plain, catchwords, the opening folio with gold illuminated headpiece, the colophon signed and dated, in contemporaneous gilt-tooled Ottoman binding with flap, the doublures red leather

Text panel 7¡ x 3¿in. (18.8 x 8cm.); folio 9æ x 6ºin. (24.6 x 15.8cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$27,000-40,000

€23,000-34,000

Constantino del Franco (1899-1968), Naples, acquired 1940s-50s

Thence by descent

The genre of 'advice literature' was popular in the 16th century Islamic world, giving readers recommendations on how to be a good ruler, minister, or Muslim. The author of this work identifies it as a translation of the Pand-nama of Khwaja 'Abdullah al-Ansari, the Afghan polymath of the 11th century. The text also includes a second text entitled the Tuhfat al-Wuzara', for which no author is given. The popularity of the genre meant that such texts were common, often associated with the great authorities of the past to lend them weight. The text is given the title Tuhfat al-Salatin (a Gift for Sultans) and signed by Mustafa ibn Abd al-Rahman, who also identifies himself as the translator and - presumably - editor. This would make this an autograph copy of unusual quality, doubtless intended for presentation. Indeed, the

lengthy dedication to Sultan Murad III (r.1574-95), whose name appears highlighted in gold throughout, may indicate that this manuscript was a gift for a sultan in more than name only. A further manuscript signed by the same scribe, and also written in a strong nasta'liq, was sold Sotheby's London, 24 April 2013, lot 28.

The quality of the calligraphy throughout this manuscript is exceptional, more typical of single-page calligraphic compositions than full manuscripts. The effect is enhanced with the use of dyed paper, gold speckling, and extensive chrysography, as well as a beautifully gilt-tooled binding. Particularly distinctive is the broad qalam used throughout this manuscript, giving rise to a more muscular script that distinguishes it from Safavid manuscripts. Other high-quality Ottoman manuscripts in nasta'liq include a copy of al-durra al-yatima fi al-mada'ih al-karima which sold in these Rooms, 26 April 2018, lot 193, and another anthology which sold 12 October 2004, lot 198. That manuscript also had 10 lines of nasta'liq to the page, as well as erased seal impressions suggesting it had been in the royal library, as well as a binding similar to ours. This would strengthen the suggestion that this manuscript was of a quality to be presented to the sultan.

This manuscript was part of the collection of Costantino del Franco (1899-1968), a renowned bibliophile living in the South of Italy. As well as being an extensive collector, he ran the publishing house Philobiblion, dedicated to disseminating knowledge about antiquarian books to Italian enthusiasts. Philobiblion's luxurious books exemplify the great Italian typographical and publishing tradition of the 20th century.

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†49

AN IZNIK POTTERY BORDER TILE

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1575

The bole-red ground decorated with white and cobalt-blue interlacing scrolling palmettes with green accents and black outline, thin turquoise border at top and bottom 6¿ x 6√in. (15.4 x 17.2cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

By repute, gifted to Michael Archer (d. 2022) by the widow of Arthur Lane by 1965, Thence by descent until 2024

Border tiles of this style became popular in Istanbul in the second half of the 16th century. They were used in the Has Oda (Privy Chamber) of Murad III at the Topkapi Saray Palace and in its large domed antechamber which dates to 1578 (J.M. Rogers (ed.), The Topkapi Saray Museum, Architecture, Boston, 1988, pl.64). Similar tiles are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and in the Gulbenkian Collection (Türkische Kunst und Kultur aus osmanischer Zeit, exhibition catalogue, Frankfurt, 1985, vol.2, no, p.176). Another tile of this design is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, bequest of Edwin Binney 3rd and another is in the David Collection, Copenhagen (Kjeld von Folsach, Art from the World of Islam, Copenhagen, 2001, no.266, p.189). A similar tile was sold in these Rooms as part of the Theodore Sehmer Collection, 27 April 2004, lot 212, and another, more recently, 25 April 2024, lot 141.

Michael Archer OBE grew up in India as the son of William and Mildred Archer. He became assistant keeper of ceramics at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1963 and retired as keeper and senior research fellow in 1996. Archer oversaw many of the most important acquisitions of ceramics and glass to the Museum's collection in the second half of the 20th century. Arthur Lane (d.1963) was Keeper of ceramics at the museum until 1963, when Archer joined.

†50

AN IZNIK POTTERY TILE

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1565

The white ground painted under the glaze with cobalt-blue, bole-red, green and turquoise with a lattice of palmettes and saz leaves, the borders of scrolling interlaced split palmettes forming alternating turquoise and red medallions

10º x 10in. (26.2 x 25cm.)

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

US$17,000-24,000

€14,000-21,000

Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 12 October 2005, lot 15

Aso O. Tavitian (d. 2020), New York

Aso Tavitian was an American entrepreneur, collector and philanthropist. His legacy will continue with the transformative gifts made to major American institutions but most notably the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown to which over three hundred works were donated after his death. A true connoisseur as well as collector, his tastes extended across Old Master Paintings, sculpture, furniture and decorative arts. It is perhaps little surprise that this tile, with its crisp design and pleasing symmetry, would appeal. A tile of almost identical design was sold in these Rooms, 7 April 2011, lot 322.

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A HEXAGONAL TILE WITH CINTAMANI MOTIF

OTTOMAN SYRIA, 16TH CENTURY

The turquoise ground painted black under the glaze with offset rows of triple cintamani medallions alternating with double tiger stripe motif, the reverse plain, intact

11æ x 10Ωin. (29.5 x 26.5cm.)

£30,000-50,000

PROVENANCE: London art market, 1999

US$41,000-67,000

€35,000-57,000

Tiles of the same design as that offered here are in museum collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, which has a panel of 11 tiles, acc.no.908 to F.1894 and 894.1897. Other single tiles are in the British Museum (OA.10676), the Louvre, Paris (MAO 311c), the Brooklyn Museum, New York (acc.no.86.227.194), the Sadberk Hanim Museum, Istanbul and the David Collection, Copenhagen (28/1962). An example of a tile of the same design to that found here but with the cintamani picked out in cobalt and turquoise-blue with green highlights is in the Potteries Museum, Stoke on Trent (published Arthur Millner, Damascus Tiles, London, 2015, fig.6.91, p.282. It is not known which building tiles of this pattern originally came from - the only substantial group of Ottoman hexagonal tiles still remaining in situ in Damascus are to be found in the prayer hall and courtyard of the Darwishiyya Mosque (1575), but these are not of the same design. Tiles from the same series have recently sold at auction – see Rosebery’s 28 October 2022, lot 85 or Olympia Auctions, 5 June 2024, lot 129.

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AN EARLY GILT ASTRONOMICAL VERGE CLOCK MADE IN ISTANBUL

AN EARLY GILT OVAL ASTRONOMICAL VERGE WATCH

GALATA, ISTANBUL, OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1670-80

Gilt-finished and unsigned gut and fusée verge movement, finely chased, engraved and pierced silver floral decoration applied to the top plate, similarly decorated balance cock, steel two-armed pre-hairspring balance wheel, pierced Egyptian pillars, gilt dial with applied chased, engraved and pierced floral and foliage decoration, three subsidiary dials with Turkish numerals on gilt chapter rings indicating phases of the moon combined with a lunar calendar, date and hours, four apertures with astronomical observations in Arabic, the oval case with finely chased and engraved floral decoration, turned finial, ring pendant, key-hole on back with hatch Case 2¬ x 2ºin. (6.7 x 5.8cm.)

£30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE:

US$41,000-54,000

€35,000-46,000

Anon. sale, Christie's Geneva, 16 May 2005, lot 48 "The Gentleman's Collection: Complicated Pocketwatches Covering Four Centuries," sold Christie's New York, 14 December, 2010, lot 49.

The Ottoman love affair with watches and clocks reportedly began in 1531, when Suleyman I was given a watch set in a gold ring by the Italian watchmaker Giorgio da Capobianco. At this time, watchmaking in Europe was still in its infancy, no more than a century old. Over the next decades watches and clocks made their way to Istanbul through trade, or through the exchange of tribute: in 1548, in addition to a number of clocks, Emperor Charles V sent to Istanbul a number of Augsburg clockmakers to keep them running. They were enthusiastically received at court: Murad III's astrologer Taki al-Din wrote a treatise which described in detail the workings of mechanical clocks, which was read with interest by budding Turkish clockmakers (Clare Vincent and Jan Hendrik Leopold, European Clocks and Watches in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2015, p.212).

By the 17th century, a community of watchmakers had settled in Galata, the European quarter of Istanbul. Though they originally focused on repairs to imported watches, slowly they began to import and sell them. In 1632, an order was sent to the Swiss watchmaker Antoine Arlaud for a large number of watches and clocks, including six with lunar movements. The order was specific that these were to be luxurious pieces: 'the cases must be of silver, the dials and the plates supporting the movement are to be engraved, and the movements themselves are to be completely finished and gilt'. Eventually, by 1652 we read of a certain Barrachin who made watch movements on the ground in Istanbul, charging ten ecus for a plain movement and 12 for a gilt one (Otto Kurz, European clocks and watches in the Near East, Leiden, 1975, p.55). On our watch, the mechanism was probably imported from Switzerland but it seems likely that the dials with Arabic inscriptions were made locally. By the late 17th century, it seems that watchmakers in Galata were manufacturing their watches using a combination of locally-made and imported parts.

A small number of oval verge watches attributable to Galata workshops survive, varying in their levels of intricacy. Perhaps the one most similar to the present lot is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc.no.136-1907). It is similar in size, also with a chased gilt case and scrolling vegetal work on the silver face, although on that watched engraved into the surface rather than added with silver openwork. It has two dials, the upper giving the days of the lunar month on a dial numbered between 1 and 29, the lower with the 12 hours of the day in both Roman and eastern Arabic numerals. To either side are apertures for wheels displaying both the seven days of the week and the 12 months of the Arabic calendar. The Arabic inscriptions on the wheels of that watch are strikingly similar in style to those on the present lot. Inside the dial with the days of the month is a rotating disc to show the waxing and waning of the moon. The movement is engraved, like ours, but unlike ours it is signed by the maker, bearing a name which has been read as Jean Pattru. A watch with an undecorated face and a silver case, but of similar size and with the same layout of dials as the Victoria and Albert watch, is in the British Museum, London (acc. no.1888,1201.174). The movement on that watch is signed Dunant in Arabic, and identifies the place of manufacture as Galata. Also similar in form and decoration is an unsigned single-dial watch in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.17.190.1560).

Our watch is a particularly unusual example because of the third dial. As well as the 29 days of the lunar month on one side, a second dial has 30 days, corresponding with the solar month. For a watch of a similar level of complexity, one must look to a sophisticated pocket watch in the collection of Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, attributed to the Genevois watchmaking brothers Jean-Pierre and Pierre Huard (acc. no.2787). Though that watch has Latin inscriptions and numbers in a combination of Roman and Western Arabic numerals, in many regards it is akin to our watch: the circle giving the phases of the moon appears almost identical, and the small florets between numbers on the 'hours' dial appear as on ours. Comparison with the Waddesdon watch suggests that the movement on ours was indeed made in Switzerland, and was probably exported in pieces so that the dials could be engraved locally in Arabic. It underscores the fact that Galata watches were not crude imitations of European watches, but could be every bit as complex as the finest European work.

53 A SILK AND METAL-THREAD TEXTILE PANEL (KEMHA)

OTTOMAN TURKEY, 17TH CENTURY

The red lampas ground decorated with gold-metal wrapped silk wefts, additional detailing in blue, white and green, a repeated ogival lattice enclosing palmettes of carnations between large saz leaves, encircled by flowerheads, assembled from fragments 42Ω x 12in. (107.8 x 30.4cm.)

£7,000-10,000

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

The intricate design of this kemha includes many of the decorative elements familiar from other media: particularly striking are the electric-blue cloudbands in the ogival lattice. A red-ground example with an identical pattern to the present lot is in the collection of the Metropolitan Musuem of Art, New York (acc.no.12.49.7). The same design was also executed on a green ground, as with an example in the Musée Historique des Tissus, Lyons (acc.no.29.186). They belong to a group of kemhas with very similar lattice designs, indicating that patterns were frequently copied with slight variations (Nurhan Atasoy et al., Ipek: the Crescent and the Rose, London, 2001, p.213). A further example with this exact pattern was sold Sotheby's London, 6 October 2010, lot 328.

*54

AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1585

The white ground decorated under the glaze with cobalt-blue, bole-red, green and black, the central roundel with a plant growing out of the lower edge into stems of hyacinth, carnation, plum-blossom, and tulip enclosed by a thin black line, the cavetto plain, the rim decorated with half flowerheads, the exterior with a band of alternating green flowerheads and black cloud motifs, the base and rim pierced with a string passed through the foot for display purposes, intact

10æin. (27.4cm.) diam.

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$27,000-40,000

€23,000-34,000

By repute, from an important Private European family, before 1980

The shallow dish (sahan) with a flanged rim is a shape that emerges in Iznik pottery circa 1570 (Atasoy and Raby, Iznik, The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, London, 1989, p.38 and p.44). A dish of this form with comparable decoration is Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt (inv.no. 622; illustrated op.cit., fig.723). Another dish of this form with similar floral spray design was sold in these Rooms, 26 April 2005, lot 22.

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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE AUSTRIAN COLLECTOR

*55

AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1580

The white ground painted under the glaze with bole-red, cobalt-blue, green and black, the interior with a symmetrical arrangement of large saz leaves with a carnation on each side issuing around a vase holding a floral spray of tulips and rosettes, the rim with a band of overlapping cusped flowerheads, the exterior with alternating trefoil and cintamani medallions, drill hole to foot and rim, collection and auction stickers to the base 12ºin. (31.2cm.) diam.

£30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE:

US$41,000-54,000

€35,000-46,000

Collection A. Imbert, Rome, no.25.R.V (per label on the base)

Lagonico Collection, Jean Lagonico no.25, thence by descent until sold Sotheby's, Monaco, 7 December 1991, lot 40 Private Collection, Austria

The upper part of the design on this dish features a plant pot flanked by diagonally-set saz leaves. It is similar in conception to that on the tiles in the 'imperial recess' of the Selimiye mosque in Edirne, allowing them to be dated to around 1572 (Walter B. Denny, Iznik: the Artistry of Ottoman Ceramics, London, 2004, p.101). The design is also found on dishes, where it was often accompanied by floral sprays to either side of the saz leaves. On this example, the long finely-drawn carnation plants are drawn having snapped in the middle, associating our dish with a group all featuring the same distinctive broken stem (Frédéric Hitzel and Mireille Jacotin, Iznik: l'aventure d'une collection, Paris, 2005, p.177). A dish with the same overlapping flowerhead border and a similar field design is in the Musée National de la Renaissance, Chateau d'Échouen (inv.no.E.Cl.8210, Hitzel and Jacotin, op.cit., no.231, p.182). Another dish with a similar design, though somewhat simplified, was sold in these Rooms, 26 April 2012, lot 264.

For a discussion of the Lagonico collection, see the following lot.

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AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1590

The white ground painted under the glaze with bole-red, cobalt-blue, green and black, the interior with a symmetrical floral arrangement of saz leaves, hyacinths, carnations and rosettes issuing from a central tuft, the cusped rim with stylised 'wave-and-rock' design, the exterior of the rim with a black outline, the cavetto with alternating blue rosettes and trefoils, collection and auction stickers and "J(?). Lagonico" inscribed in black ink to the base, two drill holes to the foot and one filled-in drill hole to the rim 12in. (30.2cm.) diam.

£30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE:

US$41,000-54,000

€35,000-46,000

Lagonico Collection, Jean Lagonico no.29, thence by descent until sold Sotheby's Monaco, 7 December 1991, lot 37 Anon. sale, Christie's, London, 17 October 1995, lot 315 Private Collection, Austria

Stefanos Lagonico (1890-1943) was a prominent member of the Alexandrian Greek community. Members of this closely-knit group were among the earliest modern connoisseurs of Islamic art, and their loans made up the bulk of the groundbreaking Exposition d'art Musulman in Munich in 1910. In 1937, Lagonico left Egypt and settled in France with his collection of 47 remarkable examples of Ottoman ceramic art, where they were handed down to his son Jean and eventually sold.

The distinctive feature of this design are the four feathery saz leaves which frame the field, interwoven with blooming flower stems. Another iteration of this design with an overall green palette is in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon (acc.no.828, published Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, Iznik, Oxford, 1989, no.689). Closer still to the present design, also with a red cloudband in the uppermost part of the field, is a dish which sold in these Rooms, 25 June 2020, lot 121.

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VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A SILK VELVET AND METALTHREAD PANEL (ÇATMA)

PROBABLY BURSA, OTTOMAN TURKEY, 17TH CENTURY

The voided gold velvet ground decorated with a horizontal row of opposing diagonal carnations flanked by saz leaves containing a floral spray, starshaped medallions alternating with rosettes below, an upper border of tulips and carnations with saz leaves between, little silver thread remaining, mounted to a stretcher and behind acrylic 19æ x 43in. (50.2 x 109cm.)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE: Anthony Powell (1935-2021), London

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

Velvets with designs based around repeated eight-lobed medallions, often filled with tulip motifs, were commonly produced in Ottoman Bursa from the late 16th century. They continued in production into the 1700s. Ths is an unusual variant because of the large secondary motifs: sizeable carnations flanked by broad saz leaves. A similar design is found in the border. An example of a catma with a matching design to the present lot is in the L. A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art, Jerusalem (acc.no.T.594-78).

Smaller carnation motifs are found a textile integrated into a cope in the Sergiev-Posad Museum Preserve, Zagorsk (acc.no.2287). A donation inscription on the cope suggests that it was endowed to the monastery in the year 1652, giving a terminus ante quem for the manufacture of that textile and an approximate date for ours (Nurhan Atasoy et al. Ipek: the Crescent and the Rose, London, 2001, p.248).

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

θ58

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 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$41,000-54,000

€35,000-46,000

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

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 King's College, Cambridge (Pote 134).

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.

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MUHAMMAD BIN SULAYMAN AL-JAZULI (D. 1465 AD): DALA'IL AL-

KHAYRAT

SIGNED DARWISH YUSUF IBN SINAN, OTTOMAN TURKEY, MID-18TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 83ff. plus two flyleaves, each with 13ll. black naskh, important words and some sections picked out in red, gold rosette verse markers, headings in panels with white text reserved against gold and polychrome decoration, set within broad gold rules, the margins plain with copious annotation set diagonally within thin gold outer rules, catchwords, later owner's notes in a neat hand on the final folio, 24 polychrome illustrations and diagrams heightened with gold including full-page depictions of Mecca and Medina, the opening folio with a gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece, one further gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece, the colophon signed, in contemporaneous gilt tooled brown leather binding with flap

Text panel 4¿ x 2¿in. (10.4 x 5.3cm.); folio 6¡ x 4¿in. (16.3 x 10.5cm.)

£30,000-50,000

PROVENANCE:

Private French collection, 1950s, and thence by descent

From which acquired by the current owner

US$41,000-67,000

€35,000-57,000

The illuminated headpiece on the first page is decorated with large-scale flowerheads on a gold strapwork design around a broad blue palmette with a maroon outer border. A similar design appears on a copy of the Dala'il al-Khayrat in the collection of Cengiz Çetindoğlu, which was copied by Mehmed Şehri in AH 1149/1736-6 AD in Istanbul (acc.no.3091, Nabil F. Safwat, Understanding Calligraphy: the Ottoman Contribution, London, 2014, no.125, p.502). Also of similar design is the frontispiece of a Dala'il al-Khayrat in the Museum of Islamic Art, Malaysia, which was copied just over a decade later by Darwish Ahmad ibn al-Hajj Ali (acc.no.2004.12.42, Nurul Iman Rusuli, Dala'il al-Khayrat: prayer manuscripts from the 16th-19th centuries, Kuala Lumpur, 2016, no.8, p.46). That manuscript also has marginalia within gold outer rules, similar to those on this manuscript.

The paintings in Dala'il al-Khayrat manuscripts followed established norms, seeking to give readers a sense of the arrangement of spiritually important places in the Haramayn. Very similar illustrations of the Haram in Mecca are found in a manuscript in the Sadberk Hanim Museum, dated to approximately 1730 and signed by Mehmed ibn Hussein (Z. Tanındı, Harmony of Line and Colour, Illuminated Manuscripts Documents and Calligraphy in the Sadberk Hanım Museum Collection, Istanbul 2019, pp.232 - 237). Slightly later in date, but also very similar in its layout and iconography, is the depiction of the Haram in an early 19th century manuscript in the Tareq Rajab Museum, Kuwait (Nabil F. Safwat, The Harmony of Letters, Singapore, 1997, p.12).

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD WALL HANGING

OTTOMAN EMPIRE, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

The black velvet ground embroidered with heavy silver thread, the field with five ascending stems branching into leaves and wreaths, above a cartouche of monumental thuluth script, in 'infinite key' borders interlaced with a scrolling vine, lined 9ft.5in. x 9ft.9in. (286 x 297cm.)

£50,000-70,000

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$68,000-94,000

€58,000-80,000

The cartouche reads wakafa billah shahidan, Muhammad rasul Allah, 'God is sufficient as a witness, Muhammad is the Prophet of God'

This textile is impressively large in its size and the sharpness of design and level of detail in the embroidery is very high. This is because it is embroidered in the dival technique which was devised in the late 18th century. For this technique the heavy metal threads are embroidered onto cardboard templates resulting in flat shapes with sharp and clearly defined outlines. The technique was favoured on more intricate items like clothing (see Metropolitan Museum of Art, obj.no. C.I.65.18.1) and bedspreads (Sadberk Hanim Museum, acc.no. 2000). But the technique naturally lent itself to larger textiles such as requiring sharp calligraphy and strong definition of design such as hangings for tombs and religious monuments.

The design on our textile includes a wreath motif of daisy-like florets on leafy stems as well as the more naturalistic wandering vines. Hülya Tezcan argues that the introduction of such devices occurs at a time of transition towards more western style decoration in the early 19th century. Comparable devices are seen on a group of curtains for the Rawdah al-Mutaharah dated between 1808-1812 in the Topkapi Seray Museum collection (Sacred Covers of Islam's Holy Shrines, Istanbul, 2017, no.79, pp.314-19; TMS 24/137, 167, 138).

Large metal-thread embroidered textiles were used by the Ottomans to decorate the interior of holy sites, most notably in Mecca and Medina, but also the interiors of tombs. These textiles were routinely replaced, sometimes annually, with the designs reflecting the changing aesthetics of the time. It is difficult to know exactly where this textile was intended for but it bears close similarity of design to the textiles which are laid over the tomb of Yildirim Bayezid in Bursa. A large 19th century calligraphic panel of the dival technique was sold in these Rooms, 27 October 2022, lot 163.

A SILK-EMBROIDERED PANEL

EPIRUS OR IONIAN ISLANDS, OTTOMAN GREECE, 18TH CENTURY

The cream linen ground embroidered with yellow, ivory, blue, green and red silk, the main register decorated with vases surmounted by a double-headed eagle with a spray of carnations issuing to either side alternating with vases topped by seated figures, against a ground of flowers and peacocks, a smaller register of vases and peacocks below, backed with yellow silk 20¿in x 4ft. 4in. (51 x 132cm.)

£7,000-10,000

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

This highly decorative silk-embroidered panel was likely part of a larger set made for a bedspread. There was a long tradition of the production of embroidered textiles in the Greek islands going back to the 15th century with a distinct set of motifs and visual vocabulary. Over time more Ottoman-inspired elements and colours are detectable as Ottoman culture grew stronger in Epirus and the surrounding islands. Our textile is unusual for the repeated double-headed eagle motifs which alternate with a seated fantastical looking figure. A similar impressive figural silk panel was sold in these Rooms, 16 November 2021, lot 649.

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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE SWISS COLLECTION 62

AN ARMENIAN REPOUSSÉ GOLD AND ENAMELLED BOWL

KAYSERI, OTTOMAN TURKEY, EARLY

18TH CENTURY

Single shell, the domed centre depicting a cathedral, the cavetto divided into four sections by columns topped with birds, the sections with figural scenes, vines and wheat sheaves, areas of enamel overlay remaining 3√in. (9.5cm.) diam.

£50,000-70,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 9 April 2008, lot 300

US$68,000-94,000

€58,000-80,000

The rich iconography of this bowl celebrates two key events in the history of Armenian Christianity. To the upper quarter is a baptism scene, depicting the moment when St Gregory the Enlightener blessed Queen Ashken and King Trdat III, marking the beginning of the Christian kingdom of Armenia, a date traditionally recorded as 29 November 301 AD. The lower register depicts three figures, likely the saints Isaac of Armenia (d.circa 436), Mesrop Mashtots (d.440), and Gregory of Narek (d.1003). Together with Nerses IV, these figures are known as 'the Translators', responsible for the development of the Armenian alphabet. Another bowl of almost identical design, but made in silver, was sold in these Rooms, 9 October 2014, lot 113.

