FINE ISLAMIC ART AUCTION DECEMBER 2021

ISLAMIC ART AUCTION 6 DECEMBER 2021

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ISLAMIC ART AUCTION 6 DECEMBER 2021

Oriental Art Auctions Warmtekrachtstraat 2 8094 SE Hattemerbroek The Netherlands tel: +31- (0)38-3380783 info@orientalartauctions.com www.orientalartauctions.com CoC. 66070651 VAT no. NL856383405B01

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ISLAMIC ART AUCTION

AUCTION Monday 6 December 2021 At 12 noon

VIEWING By appointment Warmtekrachtstraat 2 8094 SE Hattemerbroek The Netherlands

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Lot 1 ________________________________________________

A LARGE JAIN VASTRAPATA SCROLL, GUJRAT 16TH CENTURY

Distemper and gold on cloth.

This Vastrapata is a rare Jain painting. It is of an early style that relates to the famed Kalpasutra manuscripts, embodying the birth of Northwest India’s miniature paintings. It is also a type of scarcely published and demands the work of future scholars able to plunge into the quagmire of Jain Tantric practice and unlock the paintings hidden codes and secrets.

156 by 43 cm.

Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 2 ________________________________________

A LARGE PICCHVAI OF SHRI NATH JI NORTH INDIA, RAJASTHAN, KOTA, 19TH CENTURY Opaque pigments on textile.

253 by 227 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE The festival Sharat Purnima is widely celebrated in Rajasthan to symbolize the onset of autumn.

A series of interconnected stories are depicted.

The below scene depicts Daan Lila. Gosain ji and his sons surround the rectangular borders of the intricately rendered picchvai. Shri Nath Ji stands in mountain lifting posture to depict his victory over god Indra by protecting his people and cattle as Govardhan Nathji.

Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000 Lot 3 ________________________________________

RADHA AND KRISHNA UNDER A TREE, RAJASTHAN, KISHANGARH, LATE 19TH EARLY 20TH CENTURY Opaque water color and gold on cloth.

The painting of Radha and Krishna encapsulates the essence of Kishangarh style. The slim figures, the elongated facial features, the accentuated lotus eyes and the intense mood of lyrical romance are typical of the Kishangarh manner from the mid 18th century onwards. The theme of this painting a romantic scene of Radha and Krishna was a popular one and can be seen in various forms in other paintings of the period. The story of the romance between the ruler of Kishangarh, Raja Sawant Singh and his consort Bani Thani inspired many images in which Sawant Singh and Bani Thani were represented in the form of Radha and Krishna. 130 by 103 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE A similar painting in composition, scale and for the use of cloth as the medium is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (See Kramrisch 1986, no. 75, illustrated in color on page 82: Welch 1985, p.372: Untracht 1997, fig.1 p.10).

Estimate € 10.000 - € 12.000

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Lot 4 _________________________________________________________________________________

A PAIR OF COSMIC PAINTINGS OF BHAIRAV, RAJASTHAN, NORTH INDIA CIRCA 19TH CENTURY

Opaque pigments on textile.

The Kala (Black) and The Gora (White) Bhairava were the sons of goddess Kali. The images of the two brothers are placed inside the temple on the left and the right side of the idol of Godess Kali.

90 by 61 cm. (2) Estimate € 6000 - € 8000 Lot 5 __________________________________________

A LARGE JAIN PATA OF THE COSMIC MAN(LOKAPURUSHA), 19TH CENTURY

This example is a striking and beautiful painting, characteristic of the North Rajasthan region centered around Bikaner State and is possibly a late 19th century rendition of an earlier 17th century version.

188 by 117 cm.

Estimate € 5000 - € 7000

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Lot 6 __________________________________________________________________________________

AN IIIUSTRATIONS FROM A RAGMALA SERIES, CENTRAL INDIA, MALWA, 17TH CENTURY Opaque water color on paper.

Three Ragamala paintings of Raga Basant, Shri Raga and Asavari Ragini.

29 by 21.5 cm.

Estimate € 8000- € 10.000

Lot 7 _______________________________________

A LARGE FORMAT STANDING PICCHVAI OF SHRI NATH JI, NORTH INDIA, NATHDWARA, RAJASTHAN, 19TH CENTURY 167 by 103 cm.

Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

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Lot 8 _______________________________________________________________________________________

NINE PORTRAITS OF PUNJAB RULERS, DELHI OR LAHORE, CIRCA 19TH CENTURY Gouache heightened with gold on paper.

Nine portraits of Sikh Rulers with description written in Nastaliq and Persian script on the verso.

Maharaja Runjeet Singh, Maharani Jinda, Maharaja Sher Singh, Maharaja Gulab Singh, Raja Dhian Singh, Maharaja Narendra Singh Mahendro of Patiala, Raja Hira Singh, Raja Kharak Singh, Raja Moti Singh.

23.5 by 16 cm. (9) PROVENANCE Private collection, Germany Estimate € 15.000 - € 20.000

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Lot 9 __________________________________________________________________________________

A PORTRAIT OF MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH, PUNJAB PLAINS, NORTH INDIA 19TH CENTURY A standing portrait of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, gouache heightened with gold on paper.

39.5 by 29.5 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 10 __________________________________________________________________________________

MAHARAJA BHIM SINGH OF DEVGARH, CIRCA 19TH CENTURY

Maharaja Bhim Singh Of Devgarh. Relaxing inside the courtyard of his palace entertained by ladies of his harem. Gouache heightened with gold on paper.

43 by 30.5 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 11 _________________________________________

A MAIDEN AND A BEARDED SNAKE CHARMER IN ROCKY LANDSCAPE, QAJAR, PERSIA, 19TH CENTURY

Ink on paper with the use of gold, inner borders decorated with animals and vegetation in colors and gold, outer border with illuminated panels cut out from earlier manuscripts.