The repoussé work of the bowl is typical of the products of the community of gold and silversmiths who worked in Kayseri between the mid-17th and mid-18th centuries. Their output included liturgical items, especially book covers, as well as luxurious household goods (Sylvie L. Merian, "Armenian Metalwork in Kayseri", in Helen C. Evans (ed.), Armenia: Art, Religion and Trade in the Middle Ages, New York, 2018, pp.241-6). Among the products of these workshops is a gold pyxis in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, which is of a high quality comparable to the present lot (acc.no.2920). The eight sides are decorated with scenes from the life of Christ and depictions of the apostles. As on our bowl, the space is organised by a series of columns and arches above the figures. An inscription allows that vessel to be dated precisely to 1136 of the Armenian calendar (1687 AD), and informs us that it was made by a certain Sedrak in Kayseri.

The building at the centre is recognisable as the cathedral of St James in Jerusalem. Although our bowl is uninscribed, according to Dr Vrej Nersessian, it may have been made for the Patriarch of Jerusalem Grigor Shirvantsi (1721-49). He earned the epithet Shghtyakir, chain bearer, because he is said to have carried an iron chain around his neck for four years until the Ottomans agreed to forgive the debts of Armenian creditors in Jerusalem. He received many gifts in gratitude, including two engraved copper bowls now in the collection of the British Museum (acc.nos.1957,0802.15 and 16).

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VARIOUS PROPERTIES

θ63

QUR'AN

SIGNED AHMAD HAMDI IBN AHMAD, PROBABLY ISTANBUL, OTTOMAN EMPIRE, DATED 24 SHABAN AH 1214/21 JANUARY 1800 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 307ff. plus 3 fly-leaves each folio with 15ll. black naskh, tajwid picked out in red, gold and polychrome verse roundels, set within gold and polychrome rules, margins plain with gold and polychrome floral pendants to mark divisions, the sura headings in white thuluth set within gold and polychrome panels, catchwords, the opening bifolio with 7ll. of black naskh reserved against gold cloudbands with illuminated and pricked cartouches above and below and margins, the colophon signed and dated, finishing with dua's, in contemporaneous gilt-tooled red leather binding with flap, the doublures textured paper

Text panel 4¡ x 2¬in. (11 x 6.7cm.); folio 6 x 4¬in. (15.1 x 11.8cm.)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 15 July 1970, lot 375 W. Senn-Durck, Basel-Riehen (d. 2001)

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

Though illumination based around blue and gold was a staple of Ottoman Qur'an illumination from the 15th century, around the year 1800 Constantinopolitan Qur'ans began to eschew that for a style of illumination that only used gold pigments (Tim Stanley, The Decorated Word, volume II, Oxford, 2009, p.161). Although the finesse of the illumination of this Qur'an suggests that it was produced in the capital, it is in a style that was being quickly supplanted in favour of the new fashion. The colour palette and conception of the design, with broad half-medallions running into either margin from the side of the text panel, and quarter-medallions at both the upper and lower edges, is similar to a Qur'an in the Khalili Collection, which Stanley identifies as probably the last Istanbul-made blue and gold Qur'an in that collection (Stanley, op.cit., p.192).

Also comparable to the frontispiece of our manuscript is one from a Qur'an dated to AH 1210/1795-6 AD which sold in these Rooms, 7 October 2008, lot 360. A similar layout, but executed completely in gold, can be seen on a manuscript produced only a few years later in AH 1216/1801 AD, indicating how quickly the vogue for all-gold illumination came in in Istanbul.

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QUR'AN

SIGNED MUSTAFA AL-RIFA'I, STUDENT OF AHMAD AL-NAZIFI, SHUMEN, BULGARIA, OTTOMAN EMPIRE, DATED AH 1270/1853-4 AD

Arabic manuscript on highly burnished paper, 307ff. plus two fly-leaves, each with folio 15ll. black naskh, red tajwid notation, various gold roundel and rosette verse markers, set within broad gold borders with red and black rules, the margins plain with illuminated and pricked floral devices to mark divisions, catchwords, sura titles in white thuluth within gold cartouches on illuminated panels, the opening bifolio with 6ll. black naskh in elaborate illuminated panel, framed with broad illuminated and pricked edging, the margins gold, the colophon and closing folio of the Qur'anic text with similar illuminated borders, closing with dua's, in contemporaneous gilt tooled red leather binding with flap

Text panel 4¬ x 2Ωin. (11.6 x 6.3cm.); folio 7¿ x 4Ωin. (18.2 x 11.5cm.)

£10,000-15,000 US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent

From which acquired by the current owner

In the 19th century, one of the most important places of Ottoman manuscript production was Shumen, a strategically-important fortress in what is today Bulgaria. Tim Stanley and Süheyl Ünver have independently worked on the corpus of manuscripts there, identifying more than fifty Qur'anic scribes from the town, apparently divisble into three groups according to their original teacher: Seyyid Mehmed Nuri, Ahmed Zarifi, and Ahmed Nazifi (Tim Stanley, The Decorated Word, volume II. Oxford, 2009, p.226). By the 1850s, Qur'ans from Shumen had come to be remarkably homogenous: all observe the principle of ayet ber kenar, in which every page ends with a completed Qur'anic verse; all are written with 15 lines of text to a page; all have between 300 and 310 pages. The dimensions of these manuscripts are also fairly constant. Although these manuscripts were produced in quantities to make them available to many relatively prosperous subjects of the Ottoman Empire, Shumen Qur'ans were presented by Ottoman sultans to important figures including Ali Rif'at Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt, and al-Husayn, Sharif of Mecca. The production of Qur'ans in Shumen came under increasing pressure with the rise of lithographic printing, and came to a complete stop with Bulgarian indepedence in 1878. For a fuller discussion of the Shumen school of calligraphy, see Tim Stanley, "The Shumen Phenomenon", The Decorated Word, volume II. Oxford, 2009, pp.222-51.

The illumination of Shumen manuscripts - though united by a Baroque idiom and a bright, pastel colour palette - exhibits some

variety, suggesting that there were several different schools of illumination in the city, alongside the numerous calligraphers. The frontispiece and colophon of this Qur'an is organised around a central medallion with calligraphic panels above and below, within illuminated margins. The colophon of our manuscript is somewhat similar in design to a Qur'an in the Khalili Collection, signed by Sayyid Muhammad Nuri and dated to AH 1266/1849-50 AD (Stanley, op.cit., no.54). The marginal medallions and binding are also similar to a Qur'an from the collection of Cengiz Çetındoğan, signed by Mehmed Nuri and dated AH 1267/1850-1 AD (Nabil

F. Sawat, Understanding Calligraphy: the Ottoman contribution, London, 2014, no.23).

The turquoise doublures on our binding can also be found on another manuscript in the Khalili collection, dated to AH 1256 / 1840-1 AD (Stanley, op.cit., no.55).

An undated Qur'an signed by the teacher of our scribe, Ahmad al-Nazifi, sold Sotheby's London, 24 April 2013, lot 44. A Qur'an signed by another of his pupils, Husain al-Zahidi, sold Bonham's London, 27 May 2021, lot 20. Mustafa Rifa'ti is listed by Tim Stanley as one of 10 different scribes whom he is known to have taught (Stanley, op.cit., p.247).

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

*66

A GEM-SET GOLD PENDANT MOROCCO, 19TH CENTURY

Of oval form, a central green emerald set within a ring of red rubies, around this scrolling openwork set with coloured gemstones including emeralds, rubies and pearls, a solid gold outer rim of gems in raised settings alternating with pearls

4Ωin. (11.8cm.) high

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

Tchen Gi-Vane (1924-2021), France

US$11,000-16,000

€9,200-14,000

A very closely comparable pendant is published in M-R. Rabaté et A. Goldenberg, Bijoux du Maroc, Casablanca, 1999, p. 39.

Tchen Gi-Vane (Cheng Zhifan) was a renowned pianist, painter and poet. She married French engineer Philippe Bertrand in 1951 and moved to Rambouillet, close to Paris. It was there that Philippe built the famous pagoda where Tchen Gi-Vane kept and exhibited her many extensive collections of instruments, textiles and jewellery.

PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN

*65

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)

£5,000-7,000

PROVENANCE:

US$6,800-9,400

€5,800-8,000

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

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, this 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.

AN ENAMELLED GOLD TRIPLE CASED VERGE WATCH FOR THE OTTOMAN MARKET

MARKWICK MARKHAM & BORRELL, LONDON, INNER CASE MARKED 1813

Gilt-finished verge movement, signed white enamel dial with Turkish numerals and outer minute ring, gold hands, plain gold inner case with winding aperture on the back, the gold mid case enamelled on the reverse with a riverside landscape, outer gold openback case with scalloped border containing enamelled floral decoration, inner case and movement no. 24560, inner case marked AN (Augustus Newman), London, dated 1813

Outer case 1¬in. (4.2cm.) diam.

£12,000-18,000

US$17,000-24,000

€14,000-21,000

Established by James Marwick and Robert Markham around 1725, this firm specialised in the production of watches for the Turkish market (G. H. Baillie, Watchmakers and clockmakers of the world, London, 1976, p.210). Their watches were often decorated in enamel, many with picturesque scenes depicting a sailing boat by the waterside at sunset. One such example, dated to 1813, is in the Science Museum, London (acc.no.L2015-3593). Another example decorated with a watermill and of the same date, with a movement numbered 24713, was sold Centuries of Time: a Private Collection, Sotheby's Geneva, 14 May 2023, lot 1355.

AN IZNIK-STYLE POTTERY TILE PANEL

WORKSHOP OF DAVID OHANESSIAN, JERUSALEM, MANDATORY PALESTINE, CIRCA 1920

Comprising 40 tiles, each with a white ground decorated under the glaze with a palette including turquoise, cobalt-blue, bole-red, green and black, the full composition with a central cypress tree flanked by tall stems of plum-blossom and grapes, the turquoise spandrels with carnations and tulips bordered by a red cloud-band, in a cobalt-blue border with a scrolling vine bearing large flowerheads, two repaired breaks Each tile approx. 7√ x 8ºin. (19.9 x 21cm.); the whole panel approx. 65Ω x 39in. (166.5 x 99cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

The panel was mounted at the Estate of Lafayette Hughes and Virginia Springer, Denver, which was constructed in 1927 and demolished 1999

David Ohannessian (1884–1953), founder of Jerusalem’s Armenian ceramic tradition, was trained in the renowned Kutahya school of Ottoman ceramics, which was celebrated for its vibrant Iznik-style tiles. In 1907, he opened his own workshop in Kutahya, and by 1911, gained international recognition when commissioned by Lord Sykes to create tile revetments for Sledmere House in Yorkshire. The tiles in this panel closely resemble those found in the Turkish Room of the estate. Similar ones have also sold at Bonhams London April 2011, lots 188 and 190.

Ohannessian specialised in large tiled wall panels, which required meticulous planning and modular design. Each tile was numbered and mapped before installation to ensure seamless pattern continuity across architectural surfaces. This precision was achieved using hand-cut stencils of his signature floral motifs of tulips, carnations, and other stylised blooms.

His distinctive palette of turquoise, cobalt blue, and emerald green was created through glaze recipes he developed himself, using a double firing technique to fuse colour and design. These projects relied on locally sourced clays and minerals from Anatolia, essential to the traditional Ottoman ceramic aesthetic. After being falsely accused of revolutionary activity during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, Ohannessian was exiled and eventually relocated to Jerusalem. During his time here, Sykes commissioned him to replicate the broken and missing tiles on the Dome of the Rock. Although this project was cut short in 1922, Ohanessian was successful in training a new generation of Armenian artisans, ensuring the survival and evolution of the craft.

For Ohannessian, ceramics were more than decoration – they were a form of cultural resilience. His work reflects a deep commitment to heritage, adaptation, and spiritual continuity, bridging Ottoman traditions with the architectural identity of Jerusalem. This has been celebrated in a biography of his life, Feast of Ashes: The Life and Art of David Ohannessian, written by granddaughter (Sato Moughalian, Stanford, 2019).

A LARGE GREEN SILK LAMPAS TOMB COVER

OTTOMAN EMPIRE, CIRCA 1900

The green ground with exposed ivory wefts forming a design of zig-zag bands, each band with three registers of finelydrawn muhaqqaq, between the bands further inscription, lined 8ft.8in. x 5ft.4in. (263 x 163cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE: Private collection, UK, 1996-2010

INSCRIPTIONS:

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

In largest band, al-salawa wa al-salam alika ya rasul Allah!, 'Praises and prayers be upon you, oh prophet of Allah!'

Above, alayhim salla wa al-salam ala ashraf jamia al-anbiya al-murasilin, 'Praises and prayers be upon all the noble divinely-sent Prophets!'

Below, wa radhi Allah ta'ali an Abi Bakr wa Umar wa Uthman wa Ali wa an baqia' al-sahabiti al-jamiain, 'And may Allah be pleased with Abu Bakr and Umar and Uthman and Ali and all the rest of his companions!'

Between, Muhammad habib, Allah rabi wa la siwa, 'Muhammad is beloved and Allah my lord, and none other besides!'

This is a notably large example of the Ottoman silk lampas textiles that were produced to adorn the important places of worship in Mecca and Medina. Woven with calligraphic chevron bands, green examples are particularly associated with the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina, and these textiles were used to cover the cenotaphs in the rawdah. A similar but much smaller green lampas panel was sold in these Rooms, 1 May 2025, lot 125.

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A METAL-THREAD CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL

(HIZAM) FROM THE KISWA OF THE HOLY KA'BA OTTOMAN EGYPT, LATE 19TH/EARLY 20TH CENTURY

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, unlined 9ft.9in. x 2ft.10in. (297 x 87cm.)

£50,000-70,000

INSCRIPTIONS: Qur'an II, sura al-baqara, v.125 (part)

US$68,000-94,000

€58,000-80,000

Accounts of embroidered bands being hung around the Ka'aba with devotional inscriptions as well as the name of incumbent caliphs date from as early as the Umayyad period. Each of the four walls of the Ka'ba is hung with a curtain (kiswa) with embroidered bands containing Qur'anic verses positioned nearly two-thirds of the way towards the top. Each year the Banu Shayban, the guardians of the Ka'ba, divide the of kiswa into pieces like the present lot which are distributed to important or honoured pilgrims.

Traditionally the textiles for the Ka’ba and the holy shrines were made in Egypt. Some coverings were also made in Yemen, Iran or in Istanbul (at the Hereke factory for instance). Opened by Muhammad Ali in 1817, the Kharanfash factory in Egypt stopped producing the kiswa when King ‘Abd al-‘Aziz of Saudi Arabia open a factory in Mecca in 1927.

The thin scrolling vine borders of this hizam are similar to another hizam attributed to Ottoman Egypt, circa 1900, which was sold in these Rooms, 1 May 2025, lot 128.

†72

A COUPLE EMBRACING ON A TERRACE, POSSIBLY PRINCE KHURRAM AND MUMTAZ

MAHAL MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1610-1620

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, borders and margins cropped, verso plain, mounted, framed and glazed 7æ x 4Ωin. (19.5 x 11.3cm.)

£30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE:

Ex German private collection, formed 1960s

KHUSRAW AT THE EDGE OF A SPRING SULTANATE INDIA, 15TH CENTURY

An illustration from the Khusrawnama of 'Attar, opaque pigments heightened with gold and silver on paper, 7ll. black naskh arranged in one and two columns below, within gold and blue rules, rubbed seal impression in the upper margin, verso with 19ll. black naskh arranged in two columns within gold and black rules, additional folio of text on both sides similarly arranged Painting 5º x 4¬in. (13.2 x 11.8cm.); text panel 8Ω x 4æin. (21.8 x 12cm.); folio 11 x 6¡in. (28 x 16.7m.)

£7,000-10,000

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

This folio comes comes from a dispersed compendium of poetry of 'Attar Nishapuri (d. circa 1221) which contains both the Khusrawnama and the Asrarnama. Likely dispersed in the first half of the 20th century, three folios were sold at Sotheby's, London, 12 December 1972, lot 175-7. Further folios have since been sold in these rooms 16 October 1980, lot 55; 13 April 2010, lot 70; 6 October 2011, lot 118; 27 April 2023, lots 58 and 59 and 1 May 2025, lots 60 and 61.

US$41,000-54,000

€35,000-46,000

In this painting, a young couple lovingly embrace on a terrace whilst being waited on by four highly bejewelled women whilst a fifth plays music to them. The fine clothes of the central couple, the man's beautiful gold-trimmed jama and the woman's golden shawl, suggest their high status and we are likely observing a prince and consort.

The compositional device of placing an important royal figure on a platform set against a bolster in a garden setting, waited on by male or female attendants, was established in the late Akbar period and continues through the 17th century, however intimate Mughal paintings of princes or emperors with their queen or consort are rare. A painting of Nur Jahan entertaining Jahangir and Khurram, circa 1640-50, is in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington (acc.no. F1907.258); a painting done by Balchand in 1633 depicts Shah Shuja on a terrace in an embrace with a lady (Milo Cleveland Beach, The Grand Mogul: Imperial Painting in India 1600-1660, no. 31, p. 98 and 99); and a painting by Bishan Das, circa 1610, probably depicts Parviz on a terrace (J. Bor et al., Gloire des princes Louange des dieux/Patrimoine musical del'Hindoustan duXIVe au XXe siecle, Musee de la Musique, Paris, 2003, pp.80-81, no.39). Another painting of Jahangir on a terrace with ladies, circa 1620-40, was sold Sotheby's London, 5 October 2011, lot 137, and it is particularly compositionally similar to our painting. In that painting like here the background is split vertically with a twisted tree on the left side and a building occupying the right.

Jahangir's sons are the most obvious candidates for the identity of our prince given the style of the painting which suggests a dating of the first quarter of the 17th century. There is a likeness between the man being depicted here and Prince Parviz in a painting by Manohar, circa 1610, in the British Museum (reg.no. 1920,0917,0.2), but it could also depict Khurram in his youth before he wore a full beard (for a painting of Khurram painted to look as he did in 1616 see Prince Khurram departs from Ajmer, by Abid, circa 1635-40, from the Padshahnama, Royal Collection Trust, RCIN 1005025.al and another comparable portrait although slightly younger than he is shown here, British Museum, 1948,1009,0.69).

If the prince is Khurram, this could identify the consort as his beloved Arjumand Banu Begum, Mumtaz Mahal, after whose premature death in 1631 the Taj Mahal was built. Whilst few contemporary portraits of Mumtaz Mahal exist today there is a similar likeness between the consort in our painting and a mirror case with a portrait of Mumtaz Mahal by 'Abid in the Freer Gallery (F2005.4).

Paintings of Khurram and Mumtaz Mahal together are extremely rare and this may be the only one created in their lifetimes. A painting ascribed to Govardhan of the couple, perhaps at their engagement in 1607-08, was sold at Sworders, London, 5 December 2017, lot 272. That painting was dated 1630-40 and in the note Marcus Fraser suggested that the work was produced retrospectively as a celebration of the couple's love following Mumtaz Mahal's tragic death. In that painting the young Khurram, who was fifteen when he married, has but the faintest of facial hair on his upper lip. Our painting shows the Prince with a light moustache that would suggest he is in his late teens or perhaps very early twenties which would support a dating of the second decade to the 17th century.

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AN ALBUM PAGE: PORTRAIT OF SHAH SHUJA (1616-60)

THE PAINTING MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1680-1700; THE CALLIGRAPHY SIGNED MIR 'ALI, HERAT OR BUKHARA, LATE 15TH/EARLY 16TH CENTURY

Recto opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper mounted within a buff coloured border with gold floral decoration, gold, white and blue rules, plain margins with 'Shuja' written below in nasta'liq in red ink, verso with 4ll. of black nasta'liq, the line below with signature of Mir 'Ali, with gold and polychrome illumination mounted within a plain red border with gold and polychrome rules, plain pink margins, mounted Painting 7¡ x 4in. (18.6 x 10.3cm.); calligraphy 8º x 4æin. (21.1 x 12.1cm.); folio 15Ω x 9æin. (39.4 x 24.7cm.);

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

John Dent or William Dent, lieutenants in the East India Company army in Bengal, 1782-92 and Patna, 1776-96 respectively By descent to Sir Robert Dent (1895-1983) until sold Sotheby’s London, 11 April 1972, lot 30

Private collection, France, 1972-2024

Shah Shuja was the second son of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58) and Mumtaz Mahal and brother to Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh. His royal status is indicated by the golden halo around his head and flywhisk in his left hand. Our portrait of Shah Shuja can be compared to two from the Late Shah Jahan Album. One of these was sold from the collection of Jean Pozzi at Hotel Drouot, Paris, 2 December 1970, lot 22 and the other in these Rooms, 10 June 2015, lot 10.

Mir 'Ali al-Katib (d. 1556) is often mentioned by Safavid sources as one of the most important nasta'liq calligraphers of all time. The works of leading Persian calligraphers were prized at the Mughal court and Mir ‘Ali was amongst those particularly admired by Jahangir. A large number of qit’as signed by him found their way into important Mughal albums, and he is the calligrapher responsible for most of the specimens in the late Shah Jahan album. A nasta'liq quatrain by Mir' Ali mounted in an imperial Mughal album page, perhaps the Late Shah Jahan album, was sold in these Rooms, 28 October 2020, lot 74.

AN EQUESTRIAN PORTRAIT OF A PRINCE MUGHAL STYLE AT KISHANGARH, RAJASTHAN, 18TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, laid down between plain pinkish borders, white, gold and black rules, cropped buff gold-sprinkled margins, the verso plain Painting 9Ω x 7in. (24.1 x 17.8cm.); folio 10√ x 8¿in. (27.9 x 20.8cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

Ex-Private European Collection

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

In the early 18th century the Mughal state was unable to offer the same levels of artistic patronage as previous centuries which forced many artists to seek new patrons at smaller ateliers. The Mughal artists Bhavani Das and his son Dalchand moved to Kishangarh and introduced their classical Mughal style to the existing Kishangarh style. They were possibly introduced to Maharaja Rup Singh of Kishangarh through his daughter, Amrit Bai Sahiba, who was a wife of Bahadur Shah.

A painting by the artist Bhavani Das at Kishangarh was sold in these Rooms, 27 October 2023, lot 19, and a similar equestrian portrait of Shaybani Khan was sold in these Rooms, 21 April 2016, lot 29.

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KHAN JAHAN BAHADUR ZAFAR JANG

KUKALTASH AND HIS FATHER MIR ABU’L-MA’ALI

BY HUNHAR, MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1675-80

Ink, pen and transparent pigments on paper, identificatory inscriptions in Persian and Devanagari in black ink below naming the sitters and giving the attribution to Hunhar, the verso plain, numbered '1400' and '16' in Latin and Devanagari script 12Ω x 16ºin. (32 x 41cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

US$27,000-40,000

€23,000-34,000

Private English collection, circa 1900 Anon. sale, Rosebery’s, London, 11 June 2013, lot 1316 (part lot, unillustrated)

INSCRIPTIONS:

In Persian in the the lower right, “Portrait of Khan-Jahan Bahadur Kukaltash Zafar Jang. He held the rank of 7,000 and 7,000 horses. At the time of ‘Alamgir Padshah he was always in charge of the army and in victories of Bijapur and Bhagnagar [Hyderabad], in the battles of Ujain and Dholpur accompanied His Majesty in his victories. He was wounded. At the time of His Majesty, he was called Mir Baba and when [‘Alamgir was] a Prince, he was his companion and close associate and at the time of ….” (text cropped)

In Persian in the centre: “This sketch by Hunhar, who in the past was called Kahar Gusain. His Majesty distinguished him by calling him Hunhar and he was a chief painter”

In Persian in the lower left: “This is the portrait of Mir Abu’l-Ma’ali, father of Nawab Khan Jahan Bahadur Kukaltash Zafar Jang, the one ‘Alamgir Padshah [called] Sayyid-e Khafi”

Zafar Jang was foster-brother (kukultash) to the Emperor Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707) and a prominent Mughal general who served in the Deccan. He gained great favour for his successful campaign against the Maratha leader Shivaji was appointed subadar (governor) of the Deccan, Allahabad and Punjab. He was awarded the title Khan Jahan Bahadur in 1675 so this portrait must have been painted after that time. He is shown here rather formally in posthumous conversation with his father Mir Abu al-Ma'ali. Portraits of Zafar Jang are very rare but an equestrian portrait, also by Hunhar, from the Johnstone Album is in the British Library (Losty and Roy, Mughal India: Art, Culture and Empire, London, 2012, pp. 156-158).

The artist Hunhar was active from the late 1640s until around 1690. He was an accomplished court artist seemingly specialising in portraits. His style exhibits many of the tendencies of earlier masters including Bichitr and Govardhan (John Seyller, Mughal and Deccani Paintings, Zurich, 2010, p. 63). A painting of a Sufi gathering by Hunhar was sold at Sotheby's, 30 April 2025, lot 566.

A RARE AND IMPORTANT GUJARATI MOTHER-OF-PEARL REVERSIBLE GAMES BOARD

A MOTHER-OF-PEARL REVERSIBLE GAMES BOARD

GUJARAT, CIRCA 1600

The square board composed of pinned sections of mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell forming the squares of a chess board, surrounded by a bands, the reverse all mother-of-pearl with five roundels on a fish-scale ground, a raised architectural motif on two opposing sides of the board, in an ebony frame 19æin. x 20in. (50 x 51cm.); including frame

£80,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

US$110,000-160,000

€92,000-140,000

By repute collection of a former diplomat, France, who acquired the board in the Middle East in the 1950s

This rare and exquisite reversible games board, made in Gujarat, is elegantly decorated with mother-of-pearl. Objects made with this technique were created both for domestic use and export. In the 16th century, mother-of-pearl objects were highly coveted luxury goods, often imported into European royal collections. These lustrous objects, which combined Islamic and Western designs, were often displayed in the courts of Europe rather than used for their intended purposes, such as dining.

This reversible game board has a chessboard on one side, elegantly adorned with alternating mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell squares. The reverse, however, is made for an unidentified game and includes two compartments with raised walls on either side of the board. These features appear to be connected to the obscure gambling game barato—a term also used to describe the kitty or a special situation in table games like backgammon. Unfortunately, only the name of this game has survived (Dr. Jacob Schmidt-Madsen, personal communication, 14 March 2025).

Chess, which originated in India during the Gupta Empire in the 6th century, eventually spread around the world and became one of the most popular and sought-after games. Games boards, common to both the East and West, were some of the first items encountered by Europeans in India that they could use. Duarte Barbosa, who visited India around 1516, recorded seeing bracelets, sword hilts, dice, chessmen, and chessboards. Similarly, Huygen van Linschoten observed “fine playing tables and chessboards of ivory” at Cambay around 1585, and Francesco Pelsaert noted in Sindh around 1626 that draught boards, writing cases, and other goods were manufactured locally in large quantities, often inlaid with ivory and ebony. These items were then exported in large numbers to Goa and coastal towns (Amin Jaffar, Luxury Good from India, The Art of the Indian Cabinet Maker, V&A publication, 2002, p.21).

Gujarat has been known as a center of mother-of-pearl production since at least 1502, when Vasco de Gama received a Gujarati mother-of-pearl bed as a gift from the King of Melinde (Jaffar, op.cit., p.39). However, the origins of this craft in Gujarat are not entirely clear, but it is suggested that East Asian examples, such as Korean sutra boxes (caskets with beveled lids, some dating to the 12th-13th century), may have influenced local craftsmen in Western India. Various forms of mother-of-pearl items were produced, including coffers, caskets, cabinets, pen boxes, shields, thrones, game boards, bookrests, large dishes, and even sandals. Notably, very few examples of surviving reversible board games from this period exist, making such pieces exceptionally rare. This particular game board, with its elaborate design and luxurious materials, was undoubtedly an expensive commission—likely owned by a wealthy or even royal European individual once it was transferred to Europe by the Portuguese as a highly desirable luxury item.

A very similar reversible games board from the 16th century, also decorated with mother-of-pearl, is in the Bavarian National Museum in Munich (R 1099). Two additional reversible games boards, both created in Gujarat, are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Acc. No. 62.14) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (1961-1899).

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AN IMPORTANT EARLY MUGHAL TIGER HUNT

†77

A PRINCE HUNTING TIGER

MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1580-1600

Ink and wash heightened with gold on paper, cropped, laid down on card, the verso plain, mounted, framed and glazed

8√ x 6¿in. (22.5 x 16.8cm.)

£60,000-80,000

PROVENANCE:

German private collection, From which acquired by the current owner

US$81,000-110,000

€69,000-92,000

This painting is an important addition to a known group of closely related compositions of princes hunting lions from an elephant - first discussed in an essay by Robert Skelton in 1969 ("Two Mughal Lion Hunts", Victoria and Albert Yearbook, London, pp.33-50). The earliest painting from which the others derive depicts several princes, indicated by their aigrettes, hunting various quarry across the page. It is dated circa 1580-85 and is in the Cleveland Museum of Art (Linda York Leach, Indian Miniature Paintings and Drawings, Cleveland, 1986, no. 11, pp. 39-43; 1940.1197). This composition was then adapted to recast the prince on the elephant as Jahangir, who was known to be a keen hunter. There are four known examples of the Jahangir variation. They have subsequently been dated 1590-1600, sold in these Rooms 8 April 2008, lot 297; circa 1610, which is attributed to Farrukh Chela, Aga Khan Museum (AKM121); circa 1615, Aga Khan Museum (AKM161); and circa 1640-50, Bodleian Library (MS. Douce Or.A.1,f33a). Another painting of Prince Salim spearing a lion from an elephant, although with the composition flipped vertically, is in the Soudavar Collection (Abolala Soudavar, Art of the Persian Courts, New York, 1992 no. 130, pp. 322-33). According to Soudavar, the presence of Prince Danyal in the lower right, who is absent from other scenes, dates the painting to before 1601 (op.cit., p.322). It must be around this time that the adaption of the scene to include Jahangir occurred.

The present painting is most closely related to the Cleveland painting and is the only other example of the scene from before the inclusion of Jahangir and likely dates just slightly later. Our painting otherwise includes the same number of additional figures as the Cleveland painting and they are depicted with a similarly Persian-influenced appearance which Linda York Leach uses to help date the Cleveland version (op. cit., p.42). A further detail shared by the two paintings is the man fleeing up the tree in the upper right, who develops a turban on his head in subsequent versions. Where our painter makes a departure from the Cleveland painting is the identification of the protagonist. Rather than multiple princes as in the Cleveland painting or the protagonist being atop the elephant, like later versions, only the horseman here has an aigrette in his turban and this version is unique for that.

Our painting is also the only one to clearly depict tigers rather than lions. Robert Skelton writes that the lion hunt theme, from which this series developed, likely came from earlier Persian and Sassanian prototypes (op.cit., p.33). If the composition derived from earlier prototypes, rather than a specific historical incident, the inclusion of tigers in this version is an interesting quirk by our artist. Depictions of tiger hunts were generally favoured more in Rajput court painting which could make this an important early example in the Mughal context.

Another painting, formerly in the Heeramaneck collection is described by Linda York Leach as the "nearest approximation to the Cleveland composition" (op.cit., p.43). The current whereabouts of that painting is unknown. The main difference between the two is a building and one man which have been added to the former Heeramaneck painting. Our painting has a building in the upper left corner. There is no additional man but our painting has clearly been cropped and it is very feasible that there was an additional figure which has now been lost. She also writes that the other painting is the later version. It is tantalising to think that this is that missing painting.

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QUR'AN

SIGNED AHMAD IBN MULLA UTHMAN, NORTH INDIA, DATED AH 1145/1732-3 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 445ff. plus 11 flyleaves, each folio with 13ll. of strong black naskh on gold-speckled text panels, gold roundel verse markers, set within gold, black and blue rules, the margins plain with illuminated medallions to mark divisions, outer rules with narrow illuminated borders, catchwords, the name of each ayah on the top left hand corner, sura headings in white thuluth within a gold cartouche on a blue panel, opening bifolio with 7ll. black naskh reserved against gold cloudbands, with illuminated cartouches above and below and finely illuminated margins, the following bifolio with the text reserved against gold cloudbands and illuminated margins, six further illuminated bifolios through the manuscript at the openings of sura al-ma'ida, ya-sin, bani Isra'il, al-shu'ara, al-saffat, qaf, al al-nas , the colophon signed and dated, in later stamped green leather binding with nine orange ribbon bookmarks, the doublures pink marbled paper, each page wrapped in translucent paper Text panel 6 x 3¿in. (15.2 x 7.8cm.); folio 8¡ x 5¡in. (21.4 x 13.8cm.)

£15,000-20,000 US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 26 October 2017, lot 158

QUR'AN

SAFAVID SHIRAZ OR GOLCONDA, SECOND HALF 16TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 320ff. plus four fly-leaves, each folio with 12ll. black naskh, red tajwid notation, gold roundel verse markers, set within gold and green rules, the margins illuminated throughout with naturalistic flowers, gold thuluth labels to mark divisions, catchwords, sura titles in white thuluth set within gold cartouches in illuminated panels, the opening bifolio with 3ll. white thuluth in illuminated shamsas with two different gold paints on a turquoise ground with calligraphic cartouches above and below and gold illuminated margins, the following bifolio with al-fatiha in two star-shaped panels in densely illuminated fields and margins, the following bifolio with illuminated headpiece and margins, the final two suras written in gold thuluth in gold and polychrome cartouches in illuminated margins, closing with illuminated falnama, in contemporaneous gilt stamped binding, the doublures red morocco with decoupé decoration

Text panel 9¬ x 5ºin.(24.3 x 13.4cm.); folio 14º x 9ºin. (36.1 x 23.4cm.)

£80,000-120,000

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Paris, 1960s and thence by descent

From which acquired by the current owner

US$110,000-160,000

€92,000-140,000

In most regards, this manuscript's illumination is typical of Qur'ans produced in 16th century Shiraz. The opening bifolio contains impressive illuminated shamsas comprising mirrored S-shaped motifs, similar to an illuminated page in the Keir Collection, now in the Dallas Museum of Art (acc.no.K.1.2104.806.4).The use of alternating pale and bright gold pigments in similar motifs can be seen on the illumination of a Qur'an in the Khalili Collection dated to AH 959/1552 AD (David James,

The scribe of this manuscript copied another Qur'an which sold in these Rooms, 8 April 2011, lot 50.

After Timur, Oxford, 1992, p.44). The following bifolio has an even more intricate illumination, including areas of bright red and turquoise pigment in the margins: the same pigments appear on another Qur'an in the Khalili collection in the headpiece above sura al-baqara' (James, op.cit., no.40, p.161). Though the shamsa on the page is somewhat unusual, in its form it is reminiscent of the medallion at the heart of the Ardabil carpet, further indicating a Safavid origin.

Although the decorative features of this manuscript point strongly to a Safavid origin, a manuscript in the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, raises the possibility of an Indian production. The close connections between Golconda and Iran at this period were taken advantage of by the scribe Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni al-Shirazi, who travelled to Golconda in the final decades of the 16th century. The Kuwait manuscript (acc.no. LNS 227 MS) has a frontispiece very similar to ours, with the opening shamsa also on a turquoise field with calligraphic cartouches above and below. It can be confidently associated with a Deccani context thanks to the divisions of the text, the illuminated margins around sura al-baqara', and the manuscript's documented history in a Hyderabad collection (Navina Najat Haidar and Marika Sardar, Sultans of Deccan India 1500-1700: opulence and fantasy. New York, 2015, p.205). Both our manuscripts also have a distinctive system of division, with a marginal ayn occasionally used to mark every tenth verse. Moreover, the gold floral sprays which appear in the margins of every folio of our manuscript also point to an Indian origin in spite of the very Shirazi style of the illumination

A Qur'an with a very closely comparable illumination and a very similar frontispiece was sold in these Rooms, 12 October 2004, lot 35, and again 25 October 2018, lot 109.

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These two extraordinary documents represent a very rare example of civil Mughal administration and dispensation of imperial law. The first document, the mahzarnama, is a document of testimony of the crimes against Mulla Qutb al-Din, a respected Sunni theologian and teacher in Awadh, in April 1692 with dozens of endorsements by fellow members of the community and notarized by a qadi. This witness statement and testimony was presented to the Emperor Aurangzeb with no specific request other than recording the damages and harm suffered. We know that the mahzarnama was effective because of the second document, the firman of the Emperor

Aurangzeb from 1693. The firman grants the sons of the martyred Mulla Qutb al-Din a residence known as the Haweli-i Farangi (European mansion) in Lucknow.

The Farangi Mahal mahzarnama has been described by Professor Francis Robinson as "one of the most dramatic Mughal documents I have ever encountered" (private correspondence with the former owner, London, 2017). Mulla Qutb al-Din lived and taught in the village of Sihali, Awadh. The family had moved there in the 14th century but in 1559 the Emperor Akbar issued the land to the family as a tax-free grant in a

THE MAHZARNAMA AND THE FARANGI MAHAL FIRMAN OF THE EMPEROR AURANGZEB (R. 16581707)

MUGHAL INDIA, THE MAHZARNAMA DATED 1692

AD, THE FIRMAN DATED 1 DHU'L-QA'DA AH 1104/4 JULY 1693 AD

The Mahzarnama recounting the murder Mulla Qutb al-Din on 19 May 1692, Persian manuscript on paper, 30ll. black ta'liq, fifty seven marginal annotations giving endorsements of truth to the events, fifty six seal impressions including that of Emperor Aurangzeb, further seals visible on the reverse, cloth lined; the firman granting the family the Firangi Mahal property in Lucknow as compensation for the murder, Persian manuscript on paper, the emperor's titles in elegant red muhaqqaq with extended verticals with large black seal below, followed by 6ll. black nasta'liq, the reverse with four seal impressions and various endorsement notes, backed with cloth, crease lines from folding, both mounted, framed and glazed

The mahzarnama 51º x 9√in. (130 x 25cm.); the firman 31Ω x 17ºin. (80 x 44cm.) (2)

£30,000-50,000 US$41,000-67,000 €35,000-57,000

PROVENANCE:

The mahzarnama created by the sons of Mulla Qutb al-Din, Shaykh Muhammad and Muhammad Sa'id, Sihali, 1692

The firman presented from the Emperor Aurangzeb to Shaykh Muhammad and Muhammad Saeed, 1693, thence by descent, Mawlana Jamal Mian Farangi Mahalli (1919-2012), Karachi and London by 1970, and thence by descent

LITERATURE:

Muhammad Reza Ansari Farangi Mahali, Baniyi dars-i nizami: Ustad al-Hind Mulla Nizam ad-Din Muhammad Farangi Mahali, Lucknow, 1973, pp. 21-34

Iqbal Husain, "Change within the Islamic tradition of learning: Firangi Mahal and the Dars-i Nizami", Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 63, 2002, pp. 439-446, p.440

Nandini Chatterjee, "Mahzar-Namas in the Mughal and British Empires: The Uses of an Indo-Islamic Legal Form", Comparative Studies in Society and History 58, no.2, 2016, pp.379-406, pp. 393-395 and footnote 52

firman (that firman was sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2024, lot 139). Qutb al-Din's eldest son Mulla Asa'd was appointed a sadr (head of religious affairs) at Burhanpur by Aurangzeb (Iqbal Husain, 'Change within the Islamic Tradition of Learning: Firangi Mahal and the Dars-i Nizami', Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 63, 2002, pp. 439-446) and this proximity to the emperor and privileged landholding attracted jealousy from neighbouring landowners. The main body of text of the mahzarnama recounts how on 19th Rajab of the 35th Regnal year (6 April 1692) a group of men broke down the wall of the house and brutally murdered Qutb

al-Din as well as some of his students and a local chaudhari (landlord) called Muhammad Asif. The house and 900 book library were burnt, and Qutb al-Din's body along with his son Nizam al-Din and the head of Muhammad Asif were carried away. After three or four days Nizam al-Din was released and allowed to return to Sihali with the body of his father which was buried eight days later.

Although most likely documented by an expert scribe, the mahzarnama is written in the first person by Nizam al-Din and his brothers Muhammad Saeed and Muhammad Riza. Before recounting the dramatic testimony the mahzarnama opens with Qur'an sura II, verse 283, which is an exhortation of the Islamic obligation of giving testimony and not to conceal evidence which would not have been lost on Aurangzeb. What makes the mahzarnama so fascinating is that in addition to the testimony of Qutb al-Din's sons the margins are filled with comments and attestations by numerous notables and religious officials accompanied by their seal impressions. Some notes simply remark that the main statement is true, whilst others give fuller accounts of the events. In the upper right-hand corner underneath two notes briefly listing the outrages committed, are the seal impressions of a certain Amanullah, a sadr, and a certain ‘Abd al-Rahman, ‘adherent of the light of the holy law’ (evidently another religious official).

In 1693 the sons of the murdered Maulana Qutb al-Din petitioned the Emperor Aurangezeb with the mahzarnama and its witness statements. The outcome of their petition is contained in the firman issued in July 1693 which grants the Haweli-i Farangi Mahal, the former residence of European traders, to the brothers Shaykh Muhammad and Muhammad Saeed. It forbids officials from interfering with the brothers' rights to the property or from demanding that the edict be removed. The reverse has a yaddasht (note) concerning the promulgation of the firman along with various seals of high officials from Aurangzeb 38th regnal year (1694-5) which include Fazil Khan, the Sadr al-Sudur (Chief of religious affairs) and the vizier Asad Khan.

The Haweli granted by Aurangzeb in Lucknow has become a famous Sunni Hanafi seminary of the name Firangi Mahal where the distinct Dars-i Nizami curriculum is taught (named after Mulla Nizam al-Din who devised it). Before the family settled in Sihali, the scholars of Firangi Mahal trace their lineage to 'Abdullah Ansari of Herat, and before him to the Companion of the Prophet Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. The Farangi Mahal gained national importance during the freedom struggle in the early 20th century during the time of Mawlana Abdul Bari Farangi Mahalli (1878-1926) who, as the head of the family, hosted many leading political names at his home in the Farangi Mahal including Nehru and Gandhi amongst others. His son, Mawlana Jamal Mian Farangi Mahalli (1919-2012), went on to join the All India Muslim League and became an MP in the UP assembly, a post he resigned from after partition.

In the early 1950s circumstances compelled Mawlana Jamal Mian to leave India, taking with him his most treasured manuscripts and books which he had inherited from his father, including these two documents. He first moved to East Pakistan and with the outbreak of war in 1971 relocated to Karachi. For a full history and discussion of the Firangi Mahal see Francis Robinson, The 'Ulama of Farangi Mahall and Islamic Culture in South Asia, London, 2001.

Imperial Mughal documents are rare. A firman of the Emperor Aurangzeb dated 1661-2 is in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington (S1996.32) and another dated 1702 was sold in these Rooms, 10 April 2014, lot 133. Surviving Mughal mahzarnamas are far rarer. One other, also from Aurangzeb's rule, is in the National Archives of India (no. 2703/63; see Chatterjee, "Mahzar-namas in the Mughal and British Empires: The Uses of an Indo-Islamic Legal Form", Comparative Studies in Society and History, 2016, pp. 379-406). However, this might be the only known Mughal mahzarnama with corresponding firman known.

†81

MAHARAJA DAULAT RAO SCINDIA OF GWALIOR (R. 1794-1827)

GWALIOR, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA, MID-19TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, laid on card, mounted 17Ω x 14¿in. (44.4 x 36cm.)

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

†82

LAKSHMANA AND HANUMAN PRESENT GIFTS TO RAMA AND SITA

BIKANER, RAJASTHAN, SECOND HALF 17TH OR 18TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments, ink and wash heightened with gold on paper, narrow black border, verso plain, mounted, framed and glazed 11Ω x 7in. (29.5 x 17.8cm.)

£6,000-8,000

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

'Painting the Maharaja', Christie's, London, 25 May 2017, lot 12

Daulat Rao Scindia was fifteen when he succeeded to the throne and was given the title Amir al-Umara by the Mughal Emperor Shah 'Alam II on the year of his accession. He was a significant part of the Maratha resistance against the British East India Company during the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars.

This painting bears close similarity to a portrait of Maratha General Ram Rao Phalke attributed to Gwalior circa 1865, formerly in the Binney Collection (R. Crill and K. Jariwala, The Indian Portrait, London, 2010, pp. 168-169, no. 50). Therefore the portrait was likely painted after Daulat Rao Scindia's death in 1827. Another comparable portrait, perhaps from the same series as the ex-Binney Portrait, was sold in these Rooms, 26 May 2016, lot 43 and another portrait of Daulat Rao Scindia was sold as part of the Peggy and David Rockerfeller collection in Christie's New York, 10 May 2018, lot 1017.

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Germany, from which acquired by the present owner

In this painting, a plethora of animals are harmoniously congregating in pairs amidst an enchanting rocky landscape with Rama and Sita, being paid homage by Lakshmana and Hanuman, in the centre of the composition. The slender figures with high-pointed crowns are typical of late 17th and 18th century Bikaner school of painting. Whilst the imagery of paired animals is found in illustrations from the Ramayana to convey the dharmic harmony of Rama's reign, the number of animal pairs and the way they converge on the central figure recalls illustrations of King Solomon in Mughal and Deccani painting (see Christie's London, 28 October 2021, lot 67). Given that the only the four central figures are painted in opaque pigments, it is possible that a slightly earlier Mughal or Deccani work (given the number of Deccani paintings taken to Bikaner) depicting Solomon has been overpainted transforming the scene into one of a Ramayana theme.

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A GEM-SET ROCK CRYSTAL HILT

SOUTH INDIA OR SRI LANKA, 18TH CENTURY

Carved in the form of a serapendiya, eyes inlaid with red gemstones, the socket for the blade visible on the inside, the base with a later added rectangular hallmarked English silver stand 4æin. (12cm.) high

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,200-14,000

This hilt depicts a serapendiya, a mythical bird from Sinhalese culture. It appears on the pommels of the very earliest piha-kaetta daggers, including examples from the 15th century and earlier (Robert Hales, Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour, no.132, p.63). Over time, hilt designs developed to more elaborate abstract forms, and there are very few extant examples of these first serapendiya hilts. According to De Silva and Wickramasinghe there are five examples in various Sri Lankan museums, with two further in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.36.25.958a, b, and 36.25.966a–c).

By the 17th century, the finest hilts were made in the four royal workshops (pattal-hatara) of Kandy. The scrolling floral motifs on this dagger hilt resemble those on a dagger taken from Sri Lanka during the Kandyan-Dutch war 1762-1766, now in the Rijksmuseum (acc. no.NG-NM-7114). Even more similar is a dagger which belonged to the Sri Lankan ruler Sri Vickrama Rajasinha (1798-1815), which was taken by the British in a war in 1803. It was returned to Sri Lanka by Queen Elizabeth II, and is today on display in the Sir John Kotalawela Defence Museum, Colombo (illustrated De Silva and Wickramasinghe, Ancient Swords, Daggers, and Knives in Sri Lankan Museums, Colombo, 2007, p.135).

Later examples of the serapendiya motif on Sri Lankan arms include the serapendiya foresight on a flintlock pistol, and an ornate serapendiya design fretted on a dagger hilt (P. E. P. Deraniyagala, Sinhala Weapons and Armour, fig. g, plate II, p. 145). The motif also appears on a Ceylonese ebony cabinet sold at Sotheby’s, 26 October 2022, lot 119.

A CALLIGRAPHIC COMPOSITION

SIGNED BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR, MUGHAL INDIA, SECOND QUARTER 19TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on blue-dyed card, 2ll. black naskh set vertically with the ascenders on each side merging into one another, framed by further lines of calligraphy, below the signature of Bahadur Shah reserved against gold cloudbands, set within red rules and blue borders with white floral interlace, above a large seal with a partially-illegible date, set within red rules and gold knotted borders, in forest-green margins with an overall gold lattice illumination, the verso plain with old dealer's sticker, loss to edges

Text panel 7Ω x 5¬in. (19 x 14.2cm.); folio 13º x 8√in. (33.8 x 22.4cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

Private USA Collection

EXHIBITED:

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

S. J. Telléry & Co. (per label on verso), possibly shown at "The Industrial art manufactures of the Indian Empire," Chicago, 1893

The last Mughal Emperor of Delhi Bahadur Shah Zafar (r. 1837 – 1857) is recognised for successfully fostering a vibrant court culture and a brief, but impactful, revival of artistic and literary expression. An enthusiast and follower of renowned poets including Ghalib and Zauq, Zafar was himself an accomplished poet and calligrapher. The legacy of his calligraphic skills prevails in works like this, which are rare not only for their historical significance but also their artistry. Two similar works were sold in these Rooms on 7 April 2011, lot 294 and 25 April 2024, lot 114. An additional two examples are in the British Library (Add.21474, f.3 and IO Isl 3581). What sets this particular work apart is its fusing of devotional depth with poetic elegance and the refined execution places it at the intersection of imperial sophistication and spiritual reflection.

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A LETTER OF CONDOLENCE TO QUEEN VICTORIA ON THE DEATH OF PRINCE ALBERT

LUCKNOW, INDIA, DATED 1861 AD

Persian manuscript on paper, 17ll. black naskh arranged in two columns, the text reserved against gold cloudbands, above 5ll. black and gold nasta'liq with the Queen's titles flanked by two lions and below a crown and chhatri against an illuminated ground, below in smaller black nasta'liq the name of the writer, set within blue and gold borders, the blue margins illuminated with flowering scrolls, a black stamp in the lower margin, in gold and green outer rules, mounted, framed and glazed

Text panel 22Ω x 8Ωin. (57.2 x 21.7cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

Anon. sale, Christie's London, 8 October 1991, lot 120 Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 8 May 1997, lot 213

This was one of many letters of condolence sent to Queen Victoria after the death of Prince Albert in 1861. An album of these letters received from Heads of State around the world is in the Royal Collection Trust (RA VIC/MAIN/M/65). This lot is written in formal poetry from on behalf of the rulers of Awadh by the Diwan (Chief Minister) Rajah Bihari Lal Bahadur. Although Queen Victoria learned Urdu in later life from her attendant Muhammad Abdul Karim, this would have been several decades after this letter was sent. A full translation of the text is available upon request.

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PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTOR

■*86

A LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE COTTON TENT WALL (QANAT)

PROBABLY JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, PROBABLY 19TH CENTURY

Comprising 25 resist-dyed cotton panels, in an arcaded design with 9 niches containing flowering stems, details added using block-printing and some freehand drawing, the niches separated by narrow floral meander bands, the ochre scalloped spandrels with light floral decoration, a red lower border with repeated flowerheads, selvaged on both sides, thick white hessian bands applied the upper and lower ends with applied red canvas circles for fitting, the lower end with applied red and white diagonal striped border, lined 37ft.10in. x 13ft.2in. (1154 x 402cm.)

£150,000-250,000

PROVENANCE:

Royal Collection, Jaipur

Private American Collection by 1973

LITERATURE:

US$210,000-340,000

€180,000-290,000

Janet Koplos et al., What if textiles: the art of Gerhardt Knodel, Atgel PA, 2015, pp.116-7

Though the Mughal and Rajput rulers of India remain famous for their palaces, these itinerant rulers often spent just as much time under canvas as they did at home. Naturally, their tents were elaborate affairs. In the Ain-i Akbari, Abu'l-Fazl writes that the Emperor Akbar travelled with an extensive network of tents and pavilions that together created an encampment over a hundred yards square (Blochmann (tr.), Ain-i-Akbari volume I, Calcutta, 1873, p.46). Later, the French traveller François de Bernier descibed how Aurangzeb's entourage would go ahead of him while on the march to erect enormous tents, the walls of which comprised of 'screens of seven or eight feet in height, which they secure by cords attached to pegs'. Like ours, these were printed with a design featuring 'a great vase of flowers' (John Irwin and Magaret Hall, Indian Painted and Printed Fabrics, Ahmedabad, 1971, p.22). A complete Mughal tent is preserved in the collection of the Mehrangarh Museum, Jodhpur, while a red-walled tent appears in a painting of Akbar hunting in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc. no.IS:2:55-1896).

The Mughal precedent of grand tents was taken up by their successors: Zirwat Chowdhury argues that Abhai Singh of Jodhpur deliberately emulated Mughal tents to make his own claim to power ("An Imperial Mughal Tent and mobile sovereignty in eighteenth-century Jodhpur", Art History, volume 38, issue 4, pp.668-81). Another tent is known to have been in the Jaipur royal storehouse in the 1980s, and was likely prepared for the royal family more than a century earlier: a large part of it is preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc. no.1981.321). These Rajasthani tents had much in common with those of the Mughals - often red in colour, each panel of the wall would be decorated like a niche containing a vase of flowers. A tent which formerly belonged to Tipu Sultan is in Powis Castle, Wales (acc. no.1180731.1). Parts of the original lining of our tent panel are preserved with it, and have stamps indicating that it was formerly in the Jaipur Royal Collection, suggesting a similar royal function.

Several other panels from similar tents are known to exist. A large section, including two ceiling panels and a wall hanging very similar to ours, is spectacularly displayed in the Calico Museum, Ahmedabad (acc.no.3085, published Peter Alford Andrews, Tentage at the Calico Museum and its Patterns, Ahmedabad, 2015, pp.218-37). The catalogue reports that the tent originally came from Sikar, a city in Jaipur state, and give a range of possible dates between the 18th and early 20th centuries. The panels are so similar in design to ours that they may well come from the same tent. Smaller fragments which certainly came from the same original tent as ours, formerly in the collection of H. Peter Stern, were sold Sotheby's London, 10 June 2020, lots 150-3 and 156-7. A large tent canopy, likely from the Deccan, sold in these Rooms, 26 May 2016, lot 14. Other panels of the tent are reported to be in the Baroda Museum and in a collection in Japan ("Marketplace", HALI 204, p.123).

THREE FOLIOS FROM THE CLAUDE MARTIN ALBUM

These three studies of birds come from the large album of natural history paintings made in Lucknow for Major-General Claude Martin (17351800). Originally enlisting as a teenager for the Compagnie des Indes Orientales in Lyon in 1751, Claude Martin soon defected to the English ‘Free French Company’ and quickly rose in seniority becoming the Superintendent of the Lucknow Arsenal and a Major-General of the East India Company in 1775. In Lucknow he entered into the service of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula (r. 1775-97), quickly earning a large fortune through farming, indigo cultivation, diamond and sugar trading, and moneylending.

As well as a soldier and entrepreneur, Claude Martin was a key figure of the Enlightenment in 18th century India. His home in Lucknow, the Chateau de Lyon, boasted an enviable library of over four thousand volumes. He was a keen patron of Indian and foreign artists, including Johann Zoffany and Francesco Renaldi, and was an amateur painter himself but it was perhaps the natural and mechanical sciences that he was most interested in. He experimented with electricity, imported steam engines and designed and produced hot air balloons. Claude Martin’s deep interest in natural sciences combined with the Enlightenment urge to rationalise, number and catalogue what one observed may have been the catalyst to the large and ambitious project of commissioning Indian artists to paint nearly two thousand studies of the Indian flora and fauna.

Our three paintings are shown without the miniaturised landscape backgrounds often associated with the Claude Martin series of bird studies. It was previously suggested that the paintings without landscapes, showing birds either on perches or tree branches, were produced later in Calcutta in a manner similar to the presentation of birds in the Impey Album. Sir Elijah Impey visited Martin in 1781-2 and it is possible that his visit inspired the overall project. If Impey provided the inspiration for the project, the overall execution appears far more deeply routed in Martin’s interest with natural history and scientific curiosity. The series was likely heavily informed by Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux by Geoge Louis Le Clerc, Compte de Bouffon, published in ten volumed between 1771-86, which are also painted from life, in landscape and to scale.

In Martin’s series the background is used to categorise the specimens according to habitat. Those depicted on a tree branch are identified

as tree nesters, those with backgrounds (either marshy or grassy) are ground nesters and the birds of prey on perches are trained birds and probably from the aviary of Claude Martin or that of the Nawab Asafud-Daula (Niall Hobhouse, The Lucknow Menagerie - Natural History Drawings from the Collection of Claude Martin (1735-1800), London, 2001, unpaginated). The grouping of birds by type is also evident from the numbering of each page. The numbers alternate between the left and right edge of the page suggesting that the series was intended to be viewed with birds in pairs and bound, something also alluded to by the gilded edges of each folio. In addition to his categorisation, Claude Martin’s scientific approach to the project is demonstrated by giving the native names of each subject, before they were familiar in Europe (Rosie Llewellyn-Jones: “Painting in Lucknow: 1775-1800” in William Dalrymple (ed.), Forgotten Masters, Indian Painting for the East India Company, London, 2019, p.30). The numbering also reveals the vast ambition of Martin’s project. There are at least six hundred and fifty paintings of birds, more than six hundred paintings each of plants (now mostly in the collection of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) and reptiles, and further paintings of mammals. Far larger in scope than the Impey album, Claude Martin might have been the first European to attempt a thorough cataloguing of the diverse flora and fauna of India (Ray Desmond, Wonders of Creation: natural history drawings in the British Library, London, 1986, pp. 118-120). The scale and ambition of Martin’s project was not equalled until Dr. Francis Buchanan commissioned drawings at the East India Company’s botanical Garden at Sibpur Calcutta in 1793 and Wellesley’s commission of 2,660 natural history folios at Fort William from 1798-1805.

These three paintings made for Claude Martin come from a group of seventy-six drawings which were in the collection of Charles Jenkinson (d. 1808), the first Earl of Liverpool. These perhaps came through Charles’s mother-in-law Frances ‘Begum’ Johnson of Calcutta (d. 1818). Much of this collection was exhibited at the Walpole Gallery, London, by Niall Hobhouse in 2001.

Claude Martin natural history paintings from the same series have sold in these rooms 9 November 1977, lots 20-21; 25 May 1995, lot 29; 30 September 1997, lots 1-20 and in Christie’s New York, 25 May 1978, lot 9. Others have sold at Sotheby’s London, 14 October 1980, lot 233; 17 June 1999, lots 70-82; 27 October 2021, lots 2 and 5; 24 April 2024, lot 130 and 30 April 2025, lots 631-37.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A GREEN BULBUL (CHLOROPSIS AURIFRONS) ON A TREE BRANCH

COMPANY SCHOOL LUCKNOW OR CALCUTTA, INDIA, CIRCA 1775-85

Translucent and opaque pigments with gum arabic, pencil and pen on paper, Persian inscription in black ink below and numbered '484' in the lower right, the verso plain, a paper ticket affixed to the verso with Persian inscription in black ink, mounted, framed and glazed 18Ω x 11ºin. (47 x 28.9cm.)

£30,000-50,000

PROVENANCE:

US$41,000-67,000

€35,000-57,000

Claude Martin (1735-1800), Lucknow Charles Jenkinson, Earl of Liverpool (1729-1808), Thence by descent until 2001, With Niall Hobhouse, until sold Christie's London, 22 May 2008, lot 20c Private collection, England, 2008-2024

EXHIBITED:

The Lucknow Menagerie: Natural History Drawings from the Collection of Claude Martin (1735-1800), Walpole Gallery, London, May 2001, no. 52

LITERATURE:

William Chubb, The Lucknow Menagerie: Natural History Drawings from the Collection of Claude Martin (1735-1800), London, 2001, no. 52

INSCRIPTIONS: Below, hariwa (the Indian name for the bird)

Found across the India, China and Southeast Asia, the Green Bulbul, more commonly known as the Golden-fronted Leafbird, has a song-like chirping call but is also adept at mimicking others birds (MacKinnon et al, A Field Guide to the Birds of China, Oxford, 2000, no. 608, p. 257).

As seen here, the bird has electric green plumage and bright orange forehead.

A ROSE-COLOURED STARLING (STURNUS ROSEUS) ON THE BRANCH OF A FIG TREE (FICUS CARIA)

COMPANY SCHOOL LUCKNOW OR CALCUTTA, INDIA, CIRCA 1775-85

Translucent and opaque pigments with gum arabic, pencil and pen on unidentified watermarked paper, Persian and English inscriptions in black ink below and numbered '481' in the lower left, further inscribed 'oriolus' in pencil in the lower left, the verso plain, small paper ticket inscribed with a further identificatory inscription affixed to the verso, mounted, framed and glazed Folio 18Ω x 11Ωin. (47 x 29.1cm.)

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

US$54,000-81,000

€46,000-69,000

INSCRIPTIONS:

Below, in Persian, kusnai-i nar 'male starling' In English, 'Rose coloured .... (illegible), male, same as Europe. B.C.'

First identified by Linnaeus in 1758, the rose-coloured starling has a distinctive pink body contrasting with its black head, wings and tail. The bird is typically found in the open steppes of Central Asia and eastern Europe but migrates to India in vast numbers for winter where there are abundant locusts and cereals for food. A painting from the Claude Martin album of a rose-coloured starling with its first winter coat, which appears rather different to the one shown here, was sold in these Rooms from the Niall Hobhouse Collection, 22 May 2008, lot 20 (part lot).

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†89

AN ASIAN EMERALD DOVE

(CHALCOPHAPS INDICA) ON A CITRUS TREE

COMPANY SCHOOL LUCKNOW OR CALCUTTA, INDIA, CIRCA 1775-85

Translucent and opaque pigments with gum arabic, pencil and pen on paper, Persian inscription in black ink and numbered '505' below, Latin identificatory inscription in pencil in the upper left corner, verso plain with '8' written in pencil near the upper edge, mounted, framed and glazed 18Ω x 11¡in. (47.1 x 29cm.)

£40,000-60,000 US$54,000-81,000

€46,000-69,000

PROVENANCE:

Claude Martin (1735-1800), Lucknow Charles Jenkinson, first Earl of Liverpool (17291808),

Thence by descent until 2001, With Niall Hobhouse, until sold Christie’s London, 22 May 2008, lot 20d Private collection, England, 2008-2024

EXHIBITED:

The Lucknow Menagerie: Natural History Drawings from the Collection of Claude Martin (1735-1800), Walpole Gallery, London, May 2001, no. 37

LITERATURE:

William Chubb, The Lucknow Menagerie: Natural History Drawings from the Collection of Claude Martin (1735-1800), Walpole Gallery, London, May 2001, no. 37

INSCRIPTIONS:

Below, fakhta-ye koohi, derakht wa phal-e limoon kaghazi, 'mountain dove, lime tree and fruit'

The Indian Emerald Dove, also called the Green-Winged Pigeon or Green Dove, is the state bird of Tamil Nadu. In the mid-18th century the bird was recorded by George Edwards in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds who writes that he saw the bird at the house of a merchant in Rotherhithe and that it had been brought with him from the East Indies (London, 1743-1751, p. 14). However, the bird is found across India, China and East Asia.

*90

A COMPANY SCHOOL ALBUM OF INDIAN DEITIES

ASCRIBED TO CHEVALIER LOUIS-CHARLES ARTAUD DE BEAUVILLETTE, PROBABLY BENGAL, INDIA, DATED 1790

Comprising 53 paintings of Hindu deities in opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, each within a single black rule, identificatory inscription in Latin script below, pasted into an album, each folio with protective fly-leaf, the opening folio titled 'MYTHOLOGIE ICONOLOGIQUE DES BRAMES' and dated 'M.D.CC.XC' in black ink, f2. with a description of the contents in neat black French, three fly-leaves, the second opening fly-leaf with a later handwritten note on the author, gilt stamped green morocco binding with paper doublures

Paintings 6 x 3√in. (15.2 x 9.8cm.); folio 12¡ x 8¿in. (31.5 × 20.5cm)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Chevalier Louis Charles Artaud de Beauvillette (d.1792), Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre

US$27,000-40,000

€23,000-34,000

Livres précieux manuscrits et imprimés anciens et modernes, Hotel Drouot, Paris, 1892, lot 19

According to the note written in the front of the manuscript by Bernardin de Saint Pierre, these paintings were created by Chevalier Louis-Charles Artaud de Beauvillette (d.1792). He was sent to Bengal by King Louis XVI, likely in an unsuccessful attempt to curb the expansion of the British East India Company in the aftermath of the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

In addition to albums of north Indian monuments (see the following lot) albums of Company School paintings of Hindu deities were popular amongst European travellers to India. These were most often produced in South India in the 19th century (British Museum, 1993,0806,0.30 and Victoria and Albert Museum, 4664:13/(IS)). This lot is a rare example of such an album from North East India but it is particularly notable because it has been attributed to Chevalier Beauvillette himself, rather than being painted by an Indian artist, and it predates many of the other known examples of this type of album.

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A COMPANY SCHOOL ALBUM OF ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES

NORTH INDIA, DATED 1867

Watercolour on watermarked paper, the album comprising 25 paintings pasted onto 26ff. depicting the Taj Mahal, monuments within Fatehpur Sikri, the tomb of Akbar, and pietra dura studies, the paintings mostly labelled in pencil in French, the inside front cover with a studio portrait of the Javanese painter Raden Saleh, the inside back cover with an antique photograph of the Taj Mahal, in contemporaneous green and black leather binding, marked H. Rodrigues 42 Piccadilly Largest painting 7º x 9¿in. (18.3 x 23.2cm.); folio 11 x 13Ωin. (27.9 x 34.3cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

Prince Raden Saleh Sjarif Bestamen (1811-80)

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

The increasing numbers of European visitors to India provided local artists with a growing opportunity to sell them mementoes with which to remember what they saw in India. By the early 19th century there seemed a particular demand for paintings of the Mughal monuments of Delhi and Agra, often in small and compact albums which were easy to pack and carry like the current lot. Rather than a European visitor to India, this album was probably belonged to Raden Saleh Sjarif Bustaman (1811-1880) of Java whose photograph is on the inside cover. Raden Saleh was a prominent Romantic painter considered one of the first 'modern' Indonesian (Dutch East Indies at that time) artists. Raden Saleh travelled to the Netherlands to study art in 1829 and remained in Europe until returning to the Dutch East Indies in 1852. Similar Company School albums of views of monuments have been sold in these Rooms 28 October 2021, lot 59, 27 April 2023, lot 107 and 24 October 2024, lot 179.

A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF SUZANIS (LOTS 92-98)

■*92

A SHAKHRISABZ SUZANI

UZBEKISTAN, CIRCA 1870

Embroidered on seven panels, the cotton plainweave backing embroidered in silk, the field with two ascending diamond lattices of green leaves enclosing red palmettes, in a border of bold round and upright polychrome flowers set within green flowering stems, between floral meander minor stripes, lined and edged, a velcro strip added along one long side 8ft.8in. x 5ft.8in. (263 x 177cm.)

£25,000-35,000

PROVENANCE:

Acquired from US trade, 1970s

US$34,000-47,000

€29,000-40,000

In January 1974, Sylvia Seret – a PhD student – was invited to visit a friend in New York. Entering the apartment, she was presented with ‘some kind of psychedelic dream, a place full of swirling, exotic patterns and textures’. By that time, the owner of the apartment – Ira Seret - had already spent six years in Afghanistan, immersing himself with the colourful textiles and sheepskin coats beloved by icons of the Counterculture movement of the 1960s. Less than two months later, Sylvia found herself on a plane to Kabul, and quickly fell in love with the beautiful landscapes and hospitable people. Together, the couple travelled across Afghanistan and Pakistan in their search of rare textiles, fascinated by the remarkable skill of the artisans as well as the spiritual resonance of their craft. In June 1978, Ira and Sylvia left Afghanistan for the final time.

For the Serets, a fascination with textiles is inextricable from a real affection for those who make and cherish them. Among the Serets’ great loves are the colourful embroideries known as suzani, derived from the Persian word for ‘needle’. These textiles were used for a variety of domestic functions, and were often included in a bride’s dowry. As such, they were very much family objects: the design would be drawn out onto a number of long thin panels, which would be distributed between different embroiderers. At the end, they would all be stitched together to create a complete design (Daniel Shaffer, “History and Technique”, HALI 30, 1986, p.50). Differences in style and technique are associated with different towns in Uzbekistan. The examples offered here show the evolution of the tradition from a variety of different centres.

The style of this suzani is most reminiscent of those produced in Shakhrisabz, located just south of Samarkand. These suzanis are broadly identifiable by a broad palette which includes apricot alongside the more traditional reds and greens, as well as exceptionally lively drawing. The asymmetric design of this embroidery was quite possibly sketched

out by a professional designer (kalamkash), who would sketch freehand drawings onto cotton panels for a household to work off. This practice accounts for the similarities between different suzanis produced in the same towns, even though the majority of the embroiderers lived highly secluded lives. For a discussion of this practice in Shakhrisabz, see Kate Fitz Gibbon and Andrew Hale, "Role Reversal", in HALI 153, 2007, pp.88-91.

The lattice design in the field of this particular embroidery is similar to that on an example in the Burrell collection, Glasgow (acc.no.30.4), and another published by Peter Bausback (Susani: stickerein aus Mittelasien, Mannheim, 1981, p.43). The border on the latter example is reminiscent of ours, with the large flowerheads alternating between red roundels and polychrome palmettes. The colour palette of that example is more limited than on ours. A similarly exuberant example of similar design, formerly part of the collection of Ignazio Vok, sold Rippon Boswell, Weisbaden, 4 April 2015, lot 6.

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A BUKHARA SUZANI

UZBEKISTAN, 19TH CENTURY

Embroidered on six panels, the cotton plainweave ground embroidered in silk, the field with three star-shaped medallions of green serrated leaves containing flowering shrubs issuing from a central flowerhead, enclosed by scattered flowering stems, in a border of bold polychrome flowerheads encircled by serrated leaves alternating with flowering stems, between floral meander minor stripes, unlined 8ft.6in. x 5ft.7in. (258 x 171cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

The design of this and the following suzani, based around three subtly-drawn stellar medallions with a field profusely embroidered with vegetation, is likely to be associated with Bukhara. Examples of suzanis with similar spatial arrangements include one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.21.114.3). Closer to this in style is an example which sold Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 28 May 2016, lot 130, upon which the stems with multiple flowerheads which appear in the border of our suzani appear instead inside the field.

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A BUKHARA SUZANI

UZBEKISTAN, 19TH CENTURY

Embroidered on six panels, the cotton plainweave embroidered in silk, the field with three star-shaped medallions of green serrated leaves, containing flowering shrubs around a smaller star enclosing a flowerhead, enclosed by scattered flowering stems, in a border of medallions formed of flowering stems with pairs of stems with three flowers at the interstices, between floral meander minor stripes, unlined 7ft.9in. x 5ft.1in. (235 x 154cm.)

£20,000-30,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon. sale, Bonhams London, 9 June 2010, lot 137

US$27,000-40,000

€23,000-34,000

The design of this suzani is similar to that of the previous lot. The cruciform arrangement of flowers in the field around the medallions recurs in Bukhara suzanis with an overall lattice design, such as one published by David Black, Embroidered Flowers from Thrace to Tartary, London, 1981, no.22. The delicate palette and fine weaving of this suzani does suggest an affinity with those produced in nearby Nurata, but the overall density of the embroidery indicates that a Bukharan origin is more likely.

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■*95

A LAKAI NIM SUZANI

UZBEKISTAN, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Finely embroidered on four panels, the yellow silk backing embroidered in silk, the field with two pairs of ascending flowering shrubs with budding branches between, in a border of flowerheads alternating with striped lozenges, between flowering vine minor strips, red and white chevron outer guard stripe, edged in ikat and lined with printed fabric 5ft.3in. x 3ft.9in. (160 x 115cm.)

£6,000-8,000

US$8,100-11,000

€6,900-9,200

Historically a nomadic group, from the 1870s the Lakai began to settle in towns in South-Eastern Uzbekistan, where they encountered the fine embroidery being practiced in cities like Shakhryisabz (Jeff Spur, "Style Matters: the case for Lakai suzanis", HALI 215, 2023, p.68). Their weaves remained distinctive, however. Bold motifs were executed using particularly fine embroidery, and often onto coloured grounds. A further distinctive feature is the use of narrow chevron bands around borders and edges, which can be seen in red and white on our example. A result of the greater finesse of embroidery is that many Lakai suzanis are smaller nim-suzanis, or 'half suzanis'.

The fine drawing on this example is evocative of a whiteground example sold Rippon Boswell, Weisbaden, 1 June 2024, lot 69. They also sold a yellow-ground example also with red and white chevron bands, 23 March 2019, lot 71.

■*96

A LARGE SHAHRISABZ SUZANI

UZBEKISTAN, 19TH CENTURY

Embroidered on eight panels, the burgundy silk backing embroidered in silk, the field plain, in a border of bold polychrome flowerheads flanked by black stems outlined in lime green or blue feathery stems, between black minor stripes with 'S' motifs between blue pendants, lined with printed fabric 10ft.1in. x 7ft.7in. (307 x 230cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

Anon. sale, Christie's South Kensington, 6 October 2008, lot 609

This suzani is extremely similar to one which sold Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 3 December 2016, lot 76. Embroidered on a deep purple field, like ours the border had colourful and intricate flowerheads encircled by green and black vines, and similar blue pendants in the minor stripes. Both are of a similar large scale, with that example measuring 346 x 263cm. Although that example was catalogued as Shahrisabz, the note added that the palette was 'reminiscent of Lakai embroideries', and added that a similar fragment published by Russell S. Fling was catalogued as Lakai (Khans Nomads and Needlework: Suzanis and Embroideries of Central Asia, Columbus OH, 2012, no.22).

The high quality of drawing and scale of this piece indicates that it is likely to have been the product of a professional workshop, indicating that a Shahrisabz provenance might be more likely than a Lakai one. Jeff Spur publishes a suzani in the Russian Museum of Ethnography, St Petersburg (acc. no.21847-T), with a very similar coloured ground (Jeff Spurr, "Style matters: the case for Lakai suzanis", HALI 215, fig.17, p.73).

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A PSKENT SUZANI

UZBEKISTAN, SECOND HALF 19TH CENTURY

Embroidered on six panels, the cotton plainweave backing entirely embroidered in silk, a central broad raspberry-red roundel flowerhead enclosed in a square with four red spandrels, enclosed in a field of tightlypacked roundels encircled by dark green serrated leaves with smaller floral motifs to the interstices, in a border of similar red roundels thread on a meandering vine, between red minor stripes embroidered with a black and gold vine, edged 8ft.6in. x 6ft.9in. (258 x 206cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,200-14,000

In contrast to the delicately-embroidered intricacy of suzanis from the Emirate of Bukhara, those produced in Kokand favour bold blocks of colour. Large red roundel flowerheads appear on Tashkent suzanis, and also those woven in nearby Pskent. What makes Pskent embroidery distincitve is that often, as here, the work leaves no part of the ground visible on the face, and is executed using a somewhat heavier stitch than those from Tashkent (Daniel Shaffer, "A silken dowry", HALI 57, P.176).

The overall composition of this embroidery is comparable to an example which sold Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 25 May 2013, lot 88, including similar minor stripes and a square frame around the central medallion. This example, however, includes a broader colour palette with extensive use of blues and oranges throughout.

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A PSKENT SUZANI

UZBEKISTAN, SECOND HALF 19TH CENTURY

Embroidered on six panels, the ivory cloth backing densely embroidered in silk, the field with a bold central raspberry-red flowerhead, enclosed with further large flowerheads on all sides with smaller roundels at the interstices, in a narrow red border of dark green zig-zag leaves, velcro added to one long side 8ft.2in. x 6ft.4in. (249 x 193cm.)

£10,000-15,000

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

Like the previous lot, the dense embroidery on this suzani is typical of the work of Pskent. The arrangement of motifs on this embroidery, as well as the black and yellow chevrons in some of the flowerheads, somewhat resemble examples sold Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 24 November 2013, lot 139 and 30 November 2013, lot 86.

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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE SWISS COLLECTOR

■*100

A TEKKE 'BIRD' ASMALYK

WEST TURKESTAN, CENTRAL ASIA, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Slight loss at lower end, minute spot repairs, overall very good condition

4ft.4in. x 2ft.9in. (137cm. x 90cm.)

£25,000-35,000

US$34,000-48,000

€29,000-40,000

This recently discovered 'Bird' asmalyk is an exciting new addition to the twelve examples originally recorded by R. Pinner and M. Franses in 1980, 'The Bird and Animal Tree Asmalyk' in Turkoman Studies I, Aspects of the weaving and decorative arts of Central Asia, London, 1980, pp. 114-133. Since that list was published, further examples have appeared bringing the known number to approximately twenty, which includes three examples sold in; Christie's East, New York, December 6, 1988, lot 35, and Christie's London, 29 April 2004, lot 65 and 8 April 2014, lot 90.

Traditionally used in Turkmenistan during the wedding caravan, the bride would be seated upon an elaborately decorated camel where a pair of asmalyk, "a thing to be hung", would flank the camel on each side. These trappings were a reflection of the bride's skill at weaving, a trait that was greatly admired and valued by the Turkmen and were therefore often of the finest quality. Usually of five sides, but occasionally of seven, most surviving asmalyk are attributed to the Yomut tribe but the present lot is part of a rare and particularly special group attributed to the Tekke, which has two sub-groups, determined by their design, the 'Bird' and the 'Tree and Animal' type.

'Bird' asmalyk were first collected by the famous Russian ethnographer and photographer S.M. Dudin in 1900, when he acquired two pairs which were published in the St. Petersburg art periodical, Stary Gody in 1914 and in 1915 by the great Turkmenophile, Baron A. Felkerzam. The West was only to learn of the existence of asmalyk in 1927 when two examples of the 'Bird' type were illustrated in an article by F.V. Gogel in the Burlington Magazine. Our example relates closely to one of the asmalyk in that article, which is now in the Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow (Pinner and Franses, ibid., fig.217, p.116).

Although all 'Bird' asmalyk share a layout of bird motifs within a serrated leaf lattice, there are considerable differences in the composition and design devices utilized in creating each piece. The present asmalyk and the Moscow example both display the ovadan

border of russet curled, serrated leaf meander on an ivory ground which is typical of the group. However, the execution of the border design on both remains visibly more open and evenly spaced with a thicker curled leaf at the terminus of each stem than some of the others. In addition, the field arrangement of a diagonal serrated leaf lattice where each lozenge is centered with a long-tailed bird with a white back and dark body is more densely filled than others and both examples display all the birds facing to the right.

The present asmalyk is also very similar in drawing and colouring to the example, formerly in a private Italian estate, that sold in these Rooms, 8 April 2014, lot 90, although that example had forty-two birds rather than our thirty. Other comparable examples include that which was formerly in the Arthur D. Jenkins collection, and the second pair of 'Bird' asmalyk collected by Dudin in 1900 (Pinner and Franses, ibid., fig.222-224, pp.118-119). In all three the birds are surmounted by wing-shaped ornaments but are not closed off by the inclusion of an additional upper pole as in a number of the other examples. The only major difference between these three asmalyk and the present example is that the birds face to the left rather than the right.

The present lot remains in very good condition which could be due in part to the care the Turkomans took in preserving their best rugs. Dudin wrote of the Tekke;

"ln none of any other items of housekeeping will you find better durability and better ability for long endurance. Pile textiles in this respect not only surpass all other textiles, but nearly all other materials including metals... besides they were seen as a kind of accumulated capital... they were collected and preserved as having an immutable value, giving cosiness to the furniture of the yurt and at the same time evidence of the prosperity of the owner." (Elena Tsareva, 'Thirty Turkoman Rug Masterpieces from the Collection of S. M. Dudin, Part II', Oriental Rug Review, Oct/Nov 1990, Vol II, No 1).

The depth and quality of the colours, the finesse of the wool and the supple handle of the present asmalyk, are among the defining characteristics that give this group such a high reputation and are so sought after by specialist collectors of Turkmen weaving.

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MUSEUM FÜR KUNST UND INDUSTRIE

VIENNA & LEIPZIG: ANTON SCHROLL & KARL W. HIERSEMANN, 1926-28

2 volumes, Atlas folio, complete, bound in blue cloth with gold tooled lettering, 120 plates, some colour and black and white, minimal scuffing to outer front cover

235⁄8 x 171⁄4in. (60 x 44cm.)

£1,500-2,500

US$2,100-3,400

€1,800-2,900

Lavish carpet reference books, such as the present two volumes, exposed weavers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the Classical traditions of the magnificent designs of Mughal, Safavid and Ottoman carpets. The 16th century Persian carpet illustrated here, (Vol I, pl.18), which also appears in the reference book by F. R. Martin, History of Oriental Carpets, 1908, p.80, fig.194, relates to lot 113 in the present sale but also went on to inspire later revivals as seen in the north west Persian, PETAG Tabriz carpet, (lot 158) in the present sale.

■*102 AN ERSARI MAIN CARPET

MIDDLE AMU DARYA, CENTRAL ASIA, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

Displaying three columns of eight large stepped gölli guls, areas of light wear and natural corrosion, sides unbound, each end intermittently lacking some knots and in need of securing 9ft.1in. x 7ft.6in. (279cm. x 234cm.)

£7,000-10,000

US$9,600-14,000

€8,100-12,000

The field is dominated by three columns of eight large, straightsided octagonal gölli guls which are filled with a palette of apricot, sapphire-blue and sea-green. The box border of the present rug, which is reminiscent of Salor main carpets, appears on two 18th century Ersari main carpets of archaic design, gifted by Simon Crosby to the Ashmolean museum, Oxford, (EA2014.8 and EA2014.8).

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PROPERTY OF THOMAS ETTINGHAUSEN

■103

AN AZERBAIJAN KELLEH

SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY

Uneven areas of wear, reduced in length, scattered repairs, ends rewoven

16ft.11in. x 6ft.10in. (515cm. x 208cm.)

£8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon sale, Christie's London, 8 April 2014, lot 29

US$11,000-16,000

€9,300-14,000

This striking kelleh bears all the hallmarks of the transitional period of design transference during the 18th century in greater Azerbaijan. Sometimes intentional, but more frequently due to a period of social and economic crises which occurred in Persia for a protracted period throughout the second half of the 18th century, characteristic designs that historically belonged to one area, emerged in other unrelated geographic provinces of Kurdistan and Azerbaijan. For a discussion of this see Alberto Levi, 'Renewal and Renovation, Iconographic Influences on Kurdish Carpet Design', HALI, Issue 70, pp.84-93.

This present design has its roots in a sub-group of 17th century Kirman ‘vase’ carpets from south east Persia, such as the famous Gulbenkian and the Mrs E. T. Brown 'sickle leaf' carpets (A. U. Pope, A Survey of Persian Art, Oxford, 1938, pls.1235 and 1236). Two early 18th century carpets illustrated by Ellis are interesting contemporaneous examples of the migration of these designs from south east to north west Persia (C. G. Ellis, Early Caucasian Carpets, Washington, 1975, pl.19 and 22, p.68 and p.74). The present carpet relates very closely to a kelleh illustrated in Sarre and Trenkwald, (Old Oriental Carpets, Vienna, 1926/1928, pls.17 and 18) and another example in the Skokloster Castle, Sweden, (F. R. Martin, A History of Oriental Carpets Before 1900, Vienna, 1908, pl. XXII). The structure and colour palette of our carpet relates closely to another north west Persian kelleh of Safavid Isfahan design, formerly in the collections of F.R. Martin and C.R. Lamm, that sold in these Rooms, 5 April 2011, lot 104.

A KURDISH RUG

POSSIBLY EAST ANATOLIA, 18TH CENTURY

Areas of wear and corrosion, selvages and ends in need of securing

6ft.8in. x 4ft.3in. (210cm. x 133cm.)

£5,000-7,000

PROVENANCE:

US$6,800-9,500

€5,800-8,100

Private Princeton collection, New Jersey Estate, since the late 90's, From where bought by the present owner

This rug belongs to a small group with very similar field designs. In the central column, bold white directional palmettes alternate with rounded blue flowerheads. To each side are similar columns, with yellow flowers between blue or purple palmettes. Connecting them is a lattice, including further small flowerheads and distinctive serrated leaves. A member of the group was published in 1996 when in the collection of Dennis and Zinaida Dodds (Dennis Dodds and Murray Eiland, Oriental Rugs from Atlantic Collections, Philadelphia, 1996, no.30, p.30). Two more have been in these Rooms, including one offered, 19 April 2016, lot 23 and another sold 7 October 2014, lot 26. Both those examples have the same border as the present lot. The latter was previously sold in these Rooms, 14 April 1988, lot 18.

The two rugs offered at Christie's were attributed to West Anatolia according to Eiland and Dodd's publication. However, when the example sold in 1988 was published in HALI the writer was more cautious. Though agreeing that it was ‘almost certainly 18th century’, the writer described it only as ‘Turkish’, defying a reader to find another example and describing it as an ‘ideal contender for a “show and tell” evening’ (‘Auction price guide’, HALI, 39, 1988, p.86). The write-up does acknowledge the fact that the border on that rug, which matches that on the present lot, has an affinity with Kula rugs woven in Western Anatolia.

However, the field design is one which Charles Grant Ellis describes as ‘a favourite for early Caucasian carpets’ (Early Caucasian Rugs, 1975, Washington D.C., p.66). The Textile Museum in Washington D.C. has one rug attributed to Karabagh or Shirvan which has a similar arrangement of motifs in the field, including the distinctive serrated leaves (acc. no.R36.2.2). Weavers evidently experimented with different scales in the field, including examples upon which the motifs were miniaturised (such as one in the Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Vienna, acc.no.Or 320/1891/1907 HM Nr. 13890) or others where motifs were magnified, (such as a kelleh in the Vakiflar Museum, Istanbul, inv.no.A-300). In

contrast to the border, the field on the present rug would be much more at home in the Caucasus.

Such blending of elements is characteristic of rugs woven in the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’, an area inhabited predominantly by Kurdish speakers between eastern Anatolia, western Iran, and the southern Caucasus. Alberto Levi has done much work to trace the trajectory of Kurdish carpet weaving: in a 1993 article, he illustrated a kelleh similar to the Vakiflar example mentioned above, describing it as a ‘Caucasian vase carpet’ to reflect his belief

that it descended from the Safavid tradition (Alberto Levi, ‘Renewal and Innovation: Iconographic Influences on Kurdish Carpet Design’, HALI, 70, p.89, fig.7). In a later article, he traces the development of later pieces, such as a small number of colourful rugs with directional palmettes in a lattice which – for him – exemplify the blending of Caucasian and Anatolian traditions in the ‘Golden Triangle’ (Alberto Levi, ‘The Golden Triangle Syndrome’, HALI, 214, p.109). Based on this recent scholarship, this group can be reattributed to this important and culturally vibrant region.

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF FERDINAND ERBLICH

■105

AN AZERBAIJAN SILK EMBROIDERY FRAGMENT

SOUTH CAUCASUS, LATE 17TH / EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Silk embroidery, surface darning on a cotton foundation, comprising half a central cruciform medallion with borders on two sides, woven in two panels, mounted with velcro on a material-lined panel

3ft.4in. x 2ft. (101cm. x 60cm.)

£5,000-7,000

PROVENANCE:

US$6,800-9,500

€5,800-8,100

Ferdinand Erblich (1946-2019), Austrian violist and carpet collector, thence by descent

This striking fragment represents just under half of the original embroidery which would have had a complete concentric red and ivory eight-pointed stellar medallion issuing blue hooked foliate bracket leaves, flanked by red cruciform motifs above and below, surrounded by smaller hooked, stylised palmettes, zoomorphic and filler motifs, set upon a deep chocolate-brown field, enclosed within a narrow yellow scrolling 'S' motif border. Based on this fragment, the complete embroidered panel was likely around 150 x 120cm.

One of the first studies of the group to appear in English is Jennifer Wearden's, "A Synthesis of Contrasts" (HALI 59, 1991, pp.102-11). In it she proposed organising these embroideries into three groups based on the technique used to fill the coloured motifs: cross-stitch, surface darning, or a variant surface darning which creates diagonal lines. Of those techniques, ours sits comfortably in the second group, which requires a fine cloth ground and a weaver possessing both 'patience and good eye-sight' (Wearden, op.cit., p.106). Unlike the cross-stitch group (which survive in only a very small number of examples), the design in the second group is not legible on the back. A close-up illustration of the reverse of an embroidery from Wearden's group II was published by Zsuzsa Gibbons, "Azerbaijan", HALI 26, p.27.

Though Wearden addresses the question of dating, her conclusions are cautiously expressed. As regards the relationship between the cross-stitch and the surfacedarned group, she suggests two possibilities: the first is that the cross-stitch embroideries were made in professional workshops while surface-darned examples were made domestically; the second is that crossstitching gave way to surface darning around the year 1700, as silk became more expensive (Wearden, op.cit., p.108). Her hesitancy to argue for a chronological explanation reflects

the close design similarities between some of the examples of the first two groups. Examples executed using both techniques have large central medallions and similar encircling motifs on a brown ground. Embroideries with smaller medallions on a pale ground mainly belong to the third group, and do seem to be somewhat later in date.

With its large central medallion, the horned motifs, and the busy profusion of enigmatic motifs on the brown field, this embroidery is visibly archaic. The almost square proportions and balanced colour palette of the complete textile also mark it out as an early example. The dominant central medallion is comparable in design to a contemporaneous embroidery in the David Collection, Copenhagen, (inv.no. 37/1969) as well as a fragment in the Victoria and Albert Museum dated to the late 17th or early 18th century (acc.no.70-1909). Another closely related

embroidery has the red cruciform motifs which appear on the edges of our textile in the corners: one quarter of it was sold Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 26 November 2011, lot 68, after which it was described in HALI as 'one of the best of its type' ('Auction Price Guide', HALI 171, 2012, P.120). Another half of it then sold Christie's London, 19 April 2016, lot 3. Another feature which that embroidery shares with ours is the inclusion of motifs immediately adjacent to the medallion which appear on all four corners, rotated slightly each time. On that example, it was orange palmettes, while on this one it is the white hooked flowerheads which appear oriented horizontally in the upper half and then vertically in the lower. The close proximity of panels and geometric motifs flanking a central medallion are noted by Christine Klose as having stemmed from Safavid tile patterns, see C. Klose, "The Transformation of Rug Designs" HALI, vol.4, no.4, p.351.

EAST CAUCASUS, MID 19TH CENTURY

Signs of age and wear, corroded brown with associated repiling and some scattered restoration

10ft.1in. x 6ft.6in. (307cm. x 198cm.)

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

US$9,600-14,000

€8,100-12,000

With The House of Perez, London 1964, from where purchased by the present owner

LITERATURE:

James D. Burns, The Caucasus, Tradition in Weaving, 1987, pl. 56.

For full lot essay see christies.com

THE PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED

AN EAST CAUCASIAN SOUMAC RUNNER

KUBA REGION, SECOND HALF 19TH CENTURY

Original macrame braided fringes, corroded black, overall very good condition 10ft.3in. x 3ft.8in. (312cm. x 112cm.)

£4,000-6,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon sale, Christie's London, 15 October 1998, lot 305

US$5,500-8,200

€4,700-6,900

The characteristic blue and ivory 'wave' or 'running dog' pattern in the minor stripes of the present rug, is seen on north east Caucasian flatweaves throughout the nineteenth century. In his discussion on the group, Raoul Tschebull suggests that this border has no obvious Caucasian textile antecedent, and may be derived from earlier metalwork, ceramics or Chinese textiles, (R. Tschebull, 'Zeikhur', HALI, Issue 62, April 1992, p.89). A comparable red-ground soumac of similar design and dated 1852 is published by Alberto Levi, Sumakh, Firenze, 1986, pp.70-1, pl.20.

■*108

A 'DRAGON' SOUMAC CARPET

EAST CAUCASUS, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Corroded dark brown, scattered restoration and repiling throughout 9ft.6in. x 7ft.6in. (290cm. x 229cm.)

£10,000-15,000

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

The present lot forms part of a group of east Caucasian flat-weaves that take their design stimulus from the so-called 'dragon' carpets woven in Armenia from the 16th to the 18th century. In his research on the subject of soumacs, Alberto Boralevi concludes that there is such

uniformity between the various types produced in the Caucasus, that he is lead to believe that they were likely woven in the same area, if not the same village of Kusary, located in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus, (A. Boralevi, Sumakh: Flat-woven carpets of the Caucasus, Firenze, 1986, p.27). This theory is reinforced by the limited number of border variants that can be found which amount to just six. The heavily corroded dark brown zig-zag border seen on the present carpet is found on a soumac carpet of ascending 'Blossom and Palmette' design, dated AH 1260/1844-5 AD which sold in these Rooms, 27 October 2022, lot 178.

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VARIOUS PROPERTIES ■109 A PICTORIAL MALAYIR KELLEH

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Overall excellent condition 10ft.8in. x 5ft.11in. (325cm. x 180cm.)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

US$8,200-11,000

€7,000-9,200

Sotheby's London, 24 April 1991, lot 162 (illustrated front cover)

*110

A BAKHTIARI KHAN PRAYER RUG

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1900

Overall very good condition 7ft. x 4ft.10in. (214cm. x 148cm.)

£5,000-7,000

US$6,800-9,500

€5,800-8,100

The inscription reads, farmayesh-e janab-e jalalat-ma’ab-e ajall aqa-ye soltan mohammad khan mo‘in-e homayun dama iqbaluhu al-‘ali ‘amal-e bakhtiyari, ‘Commission of His exalted Excellence, the most exalted, Aqa-yi Sultan Muhammad Khan Mu‘in-i Humayun, may his lofty success be perpetual. Bakhtiyari work.’

Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, a number of imposing large scale carpets and colourful smaller rugs were woven for individual khans, of which many bore lengthy and often dated inscriptions. These inscribed Bakhtiari ‘Khan’ carpets form a link between tribal and workshop weaving and the tribe’s great khans and ilkhans who were key figures in Iranian polity at the time. Ian Bennett has documented the group using specific carpets to illustrate the progression of the Bakhtiari rulers (Bennett, 1989, p.43).

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Sultan Muhammad Khan (1842-1924), also known as Sardar-e Ashja’, "Bravest Commander", was born into a powerful branch of the Bakhtiari tribe in which his father, brothers, uncles and cousins were all extremely prominent members. He was five times the governor of Isfahan, and at other times governor of Arak and deputy head of the whole Bakhtiari tribe (Il-Begi). He died in 1924 of an illness in Europe. A pair of Bakhtiari white ground bid Majnun rugs woven in 1899 and inscribed in the name of Sultan Muhammad Khan were sold in these Rooms 11 June 1987, lot 59. An ivory ground Bakhtiari prayer rug bearing a different design but woven for the same patron, and dated AH 1317/1899-1900 AD, was sold in these Rooms, 21 April 2015, lot 115 and a prayer rug of identical design but woven for Master Ghulam Khan Shihab al-Saltanah in 1898, sold in these Rooms, 16 April 2007, lot 10. A further prayer rug of identical design, but unsigned, was sold at Rippon Boswell, 15 May 1993, lot 86.

A KASHKULI QASHQAI RUG

SOUTH PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Overall good condition

6ft.9in. x 4ft.3in. (211cm. x 132cm.)

£4,000-6,000

US$5,500-8,200

€4,700-6,900

The Kashkuli were one of many carpet weaving tribes in the Qashqai confederacy but one of few who produced carpets that were not strictly of tribal design, (James Opie, Tribal Rugs of Southern Persia, Portland, 1981, p.13). The curvilinear forms of the palmettes and the flowering vine in the present lot echo designs found in the carpets of nearby Kirman, particularly in the treatment of the tracery vine within the spandrels. The carpets of the Kashkuli can also be identified by their use of finely spun wefts, very often of silk (Opie, ibid, p.16). A closely related example is illustrated on the catalogue back cover of Rippon Boswell, 25 May 2013, lot 147 and one with a lighter blue field and ivory angular floral spray border is illustrated by Eberhart Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche, Von Konya Bis Kokand, III, Munich, 1981, p.152, no.9

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A SARAB RUNNER

AZERBAIJAN, CIRCA 1890

Overall very good condition 13ft.10in. x 3ft.5in. (421cm. x 105cm.)

£4,000-6,000

A SHAHSAVAN RUNNER

AZERBAIJAN, CIRCA 1880

Light localised wear and minor restorations, last few rows at one end rewoven 13ft.3in. x 3ft.3in. (406cm. x 102cm.)

US$5,500-8,200

€4,700-6,900

£2,500-3,500

US$3,400-4,800

€2,900-4,000

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■*113

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A BAKSHAISH CARPET

WEST

Overall very good condition

17ft.3in. x 11ft.8in. (525 x 356cm.)

£28,000-32,000

US$39,000-43,000

€33,000-37,000

The ivory-ground of the present carpet is decorated with floral chains enclosing an over-size indigo shield medallion decorated with pink convoluted forms of zoomorphic appearance. This bold and rather primitive composition and style of drawing, is a distinguishable feature of Bakshaish weavings.

PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

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Of 'Shah Abbas' design, scattered restoration 19ft.1in. x 15ft.9in. (582cm. x 481cm.)

£25,000-35,000

PROVENANCE: Anon. sale, Christie's New York, 30 June 2004, lot 66

US$34,000-48,000

€29,000-40,000

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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE GREEK ESTATE

■*116

AN AGRA CARPET

NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1860

Mostly full pile throughout, overall very good condition

14ft.8in. x 9ft.8in. (452cm. x 300cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

Sir Edward FitzGerald Law (1846-1908)

Thence by descent

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

Reputedly part of the decoration of an imperial Indian palace, this carpet was purchased by the British diplomat and minister of finance, Sir Edward Fitzgerald Law when stationed in India in 1900. Law married the only daughter of a prominent member of an old Byzantine family from Athens, and it was through her side of the family that the carpet passed down by descent.

The present carpet is typical of those produced at Agra in the mid-19th century distinguished by the bold scale of drawing, the fine weave and the vibrant palette. Woven within each of the corners of the border is the figural depiction of a pair of small animals, likely horses. This charming inclusion is a common feature found on a particular group of carpets, the best known of which was formerly part of the important tapestry and carpet collection belonging to the British property developer Reginald Toms (Murray L. Eiland Jr. and Murray Eiland III, Oriental Carpets, A Complete Guide, Toronto, 1998, p.297, fig.298).

PROPERTY OF AN ENGLISH LADY

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AN AGRA CARPET

NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1900

Of Mughal 'shrub' design, full pile, slight loss at each end 14ft.2in. x 11ft.7in. (434cm. x 358cm.)

£12,000-16,000

PROVENANCE:

Purchased from C. John Rare Rugs, London in the 1990's

US$17,000-22,000

€14,000-18,000

Under the Mughal maharajas in 17th century India, and most particularly during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658), heightened attention was placed on the naturalistic rendering of the surrounding flora. Distinctive designs comprising rows or formal arrangements of naturalistic flowers were woven upon rich ruby-red grounds, accurately displaying recognisable specimens of lily, poppy, carnation, tulip, violet and narcissus. Such designs remained popular with Indian weavers for the following two centuries although greater artistic liberties were taken, often making identification problematic. The decorative design of this nineteenth century carpet recalls these early Mughal patterns but is now set upon an ivory ground and the flowers have been miniaturised and are perhaps less recognisable.

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VARIOUS PROPERTIES ■118

A MUGHAL 'MILLEFLEURS' RUG

PROBABLY KASHMIR, NORTH INDIA, MID 18TH CENTURY

Uneven wear, localised restoration and repiling 6ft.9in. x 4ft.5in. (213cm. x 140cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

In the first half of the seventeenth century, during the reign of Shah Jahan, Mughal weaving - as well as architectural elementswere often decorated with closely-observed, large-scale floral elements. The evolution of that style at the Mughal court of Shah Jahan's heir, Aurangzeb, saw the continued fascination with flora but adapted to a miniaturised scale based on a multitude of small, colourful, rosettes, buds, leaves, petals and stems, or millefleurs, as in the present rug. Daniel Walker suggests that the millefleurs carpets developed from the European influence on Mughal floral patterns (D. Walker, Flowers Underfoot; Indian Carpets of the Mughal Era, New York, 1997, pp.119-129). In his article 'Ten Thousand At A Glance', (HALI 88, September 1996, pp.74-77), Steven Cohen suggests that the designs of Mughal Kashmir shawls may have also influenced the development of the designs of the millefleurs prayer rugs. The correlation between the composition of the millefleurs prayer rugs and the boteh design of mid 18th century Kashmir shawls is clear, (see Steven Cohen, ibid, September 1996, figs. 2 and 3, p.75).

Although much of the pile on the present rug has corroded or has worn, areas remain where the pile, particularly in the midnightblue field, have a soft, silky quality suggesting that the pile was woven using the prized pashmina wool. This expensive and highquality material was imported into India from Ladakh and Tibet, suggesting that this group originated from the weaving centers of Northern India, closer to the origin of this precious material. The structure of our rug, comprises three passes of Z2-3 blue cotton wefts. Blue wefts are found on a small number of related millefleur carpets possibly from the same workshop or area. The off white Z6S cotton warps are as one would expect to find on any North Indian cotton warped carpet of any period.

In terms of design, our rug is most closely related to one gifted by Joseph V. McMullan to the George Washington Textile Museum, Washington D.C. (acc.no.1969.52.1). Like that example, ours has an indigo field, densely filled with flowers enclosed by a lattice which divides the field at right angles into rectangular compartments, centered with

a small medallion and spandrels, enclosed within a red border of linked angular stems with blue, white and yellow blossoms and pink carnations. The distinctive ivory guard stripes can be seen on nearly all examples within the group. A rug with the same design on an indigo field but with an ivory border, was purchased on the German market in 1988 (Eberhart Herrmann, Seltene Orienteppiche X, Munich, 1988, no.4, p.14-15). Another from

the same group, lacking a medallion but with a more pronounced diagonal lattice, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc. no.67.267), while an example of a 'millefleurs' carpet with a medallion was sold in these Rooms, 20 October 1992, lot 352. A carpet of longer proportions and with a variant lattice punctuated with sweeping curvaceous leaves, formerly in the collection of Otto Bernheimer, sold in these Rooms, 14 February 1996, lot 181.

PROPERTY OF A JAPANESE COLLECTOR

■*119

A DECCANI RUG

SOUTH CENTRAL INDIA, LATE 18TH CENTURY

Of Mughal 'Shrub' design, mostly full pile throughout, corroded dark brown, minute spots of repair, overall very good condition 8ft.5in. x 4ft.3in. (260cm. x 133cm.)

£12,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

US$17,000-24,000

€14,000-21,000

Yokohama International Auction House, Japan, 3 March 2025, lot 85

The present rug forms part of an intriguing group of rugs only recently re-discovered in Kyoto, Japan, that are defined by distinct colouring, technique and design. Woven on a cotton foundation with 9-plied strands and blue wefts, it is widely considered that they were woven in the Deccan in India. In her extensive thesis on the subject, Yumiko Kamada discusses both the reasons as to where and why these rugs were woven but also the way in which they appear in such high numbers in Japan, (Y. Kamada, Flowers on Floats: The Production, Circulation, and Reception of Early Modern Indian Carpets, New York University, 2011).

Kamada suggests that, in contrast to the finer and more expensive weavings of Persia, these smaller, and less costly examples proved attractive to the merchant classes and began to be traded by the East India Companies as a commercial commodity. Through the international commercial network, Deccani carpets were widely distributed particularly to Japan, Portugal, England and the Netherlands and appeared in the households adding exoticism and opulence to interiors, (Kamada, op.cit., pp.403-5). Dutch paintings of the late 17th and early 18th centuries depicted such pieces in the households of wealthy patrons (D. Walker, Flowers Underfoot, New York, 1997, pp. 136-146). However, in Japan they were considered even more precious and were honoured in the specific adornment of the ceremonial floats of the annual Kyoto Gion Festival. The festival is one of Japan's most important annual events which has been devotedly celebrated for over a millennium (Walker, op.cit, figs. 135-139).

The present carpet is accompanied with a wooden storage box bearing the Japanese inscription, 'Wanli rug.....one piece", on the face of the lid. Interestingly this relates to a similar Deccani rug of Safavid Isfahan design, sold in these Rooms, 16 April 2007, lot 49. That carpet had the same inscription on the outside of the lid of its box and an additional later 20th century inscription on the inside of the lid that stated that it was one of ten rugs brought back by Kobayakawa Takakage after the Korean Invasion. Takakage (1533-1597) was

one of the generals in the Korean Invasion at the Battle of Bunroku (1592) during the Wanli period in both Korea and China. Neither that carpet, or the present lot is 16th century however, and as with many stories that have travelled over time, it would appear that this particular story is an embellishment of the truth.

Further examples from this group were sold in these Rooms; 14 October 1999, lot 147; 24 November 2009, lot 340 and more recently in 27 April 2023, lots 204 and 205.

PROPERTY OF A MIDDLE EASTERN COLLECTOR

■*120

AN IMPRESSIVE SAFAVID ISFAHAN CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Mostly in full pile with a localised natural corrosion in the brown dye and red ground, a couple of very minor repairs, overall excellent condition for its age 23ft.9in. x 10ft.1in. (730cm. x 309cm.)

£60,000-80,000 US$82,000-110,000 €70,000-92,000

PROVENANCE:

Collection of Dr. Uemura Rokuro (1894-1991), Japan Manichi auctions, Tokyo, 19 December 2024, lot 381

EXHIBITED:

'The Beauty of Dyeing and Weaving', April 1986, Kokusai Senshoku Museum of International Dyeing and Weaving, Asahikawa, Japan

LITERATURE:

The Beauty of Dyeing and Weaving, Jun Nakajima, exhibition catalogue, Tokyo Art, Japan,1986, pp.81-84

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The Kokusai Senshoku Museum, which first opened its doors in 1986, was purpose-built to house the impressive collection of over 2000 Japanese and international textiles and weavings that had been fastidiously collected by Dr. Uemura Rokuro (1894-1991) a pre-eminent Japanese researcher of dyeing and weaving culture. According to the exhibition catalogue, plans for the museum building centered around a high wall in the foyer of the building, upon which this impressive carpet was to be hung, with the intention that it was one of the first exhibits visitors would see upon entering the museum.

Rokuro's lifetime research focused on the ancient techniques of weaving and dyeing during which time he was commissioned, by the Imperial Household Agency, to investigate the Shosoin textiles. He served as the president of the Japan Dyeing and Weaving Culture Association and his collected works are published in six volumes. Rokuro's diverse collection contained traditional Japanese kimono, Indian palampores, Peruvian weavings and Flemish tapestries as well as the present Persian Isfahan carpet. For someone so fascinated in the source of natural dyes and their apparent effects on various fibers, it is not hard to understand Rokuro's attraction to the present carpet with its kaleidoscope of brilliant natural dye colours.

The presence of red ground carpets of 'in and out palmette' design in European inventories and paintings serves as an aide to understanding the chronology and dissemination of the group in the West where they appear by the late 16th century but were not widely disseminated until the following century. Jessica Hallet's article sets out the development of Isfahan carpet design over the 17th century and she bases her conclusions principally on Portuguese inventory records, which are supported by paintings. She suggests that the inclusion of large scrolling saz leaves within the palmette vine design, which notably this carpet does not feature, is generally considered to be a later feature introduced post 1650, supporting the suggestion that the present carpet was woven earlier in the century (J. 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).

While the journey of such carpets to the West is relatively well documented, their arrival in the East is less clear. Japan’s isolationist foreign policy, Sakoku, “locked country”, was supported by the powerful Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo period (1603-1868). Japan’s doors were closed to the West and relations and trade routes between Japan and other countries were severely limited. While the Japanese were forbidden to leave the country, the only Europeans to be granted permission to continue trading were the Dutch due to their loyal attitude towards the Japanese central government and their flexibility in religious matters. The highly successful Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), more commonly known as the Dutch East India company, had been trading since 1602.

Despite these trading limitations, a variety of textiles, rugs and carpets found their way to Japan from the mid 16th century as gifts to the Shogun and high officials. Their popularity grew particularly amongst the military commanders, an example of which can be seen in the battle surcoat (jin-baori) of the great Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) that is made-up from a rare 16th century Safavid kilim. The jin-baori, was displayed in an exhibition held in the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka in 1994, (8 September - 29 November) which showcased a surprising number of Persian and Indian carpets, including two ‘Polonaise’ and red-ground wool Isfahan carpets. (‘Woven Flowers of the Silk Road’, by Toh Sugimura, HALI, 76, 1994, p.108).

The number of rare and historically important carpets from Japanese institutional holdings in that exhibition shows a tradition of carpet appreciation. Another notable example of Japan’s appreciation of exotic textiles can be seen in the annual Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, which first began parading the neighbourhood floats in the Muromachi period (1333-1573). It became an opportunity for the bourgeoisie of Kyoto to decorate their floats with increasingly costly textile decoration that included exotic rugs and carpets from India, Persia and central Asia. According to Sugimura, the Gion section of the Osaka exhibition included two 17th century Persian ‘Polonaise’ carpets which he suggests could have been gifted to the Daimyo (feudal lords) by Western or Japanese traders.

This imposing and archetypal Safavid Isfahan carpet with its intricate floral design covers a substantial area, creating a dramatic visual effect of a seemingly endless meadow of flowers and decoration. The wide array of colours within the palette, amounting to twelve in total, with additional varying tones in each, retain their original depth and richness and are used in numerous combinations. The execution of drawing is also of particular note, as the weavers have maintained a balanced and harmonious design throughout, highlighting particular flowers and cloud bands with precise outline and form. While a dark brown was used to outline some of the decoration, it was also used to fill petals and leaves within various flowers and palmettes however, with time, it has corroded so dramatically that these specific areas are left devoid of wool, and colour, revealing the cotton warp and weft beneath which in turn throws the surrounding elements into greater relief. Two period carpets of similar scale, drawing and colouring, were formerly owned by Senator William A. Clark before he gifted them to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington in 1925; they were later sold at Sotheby's, New York, 5 June 2013, lots 4 and 5, along with the rest of his collection.

While we are short on conclusive proof, the appearance of such a carpet, seemingly unpublished in the West, surviving in this condition, together with the few facts that are certain about its provenance, may suggest that its export to Japan had taken place when interest in exotic carpets was at its greatest, in other words, possibly at a time when the carpets themselves were being made in the 17th century.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

■*121

A SILK HERIZ 'GARDEN' CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1870

Of Charbagh design, overall excellent condition

11ft.1in. x 8ft. (337cm. x 245cm.)

£40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

US$55,000-82,000

€47,000-69,000

Butterfield and Butterfield, San Francisco, 10 December 1982, lot 74

The knot count measures approximately 7V x 8H knots per cm.sq.

Inscribed with Persian poetic couplets, repeated:

“Welcome! For your arrival is pleasing to me, A thousand precious lives are the sacrifice for each step of yours.”

“The portico of my eye is your nest, Be generous and alight, for this is your dwelling”

A benediction, repeated:

mubarak bad

‘May [this carpet] be blessed’

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 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 and were often gifted at Nowruz to celebrate the start of the new year.

The Charbagh or 'Four Garden' design seen here, is one of the most desirable patterns in decorative Persian carpets and is evocative of ancient Persia and its love of nature. The word 'paradise' itself comes from the old Iranian, pairidaezai meaning "enclosed garden" Here we are presented with paradise at the height of spring, with fruit trees in full bloom. It is organized as a stately, double four-part garden, an ancient form combining gardens divided into four quarters by longitudinal and latitudinal streams of water, always a precious commodity in the arid Persian climate. The present carpet no longer displays channels filled with rivulets of water but have been replaced with cartouches of elegant calligraphic Persian prose and two large radiating sunburst medallions that have replaced the centralised pools into which the water flowed.

The 'Four Garden' design is one of a significant number of seventeenth century cartoons created in south east Persia which travelled to the north west of the country in the eighteenth century. The earliest surviving 17th century carpets of this design are few in number. Some use variations on the simple four-part structure, such as the Jaipur Chahar Bagh carpet from the early 17th century (now in the Central Museum, Jaipur, and illustrated in HALI, Vol 5, No.1, p.14, pl.5) with a central ornamental lake enclosing a pleasure pavilion and two supporting aquatic reserves. Both Kurt Erdmann (Seven Hundred Years of Oriental Carpets, London, 1970, pp.66-70) and Christine Klose ('Betrachtungen zu nordwestpersischen Gartenteppichen des 18. Jahrhunderts', HALI, vol.1, no.2, (1978), p.114) discuss the development of the group. The present example, finely woven in silk, faithfully continues the classic tradition.

The border design of green cypress trees that alternate with floral sprays and flowering shrubs, is found on a small number of 'vase' carpets, more frequently displaying a flowering three-plane lattice field (Benguiat sale, American Art Association, New York, 19-22 November 1922, lot 735; Christine Klose, 'Betrachtungen zu nordwestpersischen Gartenteppichen des 18. Jahrhunderts' HALI, volume 1, no. 2, Summer 1978, pl. 8, p. 118) and those with single plane designs, (May Beattie, Carpets of Central Persia with special reference to Rugs of Kirman, Sheffield and Birmingham exhibition catalogue, Westerham, 1976, no. 56, pp. 80-81; and Christie's London, 15 October 1998, lot 317). Its form, as May Beattie points out, derives from an abstraction of an early 'vase' carpet field design element (Beattie, op.cit., no.14, p.49). A near identical border fragment is published, together with a number of other Safavid south Persian carpet borders, in F. R. Martin, A History of Oriental Carpets Before 1800, Vienna, 1908, pl.XX. This same border can also be seen later on a small group of south Persian weavings which use a different technique but take their field and border designs from 'vase' carpets (Werner Grote-Hasenbalg, Der Orientteppich, seine Geschichte und seine Kultur, Berlin, 1922, vol. III, pl. 62; also one sold in these Rooms 21 October 1993, lot 519).

The quality of the lustrous silk of the present carpet, together with the clarity of the natural dyes that have remained so richly saturated, are testament to the quality of workmanship in the weaving atelier of Heriz during the second half of the nineteenth century. The design, with its suggestion of a lush garden interspersed with poetic verses encouraging joy and merriment but also contemplation, would no doubt have had the desired effect upon the beholder. A comparable silk Heriz carpet of 'Garden' design, decorated with a series of calligraphic cartouches and dated AH 1285/1868 AD, sold in these Rooms, 3 May 2001, lot 50.

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AN UNUSUAL PAIR OF SILK KASHAN PRAYER RUGS

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1900

Of 'Salting' design, finely woven, overall very good condition

Each; 5ft.1in. x 1ft.3in. (156cm. x 39cm.)

£7,000-10,000

US$9,500-13,000

€8,100-11,000

The knot count measures approximately 10V x 10H knots per cm. sq.

The design of these two unusual long rugs are based quite faithfully on the 'Salting' prayer rug in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc. no.17.120.124). It was widely published in the early 20th century in books such as Arthur Upham Pope's Survey of Persian Art, enabling weavers to scrutinise the design and make their own versions of it. The original rug includes extensive use of calligraphy, with the apotropaic 'throne verse' of the Qur'an at the upper end in the borders, and the phrase Allahu akbar in a central cartouche. The design on our rugs only departs from the original in the elongation of the design. The 'Salting' prayer rug design was popular with Kashan weavers, and another prayer rug inspired by it was in the George Farrow collection, sold in these Rooms, 25 April 2024, lot 209.

■*122

A SILK KIRMAN PRAYER RUG

SOUTH EAST PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Of Millefleurs design, full silk pile with a metal-thread inscription, overall excellent condition

6ft.8in. x 4ft.5in. (203cm. x 135cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,300-14,000

The knot count measures approximately 10V x 9H knots per cm. sq.

The cartouche reads; sefaresh-e hajj karim sadaqiyani, ‘Commission of Hajj Karim Sadaqiyani’

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A RELIEF-CUT PICTORIAL KASHAN 'MOHTASHAM' RUG

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1900

Depicting the Queen of Sheba and a simurgh, within a landscape of flowering trees and shrubs, overall excellent condition

7ft.6in. x 4ft.9in. (234cm. x 152cm.)

£9,000-11,000

US$13,000-15,000

€11,000-13,000

The cartoon of this pictorial rug draws inspiration from earlier illuminated Persian manuscripts depicting the figure of the Queen of Sheba. An example depicting Sheba enthroned, surrounded by animals and seated beneath a flying mythical bird (simurgh) is seen on a Safavid illustrated frontispiece of Hafiz, 946 AH/AD 1539, from the Walters manuscript, The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (W.631).

Both the ivory wool in the background of the scene as well as the caramel-brown ground of the border have been shaved to a lower level than the rest of the rug, in order to help enhance certain elements of the design adding a painterly quality to the scene and throwing the design into relief. The same technique is employed on a 'Mohtasham' rug with a closely related pictorial design that sold in these Rooms, 5 April 2011, lot 70.

A PICTORIAL KIRMAN CARPET

SOUTH EAST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

A pictorial scene depicting a seated Sufi within an ornate pavilion within a garden of paradise, areas of wear, last few rows at each end rewoven 11ft.8in. x 9ft.5in. (356cm. x 288cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,300-14,000

The drawing of the seated Sufi within the verdant landscape is closely related to a pictorial Kirman carpet of similar size, signed by the master weaver Muhammed ibn Ja'far, that sold in these Rooms, 21 October, 1993, lot 587. Muhammed, who is thought to have been the father of the celebrated weaver Abul Qasim Kirman, is noted for weaving intricate, often pictorial designs, of particular finesse. There are few notable bridges in the city of Kirman and so the single story arched bridge that spans the bottom of the carpet could possibly one of the ancient bridges that span the Zayandeh river that runs through the city of Isfahan, such as the Shahrestan or Marnan.

126 A KIRMAN CARPET

SOUTH EAST PERSIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Touches of light localised wear, a natural corrosion occurring in some of the red dye, selvages rebound

12ft.9in. x 10ft.7in. (396cm. x 329cm.)

£10,000-12,000

US$14,000-16,000

€12,000-14,000

■*128

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD KOUM KAPI RUG

ATTRIBUTABLE TO GARABED APELYAN, ISTANBUL, TURKEY, CIRCA 1920

Overall excellent condition

6ft.2in. x 4ft.6in. (189cm. x 136cm.)

£12,000-16,000

US$17,000-22,000

€14,000-18,000

The knot count measures approximately 8V x 9H knots per cm. sq.

The particular colour palette of the present rug with its delicate field design of fine floral decoration and the inclusion of birds, together with the specific technique of application of the metal-thread in the highlights, are characteristics most commonly attributed to the Armenian master weaver Garabed Apelyan. Apelyan, who was recognised as a contemporary of Zareh Penyamin, had moved from Kayseri to Istanbul to set up his studio in Gedik Paşa (M. Önder Çokay, 'Istanbul's Masters of Silk', HALI 192, 2017, pp.104-7). A rug with an almost identical cartoon to the present lot, differing only with respect to the minor stripes, was part of the collection of George Farrow, and sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2024, lot 208. Another comparable silk rug attributed to Apelyan, with the addition of animals in the design, is in the Arkas collection, Izmir, (Kum Kapi Rugs From the Arkas Collection, exhib. catalogue, Türk ve Islam Eserleri Museum, Istanbul, 2017, pp.74-75, pl.22).

■*127

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD KOUM KAPI RUG

ISTANBUL, TURKEY, CIRCA 1920

Of 'Shah Abbas' design, overall excellent condition 5ft.11in. x 4ft.3in. (180cm. x 132cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

The knot count measures approximately 10V x 9H knots per cm. sq.

The pattern on this rug is woven rather more freely and on a larger scale than many rugs of 'Shah Abbas' design from the Koum Kapi workshops. It also has a surprisingly thick silk pile A comparable rug which sold in these Rooms, 25 April 2002, lot 87, likely came from the same workshop as this design. : it takes the same overall field pattern but the two facing palmettes on the horizontal axis are outward facing while the part palmettes which appear four times to the sides of our field appear instead on the vertical axis. The similarity is underlined by an almost identical main border.

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A SILK AND METAL-THREAD KOUM KAPI RUG

ATTRIBUTABLE TO GARABED APELYAN, ISTANBUL, TURKEY, CIRCA 1920

Overall excellent condition

6ft.8in. x 4ft. 6in. (202cm. x 137cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

The knot count measures approximately 11V x 10H knots per cm.sq.

The densely-packed animal combat groups which populate the field of this rug find close parallels in Safavid carpets, such as the famous 'Emperor's Carpet' in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.

no.43.121.1). The design of this rug is directional, with a network of swirling tendrils issuing from a central stem. This is similar to a cartoon which appears on Koum Kapi rugs including one sold in these Rooms, 2 May 2019, lot 258, and another in Christie's New York, 22 August 2018, lot 394. However, this rug is finer than either of those, and the drawing far more intricate. A closer parallel can be drawn with a rug in the Arkas collection which, though it does not have the same spiralling stems, has a similar directionality and vertical symmetry to our rug, as well as animals. The main border on that rug is also from an identical cartoon to ours, differing only in the exact palette used (Kum Kapi Rugs From the Arkas Collection, exhib.cat., Türk ve Islam Eserleri Museum, Istanbul, 2017 no.22, pp.74-5). In the catalogue, that rug is attributed to the workshop of Garabed Apelyan, suggesting this may also be his work.

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD KOUM KAPI PRAYER RUG

SIGNED ZAREH PENYAMIN, ISTANBUL, TURKEY, CIRCA 1920

Of 'Sultan's Head' design, signed in a cartouche in the lower half of the field, overall excellent condition

6ft.5in. x 4ft.3in. (195cm. x 130cm.)

£60,000-80,000

US$82,000-110,000

€70,000-92,000

The knot count measures approximately 12V x 10H knots per cm. sq.

Zareh Penyamin (1890-1949), is perhaps the most celebrated of the ‘Koum Kapi’ atelier weavers. Born near Kayseri, he had initially draughted music scores before moving in 1906 to the Imperial workshop in Hereke where he was made chief designer. Recalled to Istanbul by Sultan Abdul Hamid II (1842-1918), Zareh was appointed to oversee the Imperial atelier at the Topkapi Palace, a position he held until 1922. Zareh went to exceptional lengths to study not only the designs but also the techniques of previous Armenian court weavers who had been employed since the 1840’s. He was known for his exacting standards and reputedly went so far as to unravel old weavings to study their structure so that he may in turn improve his techniques. Much of Zareh’s production was woven between 1916 and 1938 after which he stopped weaving due to ill health.

This prayer rug highlights the exacting draughtsmanship of the master weaver but also the technical ability required in the handling of the finely spun silk of the highest quality together with the elaborately gilded metal-thread. These valuable materials were manipulated and transformed, creating texture and movement with varying planes of relief and intricate designs which were greatly admired and collected by the court but also across Europe and the west. In a relatively short period the atelier of Zareh, and those of a small numer of other master weavers, had brought about a new style and technique of Turkish court weaving which sadly was relatively short lived, due to increased costs and the lack of skilled designers and weavers.

Helpfully, Zareh adopted a square-kufic signature as his trademark, rendering his first name in Arabic script. This indicates his debt to the imperial workshop at Hereke, which also used a square-kufic signature on carpets. Pamela Bensoussan publishes a group of cartoons for a 'Sultan's Head' prayer rug, which were acquired from the widow of Zareh Penyamin (“The Masterweavers of Istanbul”, HALI 26, 1985, p.38). Interestingly, on those cartoons the square-kufic signature in the metal-thread central cartouche, do not spell Zareh's name but another word, possibly Awam. The meaning of this signature has proved elusive.

Based on the fact that the cartoons were with Armin Penyamin, as well as the similarity of design between the cartoon and the woven rugs such as the present lot, it is now considered to be an early signature used by Zareh, while he was possibly still at the Hereke workshop. The signature on this rug reads as 'Zareh' rather than 'Awam', making this rug incontrovertibly the work of Penyamin.

The ogee profile of the niche bears a resemblance to the so-called ‘Topkapi’ carpets. Though their exact date and place of manufacture is a source of some disagreement among scholars, they had begun to be published around the turn of the twentieth century in books such as, F. R. Martin’s A History of Oriental Carpets before 1800, Sarre and Trenkwald’s Alt-Orientalische Teppiche, and Arthur Upham Pope’s multi-volume Survey of Persian Art. The advent of colour printing meant that, for the first time, designers like Zareh could access carpets which had hitherto been hidden in aristocratic and royal treasuries, and study their designs. It is also, of course, possible that Zareh was able to see some of the rugs in the museum of the Topkapi palace, only a stone’s throw from Koum Kapi and opened as a museum by decree of the Turkish government in April 1924.

Beyond the shape of the prayer niche, other similarities between this rug and the Topkapi prayer rugs include the abundance of calligraphy –with the apotropaic ‘Throne Verse’ in the main border cartouches – and the appearance of Chinese-inspired cloud-bands in the mihrab niche. Zareh did introduce new elements of his own to the design, including the niches decorated with prayer lamps and birds, which George Farrow identified as hoopoes, and the minor stripe around the edge of the rug which mirrors the shape of the central niche. The incorporation of metal-thread allowed Zareh to add texture to his rugs, making the cloud-bands and calligraphy stand in greater relief.

Two slight variants of this rug seem to have been woven by Zareh. The first group, to which the present lot belongs, has a shortened field deign which finishes just below the lower cloud-band inside the niche. Examples of this group include one published by Pamela Bensoussan (op.cit., p.18) as well as examples sold in these Rooms 16 October 2003, lot 150 and 29 April 13 October 2005, lot 21. The second group, continues the design for a few inches below the lower cloud-band, and also extends the design sideways. Examples of this extended version sold in these Rooms; 15 October 1998, lot 289; 29 April 2004, lot 76 and more recently 25 April 2024, lot 171, from the collection of George Farrow.

Kufic signature of Zareh Penyamin (detail)

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A SILK AND METAL-THREAD KOUM KAPI PRAYER RUG

ATTRIBUTABLE TO ZAREH PENYAMIN, ISTANBUL, TURKEY, CIRCA 1920

Of 'Sultan's Head' design, full silk pile, a few localised short splits 5ft.9in. x 3ft.7in. (176cm. x 108cm.)

£30,000-50,000

US$41,000-68,000

€35,000-58,000

The knot count measures approximately 10V x 11H knots per cm. sq.

The inscription cartouche in the mihrab niche reads, bi-yed-e Abd Allah nehsad wa navad - 'by the hand of 'Abd Allah, 990'

Here the 'Sultan's Head' has transformed from having an ogee niche formed of a concave and convex curve, (see the previous lot in the present sale) to one with elongated inverted sides and a lobed crest. This design was used and re-used while the master weavers experimented with various combinations of mainly pastel-coloured palettes such as one formerly in the George Farrow Collection, that sold in these Rooms, 25 April 2024, lot 170. Two examples in the Arkas collection of the same design are more comparable in colour to the present rug (Kumkapi rugs from the Arkas Collection, exhibition catalogue, Izmir, 2017, pp.64-5, no.17).

Other rugs with a matching cartoon and further variations on the colour and borders include examples sold in these Rooms, 22 April 1999, lot 18; 10 October 2008, lot 50; 7 October 2010, lot 77; and 23 April 2013, lot 138. Further examples were sold; Christie’s New York, 26 November 2013, lot 242; Sotheby’s London, 31 March 2021, lot 139 and 6 April 2011, lot 478.

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PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF THE LATE GEORGE FARROW

■*132

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD ISTANBUL RUG

TURKEY, CIRCA 1890

Finely woven on a yellow silk structure, light localised wear, minor restorations

6ft.1in. x 4ft.2in. (186cm. x 127cm.)

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

With C. John Fine Rugs Ltd., London, 1988

George Farrow by 1993

LITERATURE:

Personal catalogue, 1993

US$9,600-14,000

€8,100-12,000

The knot count measures approximately 12V x 11H knots per cm. sq.

For full lot essay see Christies.com

■*133

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD KOUM KAPI RUG SIGNED ZAREH PENYAMIN, ISTANBUL, TURKEY, CIRCA 1920

With multiple signatures, of 'Shah Abbas' design, localised colour-run and dryness

6ft.3in. x 4ft.4in. (191cm. x 133cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

With C. John Rare Rugs Ltd., London, 1988 George Farrow by 1991

LITERATURE:

Personal catalogue, December 1991, MWI 17

ENGRAVED:

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

The square kufic signature 'Zareh' in metal-thread, within seven palmettes in the field

The knot count measures approximately 9V x 8H knots per cm. sq.

For full lot essay see Christies.com

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A SILK AND METAL-THREAD KOUM KAPI RUG

SIGNED HAGOP KAPOUDJIAN, ISTANBUL, TURKEY, CIRCA 1920

Full pile throughout, slight localised dryness and associated splitting 6ft.1in. x 4ft.3in. (185cm. x 130cm.)

£12,000-16,000 US$17,000-22,000

€14,000-18,000

PROVENANCE:

George Farrow collection by 1995

LITERATURE:

George Farrow and Leonard Harrow, Hagop

Kapoudjian: the First and Greatest Master of the Koum Kapi School, London, 1993, p.40, cat.no. MWI 6

Personal catalogue, 1995, MWI 7

ENGRAVED:

The signature H.K. in pile in two opposite corners of the field

The knot count measures approximately 9V x 7H knots per cm. sq.

This rug belongs to a group woven later in Hagop Kapoudjian’s career when his confidence as a designer had evolved. Rather than simply following classical prototypes, here we see him boldly combining and creating designs developed by sixteenth and seventeenth century weavers. Typical of Hagop is the purple field, which he seems to have made into his trademark later in his career. He also proudly signs his work, with his initials appearing twice in the corners.

The overall design of the rug, with a round central medallion and a field populated by fierce and fantastical beasts, is evocative of Safavid carpets. An example in the Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, is similar in its overall conception (acc.no.Inv.100), while another in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C (acc.no.1942.9.477) also has a yellow central medallion. The details of the present design, however, are much more fanciful than either of those.

A particularly striking feature is the profusion of dragons in the design. Four golden serpents, mirrored along the vertical and horizontal axes, outline the central field medallion. Inside the border there are further metal-thread dragons, spotted and winged, which dart in and out of the floral meander. These are not unknown on Safavid weavings: the ‘Dragon’ carpets of Safavid Azerbaijan are structured around a lattice of white dragons, and on early examples – such as that in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, (acc. no.10.3.1999) they are often spotted. Spotted dragons also appear in the border of the

magnificent Sanguzsko carpet in the Miho Museum, Kyoto, published by Arthur Upham Pope, The Survey of Persian Art, Oxford, 1939.

Dragons like these can be observed on two other rugs woven in Istanbul around the turn of the century which are published by Leonard Harrow. The first of these shares with our example a scalloped central medallion, which contains a single large coiled white dragon (Leonard Harrow, The Fabric of Paradise, London, 1988, p.78, no.20). The second example has a red field, and a central medallion containing four pairs of dragons executed in metal-thread. These motifs are repeated in the four spandrels (ibid., p.86,

no.24). Although Harrow does not attribute either of these to Hagop, both examples were produced by weavers working in a similar milieu

A purple-ground silk and metal-thread signed Hagop rug was sold in The George Farrow collection, in these Rooms, 25 April 2024, lot 183. A similarity can also be observed between the border on this rug and that on the example inspired by Caucasian ‘Dragon’ carpets in the same sale, lot 186. This gives further strength to Farrow’s suggestion that that rug, and others from the ‘Toussounian’ group, were in fact woven by Hagop under contract for Toussounian.

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PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT NEW YORK COLLECTION

■*135

A SILK AND METAL-THREAD KOUM KAPI PRAYER RUG

SIGNED AVEDIS TAMISHJIAN, ISTANBUL, TURKEY, CIRCA 1920

Finely woven, signed Avedis Tamishjian in a cartouche in the lower half of the field, touches of localised wear and minor restoration 6ft.7in. x 4ft.4in. (200cm. x 131cm.)

£18,000-22,000

PROVENANCE:

US$25,000-30,000

€21,000-25,000

Christie's London, 15 October 1998, lot 289

The knot count measures approximately 12V x 11H knots per cm. sq.

Worked within the metal thread ground of a flowering palmette along the lower vertical axis from which the design emanates, there is a small stylised marking in kufic maze script that is similar to the signature of Zareh, however it appears to contain the letters sin (or shin) lower left, and jim (or kha or ha) which is generally acknowledged to be that of Avedis Tamishjian. This master weaver is known to have worked for the merchant Nuh'negi, having set up his workshop in the 1920's and was most commonly associated with designs illustrating animal combat scenes (P. Bensoussan, 'Turkish Workshop Carpets', HALI, Issue 26, April/May/June 1985, pp.3441, esp.p.38).

Since Tamishjian set up later than Zareh Penyamin, for him to have woven a rug with the design for which Zareh became best known must have been seen as competitive! The level of workmanship in the present rug is of a very fine quality. One can see from the reverse that the colours, when first woven,

were richly saturated but have softened with time. A notable difference in the drawing of the Tamishjian cartoon from that of Zareh is the way the leafy scrolling tendrils are allowed to trail elements over the inscriptions in the upper border rather than having the inscription cut through them.

Although relatively few signed works by Tamishjian have appeared on the market,

two silk 'Sultan's Head' prayer rugs have sold in these Rooms, 6 April 2006, lot 109 and another on 5 April 2011, lot 21. Another small mat by the same weaver was sold Christie's London, 11 October 1990, lot 13, where the illustration just enables the signature to be legible, albeit inverted. That particular mat was studied by George Farrow and published, G. Farrow, 'Irrelevant Rubbish', letter in HALI 55, February 1991, p.83.

Signature of Avedis Tamishjian (detail)

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■•137

A LADIK PRAYER RUG

WEST ANATOLIA, LATE 18TH CENTURY

Light uneven wear, scattered areas of restoration, ends and sides partially rewoven

5ft.4in. x 3ft.6in. (162cm. x 106cm.)

£4,000-6,000

US$5,500-8,200

€4,700-6,900

The overall design of this 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 yellow-ground 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 James F. Ballard, (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; Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 23 November 2024, lot 82, and more recently in these Rooms, 1 May 2025, lot 172.

THE PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE COLLECTOR

■•136

A KONYA PRAYER RUG

CENTRAL ANATOLIA, CIRCA 1850

Full pile throughout, minor scattered spots of repiling, original selvages and kilim ends

4ft.6in. x 3ft.4in. (143cm. x 105cm.)

£2,500-3,500

US$3,400-4,800

€2,900-4,000

An almost identical Konya prayer rug offered from the same collection as the present rug, was formerly with Eberhart Herrmann, (Seltene Orientteppiche IV, Munich, 1978, pp.72-3, pl.8) and sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2024, lot 282.

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT NEW YORK COLLECTION

■*138

A DOUBLE NICHE RUG

USHAK REGION, WEST ANATOLIA, LATE 17TH/EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Scattered areas of old moth damage, localised repairs and restorations 6ft. x 4ft.4in. (183cm. x 132cm.)

£15,000-20,000

PROVENANCE:

Lefevre & Partners, 5 July 1974

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

Lefevre & Partners, 4 February 1977, lot 3 Austrian private collection Battilossi, Tappeti d'Antiquariato, Christie's London, 11 February 1998, lot 61 from where purchased by the present owner

LITERATURE:

Lefevre & Partners, Turkish Carpets from the 16th to 19th centuries, London, 4 February 1977, lot 3

Heinz Martin, Orientteppiche Erkennen-Kaufen-Erhalten, Munich, 1981, p.87

Antique Anatolian Carpets from Austrian Collections, exhibition catalogue, Vienna, 1983, no.8, pp.66-7

HALI 59, October 1991, p.88 (detail)

The present lot is closely related to two rugs which combine a plain red field and classic hexagonal medallion of sixteenth century form with spandrels filled with an overall geometric design (E. Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche VIII, Munich, 1987, no.1, pp.18-19; formerly Sotheby's London, 16 April 1986, lot 428; and M. and V. Viale, Arazzi e Tappeti Antichi, Turin, 1948, pl.164b from the Bardini Museum, Florence, inv. no. 861). These latter two certainly pre-date the present rug, showing an intermediate stage in the development of the design from the classic sixteenth century Small Medallion Ushak type to the present example.

The Bardini rug, as well as showing an earlier version of the field, shows where the original border design of the present piece came from. It is a border design which, once it has been simplified to the present degree, more usually appears in a doubled form (F. Bausback, Antike Meisterstücke Orientalischer Knüpfkunst, Mannheim, 1975, pp.84-85; Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 14 November 1992, lot 75; and J. McMullen, Islamic Carpets, New York, 1965, no.80, pp.256-7). The first of these rugs has a field design which is a later version of the 'Ghirlandaio' design while the latter two have designs which have concentric medallions converging on a central hexagonal medallion of sixteenth century derivation, although not of such a pure form as that seen in the present rug.

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THE ZANDER-CASSIRER ‘BIRD’ CARPET

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION

■140

A RARE LARGE SELENDI 'BIRD' CARPET

USHAK REGION, WEST ANTOLIA, CIRCA 1575

Corroded dark brown, minor restoration and uneven areas of wear, original selvages and kilims partially retained 15ft.2in. x 7ft.1in. (465cm. x 217cm.)

£250,000-350,000

PROVENANCE:

Dr. Kurt Zander Collection, Berlin

Dr. Alfred Cassirer Collection, Berlin

US$340,000-470,000

€290,000-400,000

Eva Cassirer Collection, Berlin-USA-Mallorca by whom loaned to the Detroit Institute of Arts, inv. no. F49.25, 1949-2000 and to the Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin, 2000-2012

The present owner

EXHIBITED:

Ausstellung von Meisterwerken Muhammedanischer Kunst, (Exhibition of Masterpieces of Islamic Art), Munich, 1910, Cat. No 146

LITERATURE:

Stadt-Museum, Munich, Ausstellung München 1910. Ausstellung von Meisterwerken Muhammedanischer Kunst; Amtlicher Katalog, exhibition catalogue, Munich, 1910, p.32, no.146

Stadt-Museum, Munich, Ausstellung von Meisterwerken Muhammedanischer Kunst in München 1910, exhibition catalogue, Munich, 1912, vol.I, no.146, pl.73

Collection Dr. Kurt Zander, Frederik Muller & Cie, Amsterdam, auction catalogue, 14 May 1914, lot 355

Rudolf Meyer Riefstahl, ‘Turkish “Bird” Rugs and Their Designs’, in The Art Bulletin, vol.7, no.3, March 1925, p.91, note 4 (cited)

Kurt Erdmann, Oriental Carpets, New York and London, 1960, fig.148

Kurt Erdmann, Seven Hundred Years of Oriental Carpets, London, 1970, p.22, fig.9 (detail)

Charles Grant Ellis, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Oriental Carpets in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1988, p.58, note 3 (cited) Anna Beselin, ‘Using Carpets to Tell Stories. Innovative Approaches to Museum Display’, HALI, Issue 168, Summer 2011, p.31, fig.15

The Zander-Cassirer Selendi carpet is a highly important example from this rare group of white ground, large-scale carpets displaying the ‘Bird’ design. The carpet was purchased by the German engineer, entrepreneur and art collector, Alfred Cassirer (1875-1932) from the collection of Johannes Kurt Zander (1860-1926) who was closely involved in the Anatolische Eisenbahngesellschaft (Anatolian Rail Company, now Anadolu Demiryolu Şirketi) during its attempts to build the Baghdad Railway in 1904-1905, where his family kept a house on the Aegean island Prinkipo (now Büyükada, Turkey), during this endeavor. One of almost forty significant classical large-format carpets in his collection, Cassirer was closely advised by the former curator and director of the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin, (1931-1951) Ernst Kühnel. Cassirer had always wished that his carpets be displayed in the Museum of Islamic Art and to remain there after his lifetime. Sadly however, following his death in 1932, his collection was dispersed, but eventually was returned to Berlin in 2000, through the efforts of the Detroit Institute of Arts, his daughter Eva Cassirer and Wolf-Dieter Dube, General Director of the National Museums.

‘Bird’ rugs are mentioned in an official Ottoman price register from Edirne in 1640, as being made in Selendi (a town between Ushak, Kula and Ghiordes), However, the design was clearly popular, and differences in style between examples may indicate that it was taken up in other weaving centers in the region, see R. Pinner and M. Franses, ‘The ‘Classical’ Carpets of the 15th to 17th Centuries’, HALI, Vol.6 , No. 4, 1984, their survey of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Turkish carpet collection, p.373, hence the attribution.

‘Bird’ rugs are most often dated to the 17th century, but they begin to appear in European paintings from the mid-16th century. The earliest recorded depiction is in the portrait of a protestant Doctor of Law, 'Ladislaus von Fraunberg, Count of Haag (1505-1566)' by Hans Mielich c.1548, in the Kress Collection, New York, where the field of the ‘Bird’ rug covers a table (see M.S. Dimand and Jean Mailey, Oriental Rugs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, 1983, p.192).

Henry Hastings (1586-1643), 5th Earl of Huntingdon, is depicted standing on a 'Bird' Ushak carpet, with the same border as the present lot, in his portrait by Paulus van Somer I (attrib.), of 1601, in Queens College, Cambridge (illustrated) and a further 16th century depiction,

Henry Hastings (1586–1643), 5th Earl of Huntingdon, by Paulus van Somer I, 1601 (attributed to), reproduced by kind permission of the Master and Fellows of Queens’ College, Cambridge

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again with this border, is seen in Portrait of a Man, attributed to François Clouet or Corneille de Lyon, c.1560-70. (Museo Lazaro Galdiano, Madrid; see K. Erdmann, Seven Hundred Years of Oriental Carpets, Faber and Faber, London, 1970, p.22, fig.10; Jon Thompson & Moshe Tabibnia, Milestones in the History of Carpets, Milan, 2006, p.242). In his discussion of the large 'Bird' carpet in the Uffizi gallery, Florence, Carlo Suriano references the Mielich portrait and how the carpet appears to show a fully developed design, suggesting that the two are contemporaneous, assuming that the rug was new when depicted (Carlo Maria Suriano, 'Patterns of Patronage, Classical carpets in the Bargello Museum, Florence', HALI, Issue 83, October/November 1995, pp.84-86).

The 1601 inventory of Bess of Hardwick’s property included, in her bedchamber, “three foote turkie Carpetes the grounds of them white, to laye about the bed.” 'Foote....carpetes' refers to carpets for walking upon; if these were ‘bird’ rugs, as seems very likely, they would have created a very dramatic effect against the scarlet wool hangings decorated with gold and silver lace in her bedchamber. Evidence that these rugs were also exported to Transylvania, can be seen in the number of examples that continue to be displayed today in the Lutheran churches there. Related rugs in St. Margaret's Church, Medias, (inv. 503) and another in the Black Church, Brasov, (inv. 146), are illustrated by Stefano Ionescu, Antique Ottoman Rugs in Transylvania, Rome 2005, Cat.56, p.107 and Cat 59, p.108).

The 'Bird' rugs are so called after the angular motifs which form a lattice within the field but which in reality are more likely to derive from floral or arabesque motifs. Iznik tiles from the mosque of Rustem Pasha of 1559 are noted by Ferenc Batari as showing a similar development of the design from a çintamani original ('White ground Carpets in Budapest', in R. Pinner and W. Denny, (ed.): Oriental Carpet and Textile Studies, II, Carpets of the Mediterranean Countries 14001600, London, 1986, pp.197-199).

While small format 'bird' rugs are relatively common, appearing on the market with fair frequency, such as the example formerly in the collection of Paul Deeg, sold in these Rooms, 31 March 2022, lot 196, very few have survived on the scale of the present rug. All either have a white cloud-band border or the half-medallion border seen here, of which just fifteen examples are known to survive (and which is also the border just discernable in the van Somer, 1557 painting mentioned above). Notable large format examples with the same design using three to four repeats across the width of the field are in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Charles Grant Ellis, Oriental Rugs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 1988, no.16, pp.48-50; two in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Dimand and Mailey, op.cit., figs.172 &173, p.191), one of which was gifted by Joseph V. McMullan, 1963, (Acc: 63.207) which is less fine and with a more restricted colour palette than the present carpet. Another example was formerly in the Toms Collection (Sotheby's London, 7 June 1995, lot 137), and one in Museum für angewandte Kunst (MAK), Vienna, Inv, Nr. T 10780,(https:// sammlung.mak.at/en/collection_online?id=collect-99959). An extraordinary three examples were in the Paulette Goddard Remarque sale (Sotheby's London, 18 November 1976, lots 9, 12 & 22) and a worn example, reduced in length, was sold in these Rooms 27 April 2023, lot 199. Even larger examples with between four and five repeats are in the Ufizzi, Florence (reduced in length), (Carlo Maria Suriano, op.cit. pl.6), the Turk ve Islam Museum, Istanbul (N. Oler (intro. by), Turkish Carpets from the 13th-18th Centuries, Istanbul, 1996, pl.113, p.155) and in two private collections, one in Italy the other in Liechtenstein.

There is great variety in terms of quality within this group, depending on provenance and size: the larger, and presumably older, examples have a varied palette of up to seven hues, as on this carpet, while the smaller and presumably later pieces, most of which are preserved in Transylvania, typically feature only three or four colours, and their patterns are often less accurate and less finely woven.

PROPERTY OF A LADY ■141

A YARKAND CARPET

EAST TURKESTAN, CENTRAL ASIA, LATE 18TH/ EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Of 'Pomegranate-Vase' design, uneven wear with minor touches of associated restoration 13ft. x 6ft.9in. (396cm. x 204cm.)

£7,000-10,000

PROVENANCE:

US$9,600-14,000

€8,100-12,000

Aristocratic collection, Berlin, by repute From whom gifted to (Anna Nowosielski Sas, Wroclaw, 1927-2000)

Thence by descent

The use of blue cotton wefts, the restrained elegance of the design and minimal use of yellow, which can only be seen in the T-meander inner border, distinguish this carpet as having been woven in Yarkand in the Tarim Basin in East Turkestan. The design of fruiting pomegranate branches appears on a series of early (105 AD) wood carvings which were excavated from the ruins of Niya, once a major commercial center on the Silk Road on the southern edge of the Tarim Basin. It also appears frequently in religious Christian works as well as central Asian textiles, (Hans Bidder, Carpets from Eastern Turkestan, Tubingen, 1979, pp.49-53).

While some carpets display a single vase at one or both ends of the carpet, as seen in the proceeding lot in the current sale, the present carpet has two vases descending from each end issuing fruiting branches which divide the field into bi-lateral symmetrical quadrants. An indigo ground Yarkand carpet of 'Pomegranate' design, but with a 'T' meander rather than the present flowerhead main border, sold in these Rooms, 27 October 2022, lot 211. For a virtually identical example woven in silk but with the ‘Pomegranate-Vase' design set against an ice-blue ground, see E. Herrmann, Von Uschak bis Yarkand, Seltene Orientteppiche aus vier Jahrhunderten, Munich, 1979, No. 111, pg.157.

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VARIOUS PROPERTIES

■*142

A KHOTAN CARPET

EAST TURKESTAN, CENTRAL ASIA, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

Of 'Pomegranate-Vase' design, mostly full pile throughout with minute touches of light wear, overall very good condition 10ft.2in. x 6ft.4in. (311cm. x 198cm.)

£8,000-12,000 US$11,000-16,000

€9,300-14,000

The light sapphire-blue, lilac and yellow palette see here, is one more commonly associated with Khotan carpets woven in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The Yun Tsai T’ou or 'Cloudband' main border, is typical for Khotan rugs, but also Chinese carpets of the classical period (Michael Franses & Hans König, Glanz der Himmelssohne, Kaiserliche Teppiche Aus China 1400-1750, London, 2005, p.68).

For further discussion of Khotan carpets of 'pomegranate' design see Hans Bidder, Carpets from Eastern Turkestan, Tubingen, 1979, pp.49-53 and the previous lot in the present sale.

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VARIOUS PROPERTIES

A SHIRVAN RUG

KUBA REGION, EAST CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1870

Of 'kilim' design, minute touches of restoration, overall very good condition 6ft.11in. x 3ft.5in. (211cm. x 105cm.)

£4,000-6,000

PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE

AN EAST CAUCASIAN RUG

KUBA REGION, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Corroded brown, scattered repiling, ends rewoven 9ft.6in. x 4ft.6in. (289cm. x 136cm.)

£7,000-9,000

PROVENANCE:

The Orient Stars Collection, Heinrich Kirchheim

LITERATURE:

US$9,600-12,000

€8,100-10,000

Heinrich Kirchheim et al., Orient Stars: a Carpet Collection, Stuttgart 1993, p.45, pl.10

Heinrich Kirchheim likens this rug to the rare group of so-called Zejwa rugs named after a village south of Kuba, (Kirchheim, ibid, p.45). The characteristic design of that group is based on a series of large saw-toothed palmettes with radiating centers that are reminiscent of the 'sun-burst' medallion found on Chelaberd rugs in the southern Caucasus. The palmette design has also been likened to the 'Ogurjali' gül found on certain Yomut Turkoman carpets, (Ian Bennett, Oriental Carpets, Volume I Caucasian, p.305, pl.404,). Bennett must have favoured this particular design, as a striking Zejwa carpet of comparable design to the present lot appears on his front cover, (Bennett, op.cit. pl.404).

PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE COLLECTOR

■•145

A KARACHOPF RUG

KAZAK REGION, SOUTH CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1870

Full pile throughout, minor localised restoration, overall very good condition.

7ft.1in. x 5ft.2in. (216cm. x 158cm.)

£10,000-15,000

PROVENANCE:

With Eberhart Herrmann, Munich, 1982 Sotheby's London, 3 November 2015, lot 40

LITERATURE:

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

E. Herrmann, Von Ushak bis Yarkand, Seltene Orientteppiche aus vier Jahrhunderten, Munich 1982, p.54, no.16

The deep green-ground of the present rug displays the classic 4:1:4 field design of the weavings associated with Karachopf in the Kazak region of the south Caucasus. The large, nearly square format provides space for the central motif – usually an ivory octagon – which has been adapted to fit the increased width of the field, assuming a broad, stretched shape. The deep salmon-pink border displays a classic 'serrated leaf and calyx vine' border at each end which changes to a 'serrated leaf and triple-bracket bar' on each side. A closely comparable example, apart from its inclusion of additional deer-like animals around the central medallion, is illustrated in Raoul Tschebull's, Kazak, New York, 1971, pp.84-5, pl.33. An example published in E. Herrmann, Von Uschak Bis Yarkand, Seltene Orienteppiche Aus Vier Jahrhunderten, Munich, p.54, pl.16, has the same colouring and elongated hooks within the medallion.

A SEWAN RUG

KAZAK REGION, SOUTH CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1870

Full pile throughout, a couple of localised restorations

6ft.11in. x 5ft.2in. (212cm. x 158cm.)

£8,000-10,000

US$11,000-14,000

€9,300-12,000

This striking Sewan Kazak rug from the south-west Caucasus represents another well-defined group named after Lake Sevan in the Central Transcaucasus. Among the boldest of Caucasian designs, the drawing of the central medallion, which extends along the entire

length of the field, appears to fall into three different design shapes that include larger wings and arrowheads, square or squared-octagonal ends, or straight sides with an arrowhead finish, into which the present lot just about fits. The most striking feature of the present rug are undoubtedly the vibrant polychrome hooked canes that fill the upper and lower halves of the medallion, which are much longer and more prominent than in any other example we can find. For a fuller discussion on the design development of this group see, Raoul Tschebull, 'The Development of Four Kazak Designs', HALI, Vol 1, No.3, p.257-259.

A 'PINWHEEL' KAZAK RUG

SOUTH CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1870

Even low overall wear, scattered repiling, corroded dark brown

7ft.6in. x 5ft.9in. (234cm. x 180cm.)

£6,000-8,000

PROVENANCE:

US$8,200-11,000

€7,000-9,200

Anon sale, Lefevre & Partners, The Persian Carpet Galleries, London, 20 May 1977, lot 12

Ambassador Ghazi Aita, sold The Aita Collection, Christie's London, 18 October 2001, lot 209

The 'Pinwheel' Kazak has for a long time been one of the most collectable and immediately recognisable of all Caucasian nineteenth century rugs. The arrangement of the field design, likely inspired by 17th

century 'Dragon' carpets; shows little variation from other examples, displaying off-set columns of ivory and pale yellow rosettes alternately enclosed within indigo rotating hooks and linked by abstract green 'dragons' filled with minor inverted 'C'-motifs representing the scales on the body. The border is characteristic of what Ulrich Schürmann describes as ‘lozenges and hooked rectangles alternating on a white ground’ (Caucasian Rugs, pl.4, p.62). The earliest dated example bears the figures 1222 (1807-8AD), (Rippon Boswell, 10 November 1984), however there are some doubts regarding its interpretation. A date in the second half of the 19th century seems more probable for the majority of examples. An unusual feature of the present rug is the band of small hooked brackets at one end of the field. This motif is used on a 'Pinwheel' rug as the main border design, (HALI, vol 2, no.4. 1980). For a discussion on the group see H. Gsell, 'Some Thoughts on the Swastika Kazak', HALI, Vol.3, no.3, 1981, pp. 192-195.

A WEST ANATOLIAN 'DRAGON' RUG

PROBABLY GHIORDES REGION, SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY

Light localised spots of wear, scattered cobbled repairs and reweaves, selvages rebound, upper outer guard stripe rewoven 6ft.7in. x 5ft.5in. (200cm. x 170cm.)

£4,000-6,000

PROVENANCE:

US$5,500-8,200

€4,700-6,900

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; sold Christie's New York, 15 March 1996, lot 32

LITERATURE:

J. K. Mumford, Oriental Rugs, New York, 1915, p.5

Peter Willborg, "The Dragon Rugs of Anatolia," Oriental Rug Review, Vol. 10, No.6, 1990, p.50

For full lot essay see christies.com

148 A SEYCHOUR RUG

EAST CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1880

Of 'St. Andrew's Cross' design, overall very good condition 4ft.8in. x 2ft.11in. (143cm. x 90cm.)

£4,000-6,000

US$5,500-8,200

€4,700-6,900

The bold, four-armed design of the 'St. Andrew’s Cross' in the present lot is widely accepted as being attributable to Seychour in the north of the Kuba region (Ulrich Schurman, Caucasian Rugs, Munich, 1961, p.298-299, pl.115). Other notable design elements from this weaving center are the classic 'cabbage-rose' and 'Georgian' outer border (Ian Bennett, Oriental Rugs: Volume 1 Caucasian, Austria, 1981, p.288). The blue and white border design is typical of the group known as the running dog' design. A comparable example but with a less ambitious colour palette was offered in Christie’s, New York, 24 November 2009, lot 448 and a similar, but longer example sold for a record price in these Rooms, 24 April 2012, lot 79.

A MELAS RUG

SOUTH WEST ANATOLIA, CIRCA 1870

Full pile throughout, a couple of minute restorations, overall very good condition

6ft. x 4ft.5in. (184cm. x 135cm.)

£3,000-5,000

US$4,100-6,800

€3,500-5,800

This finely woven Ada Melas (Milas) rug is a richly-coloured example of the flourishing cottage industry of weaving in the town of Melas, an ancient city in the Muğla province of southwestern Anatolia, renowned for its role as a collecting point for rugs produced in the surrounding villages. These rugs, particularly prayer rugs, were admired for their intricate designs and vibrant colours and were exported throughout the Ottoman Empire.

PROPERTY OF THOMAS ETTINGHAUSEN

■151

A KAZAK RUG

SOUTH CAUCASUS, DATED 1879 AD

Dated in lower right-hand border and field at one end, full pile, a few minor repairs, overall good condition

7ft.5in. x 5ft.3in. (226cm. x 160cm.)

£3,000-5,000

PROVENANCE:

Anon sale, Christie's London, 24 April 2012, lot 34

US$4,100-6,800

€3,500-5,800

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE UK ESTATE

A ZIEGLER CARPET

SULTANABAD DISTRICT, WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Overall excellent condition

18ft.6in. x 12ft. (567cm. x 366cm.)

£12,000-16,000

US$17,000-22,000

€14,000-18,000

By 1883, European demand for Persian carpets had grown so great that the Manchester-based firm Ziegler & Co. opened its first factory in the district of Sultanabad, west Persia, where it coordinated the production and export of Persian carpets for the western markets. While Ziegler designers employed traditional Persian motifs, they placed these in a new context, changed the style and scale of drawing and created a new look for the carpets by altering their palette, using softer, lighter shades within open, large-scale designs. Ziegler carpets were woven

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in their own workshops but also elsewhere in the city or in outlying villages where the weavers would work from a wagireh (sampler), to ensure a consistently high quality of weave and design. Despite working from fixed cartoons, these independent weavers were allowed a certain freedom of expression, thus it is not uncommon for such carpets to show unique features such as the inclusion of small animals or figures. The present carpet is a perfect example of the high quality produced by the firm, characterised by its superior wool quality, subtle palette and statuesque proportions of design.

Light localised wear, overall good condition 13ft.9in. x 10ft.6in. (418cm. x 320cm.)

£7,000-9,000

US$9,600-12,000

€8,100-10,000

VARIOUS PROPERTIES ■*153

A MAHAL CARPET

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

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■*154

A MALAYIR RUG

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Overall very good condition 6ft.2in. x 4ft.7in. (189cm. x 146cm.)

£4,000-6,000

US$5,500-8,200

€4,700-6,900

■*155

A BAKSHAISH CARPET

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Light overall wear, localised restorations

11ft.8in. x 8ft.11in. (354cm. x 273cm.)

£5,000-7,000

US$6,800-9,500

€5,800-8,100

■*156

SULTANABAD DISTRICT, WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Of prayer design, minor touches of light localised wear, otherwise very good condition

16ft.8in. x 14ft.9in. (514cm.x 450cm.)

£20,000-25,000

US$28,000-34,000

€24,000-29,000

A ZIEGLER CARPET

■*157

A HERIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Even light wear, last row of knots rewoven at each end, overall very good condition

14ft.2in. x 10ft.9in. (433cm. x 327cm.)

£8,000-12,000

US$11,000-16,000

€9,300-14,000

■*158

A PETAG TABRIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1920

Of 16th century Safavid design, signed with the cintamani signature to one corner, full pile throughout, overall excellent condition

10ft.7in. x 7ft.8in. (329cm. x 238cm.)

£15,000-25,000

US$21,000-34,000

€18,000-29,000

172

The PETAG workshop (Persische Teppiche A.G.), was a German initiative founded in Berlin in 1911. Guided by Heinrich Jacoby, author of “Eine Sammlung Orientalischer Teppiche”, Berlin, 1923, amongst other works, a large workshop was opened in Tabriz. The carpets are identified by the use of a particularly high quality, lustrous wool, the natural vegetal dyes and their distinctive 'signature' formed of three çintamani roundels, located here in the corner of the upper left hand inner guard stripe (as illustrated).

At the end of the 19th century/early 20th century, there were a number of highly important publications on the history of Oriental carpets which included large-scale black and white, and more importantly some colour illustrations of magnificent Safavid and Ottoman carpets.

Publications such as A History of Oriental Carpets before 1800, by F.R. Martin, Stockholm, 1908; Friedrich Sarre's, Orientalische Teppiche, Vienna, 1892, and Alt-Orientalische Teppiche, by F. Sarre and Herrman Trenkwald, Vienna, 1926, gave the workshop access, for the first time, to the great 16th and 17th century carpet designs. The design source of the present lot is a 16th century Persian carpet published by Friedrich Sarre and Hermann Trenkwald, Altorientaliche Teppiche, Vienna and Leipzig, 1928, Volume 1, pl. 18, (an illustrated copy of which is in the present sale, lot 112). The large, curled saz leaves enclosing palmettes on this Tabriz are also reminiscent of those on the 18th century Azerbaijan kelleh in the same sale, lot 103, whose design also relates to the same carpet illustrated in Sarre and Trenkwald, op.cit. pl.18.

■*159

A BIJAR RUG

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Of Gul Farang design, light corrosion in the ivory, original silk selvages and ends

7ft. x 4ft.9in. (216cm. x 151cm.)

£9,000-11,000

US$13,000-15,000

€11,000-13,000

■*160

A SENNEH KILIM RUG

WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Overall excellent condition

6ft.6in. x 4ft.3in. (202cm. x 132cm.)

£4,000-6,000

US$5,500-8,200

€4,700-6,900 160

A BIJAR WAGIREH

WEST PERSIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Of Gul Farang and Herati pattern, full pile throughout, overall excellent condition 6ft.2in. x 3ft.9in. (193cm. x 120cm.)

£5,000-7,000

US$6,800-9,500

€5,800-8,100

Little is published on these small but often gem-like pieces that were used as portable and durable illustrative material that demonstrated the weaver's capabilities which were not specific to the Bijar region but were used by various weaving centers throughout Iran and some of the Caucasus. In some cases as many as five suggested carpet designs could be incorporated within one single wagireh, which would also show the variety of colours available and the quality of wool in which it would be woven (A.U. Dilley, Oriental Rugs and Carpets, a Comprehensive Study, New York/London, 1931, p.102, pl.XXIII). Few examples seem to make their way to the market as most, according to G. Griffin Lewis in his Practical Book of Oriental Rugs, Philadelphia/London, 1911, p.318, were retained by the weavers and used in their own homes (Kurt Erdmann, Seven Hundred Years of Oriental Carpets, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970, p.191). The present wagireh is considered larger than most and may well have been used as a cover after it had served its initial purpose.

In this instance, the weaver has demonstrated how the deep indigo field could be woven either with the traditional small Heratipattern of small serrated leaves or, the Gul Farang or 'European Rose' design that had become fashionable in Russian and European chintzes that had strong Rococo influences with bouquets of flowers and leafy garlands (see also lot 169 in the present sale). In turn this could be enclosed within a number of different minor borders and guard stripes. A small and unusual square format wagireh, displaying a very similar variety of designs to the present lot, was exhibited at the Barbican Center in 1983 (Jon Thompson, Carpet Magic. The art of carpets from the tents, cottages and workshops of Asia, London 1983, p.104).

Whether they went unacknowledged, were considered as utilitarian cast-offs or just mere fragments at the time, today, these small objects are greatly admired by collectors. For other closely related Bijar wagirehs of similar bold design and richness of colour, see Christie's, London, 27 April 2017, lot 216; Christie's New York, 13 December, 2000, lot 162; Sotheby's, New York, 2 December, 2003, lot 74 and Rippon Boswell, 28 May 2005, lot 163.

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A KASHAN 'MOHTASHAM' CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Full kurk wool pile throughout, overall excellent condition

17ft.3in. x 11ft.9in. (525cm. x 358cm.)

£30,000-50,000

US$41,000-68,000

€35,000-58,000

PROVENANCE: Anon. sale, Christie's New York, 18 December 2002, lot 149

The knot count measures approximately 8V x 9H knots per cm.sq.

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■163

A KASHAN 'MOHTASHAM' CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Mostly full pile throughout with a localised area of wear at one end, localised minor restorations, overall good condition 11ft.1in. x 8ft. (338cm. x 245cm.)

£10,000-15,000

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

■*164

A KASHAN 'MOHTASHAM' RUG

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Full pile throughout, overall very good condition 7ft.2in. x 4ft.6in. (221cm. x 142cm.)

£5,000-7,000

US$6,800-9,500

€5,800-8,100

The fine kurk wool has a lustrous sheen and soft texture and remains full throughout. The original selvages have frayed but are secure. the lower end retains the original woven kilim with frayed fringes and a bi-coloured securing line, the upper end is complete and secured with a bi-coloured securing line. Overall very good condition.

A TABRIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Full pile throughout, minute restoration 12ft.9in. x 11ft.2in. (388cm. x 340cm.)

£10,000-15,000

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

■*166

A HERIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Even light wear, overall good condition

13ft.6in. x 10ft.4in. (416cm. x 319cm.)

£10,000-15,000

US$14,000-20,000

€12,000-17,000

■*167

A TABRIZ CARPET

NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

A light natural corrosion in the ivory and touches of light uneven wear, otherwise very good condition 13ft. x 9ft.5in. (398cm. x 291cm.)

£7,000-10,000

US$9,600-14,000

€8,100-12,000

A 'MANCHESTER' KASHAN CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1920

Of 'Caucasian Dragon' design, a few minute spots of repiling, overall excellent condition

17ft.10in. x 10ft.9in. (543 x 327cm.)

£12,000-16,000

US$17,000-22,000

€14,000-18,000

Known as 'Manchester' Kashans, and similar to the second generation 'Mohtashams', these carpets were piled far thicker than the Kashan carpets of only a few years earlier. Using a very soft kurk wool, they were finely woven, using expensive materials, and were much sought after in the 1920s and 1930s. It was these carpets that the 'American' Sarouk carpets were trying to provide cheap coarser alternatives for.

169

AN ISFAHAN CARPET

SIGNED SAYYID MUHAMMAD, CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1930

Finely woven on a silk foundation, full pile throughout, overall excellent condition

14ft.7in. x 9ft.9in. (451cm. x 304cm.)

£15,000-20,000

US$21,000-27,000

€18,000-23,000

The knot count measures approximately 9V x 10H per cm. sq.

The inscription reads; iran esfahan sayyid mohammad sanaye, ‘Iran, Isfahan, Sayyid Muhammad Sinai’

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■*170 AN ISFAHAN RUG

ATTRIBUTABLE TO SHURESHI, CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1920

Finely woven on a silk structure, overall excellent condition 6ft.11in. x 4ft.6in. (211cm. x 138cm.)

£6,000-8,000

RUG

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1940

Finely woven, overall excellent condition 7ft.6in. x 4ft.9in. (234cm. x 150cm.)

£7,000-9,000

US$9,600-12,000

€8,100-10,000

The knot count measures approximately 10V x 10H per cm. sq.

The signature reads; baft-e iran esfahan sayrafiyan, ‘Weave of Iran, Isfahan, Seirafian’

US$8,200-11,000

€7,000-9,200

The knot count measures approximately 11V x 11H knots per cm. sq.

Master Abdolrahim Shureshi was a master weaver who is regarded by many as one of the finest Isfahani rug weavers in the early 20th century. Born in 1869 he established a rug weaving workshop in Isfahan that produced some of Iran’s finest pieces and became recognised by the Shah of Iran. Although his work remained unsigned, his artistic flare and fine attention to detail became trademark characteristics of his work before he passed away in 1930. His son, Abbas, was a skilled weaver and a master of traditional dyeing techniques who worked very closely with Haj Agha Reza Seirafian. A rug of similar quality and clearly produced by the same hand, was sold in these Rooms, 8 April 2014, lot 64.

A PART-SILK ISFAHAN CARPET

CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1930

Finely woven on a silk foundation, the wool pile with silk highlights, overall excellent condition

13ft.8in. x 9ft.8in. (422cm. x 300cm.)

£7,000-10,000

The knot count is 9H x 9V per cm. sq.

US$9,600-14,000

€8,100-12,000

■Ω172

INDEX OF CARPET MEASUREMENTS

DIMENSIONS INCHES

3ft.4in. x 2ft. 101cm. x 60cm.

4ft.4in x 2ft.9in. 137cm. x 90cm.

4ft.6in. x 3ft.4in. 143cm. x 105cm.

4ft.8in. x 2ft.11in. 143cm. x 90cm.

5ft.1in. x 1ft.3in 156cm. x 39cm.

5ft.4in. x 3ft.6in. 162cm. x 106cm.

5ft.9in. x 3ft.7in. 176cm. x 108cm.

5ft.11in. x 4ft.3in. 180cm. x 132cm.

6ft. x 4ft.4in 183cm. x 132cm.

6ft. x 4ft.5in. 184cm. x 135cm.

6ft.1in. x 4ft.2in. 186cm. x 127cm.

6ft.1in. x 4ft.3in. 185cm. x 130cm.

6ft.2in. x 3ft.9in. 193cm. x 120cm.

6ft.2in. x 4ft.6in. 189cm. x 136cm.

6ft.2in. x 4ft.7in.

x 4ft.4in. 191cm. x 133cm.

6ft.5in. x 4ft.3in. 195cm. x 130cm.

6ft.6in. x 4ft.3in. 202cm. x 132cm.

6ft.7in. x 4ft.4in. 200cm. x 131cm.

6ft.7in. x 5ft.5in. 200cm. x 170cm.

6ft.8in. x 4ft.3in. 210cm. x 133cm.

6ft.8in. x 4ft.5in.

6ft.9in. x 4ft.3in. 211cm. x 132cm. A Kashkuli Qashqai Rug

6ft.9in. x 4ft.5in. 213cm. x 140cm. A Mughal ‘Millefleurs’

6ft.11in. x 3ft.5in.

6ft.11in. x 4ft.6in. 211cm. x 138cm.

6ft.11in. x 5ft.2in. 212cm. x 158cm.

7ft. x 4ft.9in. 216cm. x 151cm.

7ft. x 4ft.10in. 214cm. x 148cm. A Bakhtiari Prayer Rug

7ft.1in. x 5ft.2in. 216cm. x 158cm. A Karachopf Rug

7ft.2in. x 4ft.6in. 221cm. x 142cm. A Kashan ‘Mohtasham’ Carpet

7ft.5in. x 5ft.3in. 226cm. x 160cm. An Armenian Kazak Rug

7ft.6in. x 4ft.9in. 234cm. x 150cm. A Signed Isfahan Serifian Rug

7ft.6in. x 4ft.9in. 234cm. x 152cm. A Relief-Cut Pictorial Kashan ‘Mohtasam’ Rug

7ft.6in. x 5ft.9in. 234cm. x 180cm. A ‘Pinwheel’ Kazak Rug

8ft.5in. x 4ft.3in. 260cm. x 133cm.

9ft.1in. x 7ft.6in. 279cm. x 234cm.

A Deccani Rug

An Ersari Main Carpet

9ft.6in. x 4ft.6in. 289cm. x 136cm. A East

9ft.6in. x 7ft.6in. 290cm. x 229cm. A ‘Dragon’ Soumac Carpet

10ft.1in. x 6ft.6in. 307cm. x 198cm.

10ft.2in. x 6ft.4in. 311cm. x 198cm.

10ft.3in. x 3ft.8in. 312cm. x 112cm.

10ft.7in. x 7ft.8in. 329cm. x 238cm.

10ft.8in. x 5ft.11in. 325cm. x 180cm.

11ft.1in. x 8ft. 337cm. x 245cm.

11ft.1in. x 8ft. 338cm. x 245cm. A Kashan ‘Mohtasham’ Carpet

11ft.8in. x 8ft.11in. 354cm. x 273cm. A Bakshaish Carpet

11ft.8in. x 9ft.5in. 356cm. x 288cm. A Pictorial Kirman Carpet

12ft.9in. x 10ft.7in. 396cm. x 329cm. A Kirman Carpet

12ft.9in. x 11ft.2in. 388cm. x 340cm. A Tabriz Carpet

13ft. x 6ft.9in. 396cm. x 204cm. A Yarkand Carpet

13ft. x 9ft.5in. 398cm. x 291cm. A Tabriz Carpet

13ft.3in. x 3ft. 3in. 406cm. x 102cm. A Shahsavan Runner

13ft.6in. x 10ft.4in. 416cm. x 319cm. A Heriz Carpet Circa 1890

13ft.8in. x 9ft.8in. 422cm. x 300cm. A Part-Silk Isfahan Carpet

13ft.9in. x 10ft.6in. 418cm. x 320cm.

13ft.10in. x 3ft.5in. 421cm. x 105cm.

A Mahal Carpet

Circa 1890

A Sarab Runner Circa 1890

14ft.2in. x 10ft.9in. 433cm. x 327cm. A Heriz Carpet

14ft.2in. x 11ft.7in. 434cm. x 358cm. An Agra Carpet

14ft.7in. x 9ft.9in. 451cm. x 304cm. An Isfahan Carpet

14ft.8in. x 9ft.8in. 452cm. x 300cm. An Agra Carpet

15ft. 2in. x 7ft.1in. 456cm. x 217cm. A Rare Large Selendi ‘Bird’ Carpet

16ft.8in. x 14ft.9in. 514cm. x 450cm. A Ziegler Carpet

16ft.11in. x 6ft.10in. 515cm. x 208cm.

Circa 1890

Circa 1900

Circa 1930

Circa 1860

Circa 1575

Circa 1880

An Azerbaijan Kelleh Second Half 18th Century

17ft.3in. x 11ft.8in. 525cm. x 356cm. A Bakshaish Carpet

17ft.3in. x 11ft.9in. 525cm. x 358cm. A Kashan ‘Mohtasham’ Carpet

17ft.10in. x 10ft.9in. 543cm. x 327cm. A ‘Manchester’ Kashan Carpet

18ft.6in. x 12ft. 567cm. x 366cm. A Ziegler Carpet

19ft.1in. x 15ft.9in. 582cm. X 481cm. An Agra Carpet

23ft.9in. x 10ft.1in. 730cm. x 309cm. A Safavid Isfahan Rug

Circa 1880

Circa 1890

Circa 1920

Circa 1880

Late 19th Century

Early 17th Century

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

• 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.

• 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

(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

(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.

• 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

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

(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).

(ii) for corporate clients: Your Certificate of Incorporation or equivalent document(s) showing your name and registered address together with documentary proof of directors and beneficial owners; and (iii) for trusts, partnerships, offshore companies and other business structures, please contact us in advance to discuss our requirements.

(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

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

(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).

• 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

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

• 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

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

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).

• 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.

• 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

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

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

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 27% of the hammer price up to and including £1,000,000, 22% on that part of the hammer price over £1,000,000 and up to and including £6,000,000, and 15% of that part of the hammer price above £6,000,000. 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

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.

• WARRANTIES

• 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

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;

(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

• 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 do not accept cash in England.

(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.

2 • 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.

• 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.

• 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

(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.

(d) Nothing in this paragraph is intended to limit our rights under paragraph F4.

• 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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

required time frames of 90 days from the date of the sale Lots purchased with the * and Ω symbol must be exported via a controlled export’

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 Symbol

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

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

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

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

COPYRIGHT NOTICE No part of this catalogue may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any form or by any means e ectronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Christie’s © COPYRIGHT, CHRISTIE, MANSON & WOODS LTD (2025)

7 If you appoint Christie’s Art Transport 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

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 provided a minimum price guarantee and 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.

⇔

A party has provided Christie’s with a bid to cover all or part of Christie’s financial interest in the lot and may benefit financially from such bid. 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

¤ 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

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.

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 ⇔ Financial Interest/Irrevocable bids

Where Christie’s has a financial interest in a lot, Christie’s is at risk of making a loss if the lot fails to sell. As such, Christie’s may share that risk with a third party who agrees, prior to the auction, to place an irrevocable written bid on the lot and may receive compensation from Christie’s. Christie’s requires the bidding party to disclose to anyone they are advising of their financial interest in 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.

Identity Verification

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 Profile’. 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 office and business address, and its officers, members and ultimate beneficial owners.

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VINCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890)

Coin de jardin avec papillons

Price realised: $33,185,000

Christie’s New York, May 2024

London | 28 October 2025

VIEWING

24-27 October

8 King Street

London SW1Y 6QT

CONTACT

Phoebe Jowett Smith pjowettsmith@christies.com +44 (0)20 7752 3221

A PRINCE HAWKING THE PAINTING ATTRIBUTED TO MUHAMMAD ALI, MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1610; THE MARGINS MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1650-58 folio 14⅜ x 9¾in. (36.5 x 24.9cm.)

£700,000 - £1,000,000