14.2 by 8.5 cm.

The inscriptions ‘His Holiness, Whad Juki, 112 (1)112 AH/1700 AD or 112(0) AH/ 1708 AD’, and on the top the name ‘Mansur’.

Estimate € 1000 - € 2000

Lot 12 _________________________________

THREE MINIATURE PAGES, QAJAR IRAN, 19TH CENTURY

Three pages, one depicting a couple in a landscape, two with poems.

Pencil and pen heightened with gold on paper, laid down on album page.

22 by 8 cm.

31 by 43 cm.

Estimate € 1500 - € 2000

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Lot 13 __________________________________

TWO CALLIGRAPHIC ALBUM PAGES WRITTEN IN THULUTH, OTTOMAN TURKEY, 18TH CENTURY

Each page consisting of a two lines written in thuluth script in black ink, interlinear rules in gold, inner margins ruled in gold, black and red, brown. Two illuminated floral illuminated baskets in rococo style, backed on marbled paper gold-sprinkled outer borders.

The text: surah Ibrahim verses 39 and An-Nisa, verses 127 and verses 59 -137 Text: 30 by 20 cm.

Page: 40 by 25 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

Lot 14 __________________________________

A PRINCE IN A GARDEN COURTYARD, PERSIA, SAFAVID 17TH CENTURY

Opaque watercolor, ink, gold on paper typical (feast) scene. Traditionally, the prince is seated holding the two key symbols of Persian kingship, a wine cup and a royal handkerchief. His attendants offer him wine and fruit in gold vessels, as poetry is recited to the sound of the barbat (Persian lute) and the dayira (tambourine).

33 by 21.5 cm.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 15 _______________________________________

A CALLIGRAPHIC COMPOSITION IN NASTALIQ SCRIPT, PERSIA 19TH CENTURY

Persian manuscript on paper, the central panel consisting of siyah mashq in large nastaliq script in black ink on a gold-decorated ground, separate panels containing couplets in nastaliq script above and below this, laid down on an album page with profusely and finely decorated borders in colors and gold.

Composition: 24 by 12 cm.

Album page: 38 by 24.5 cm.

PROVENANCE The Shakerine Collection.

The central panel, in the form of practice writing (siyah mashq), is a famous poem by the celebrated 16th century nastaliq calligrapher Mir ‘Ali Haravi.

The couplets above and below (poet unidentified) are most probably excised from a 16th-17th century manuscript.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000 Lot 16 _____________________________________

A LARGE MASHQ PANEL, SIGNED MUHAMMAD ALI SHIRAZI, QAJAR IRAN, 19TH CENTURY

Calligraphy, ink and gold on paper, laid down on card.

Text: 29.5 by 20 cm.

Page: 38 by 28 cm.

Estimate € 2000 - €3000

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Lot 17 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A PERSIAN CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL SIGNED ASADULLAH AL-SHIRAZI QAJAR, IRAN, DATED 1257 AH/1841 AD

Ink, gouache and gold on paper pasted on a cardboard page, four in Persian, in Nastaliq, in reserve in clouds on a gold background garnished with foliage. Was pasted onto a folio and decorated with several borders of lavish illumination. The writing itself is surrounded with cloud-like bubbles, around which miniature irises, lilies, and other plants bloom.

Text: 25 by 17.5 cm.

Panel: 42.5 by 28.5 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE Asadullah al-Shirazi was one of the outstanding calligraphers of the reigns of Fath ‘Ali Shah, Muhammad Shah and Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar. He was particularly admired by Muhammad Shah Qajar who awarded him the title ‘Royal Calligrapher’ (katib-i sultani). His recorded works are dated between AH 1252 and 1306/1836 and 1888 AD (Bayani, 1363 sh., vol.1, pp.60-64).

Estimate € 3000 - € 4000

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Lot 18 _________________________________________________________________________________

A GRISAILLE PAINTING OF A BEAR, ZAND OR QAJAR, IRAN LATE 18TH CENTURY

Pen and ink on lacquered paper, a bear, his tongue lolling from his mouth, props himself up against a leafless branch, slight staining, laid down between various gold and polychrome borders on a wide green card margin with polychrome gul-o-bulbul illumination, mounted.

Painting: 17.2 by 12 cm.

Folio: 33.1 by 20.6 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 19 _______________________________________________________________________________

A CALLIGRAPHIC ALBUM PAGE BY ABDULLAH, STUDENTOF MIR EMAD SAFAVID IRAN, DATED 1007 AH/1598 AD

Ink, gouache and gold on paper pasted on a cardboard page, four in Persian, in Nastaliq, on a gold background garnished with foliage.

Text: 23 by 15 cm.

Page: 28 by 18.5 cm.

Text ‘When spring is coming, bringing good news to the garden birds and the plants who waited so long to grow and give their fruit It means hope and wishes come true’ Signature from Abdullah, 1007 AH/1598 AD and in which he status that he wrote this poem sitting on the border of the lake for his friend Mirza Darvish.

Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

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Lot 20 _________________________________________________________________________________

A RARE CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL SIGNED BY SHAH MAHMUD AL-NISHAPURI, TIMURID OR EARLY SAFAVID, CIRCA 1500-20 Persian manuscript on paper, verso with 4 lines of elegant black nastaliq in clouds reserved against a hatched ground decorated with meandering floral vine, lower left corner signed Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri, of black nastaliq below, a line of of large gold-speckled black thuluth in a cloud reserved against a gold and polychrome illuminated ground to the left, gold-speckled margins; recto with a line of large black thuluth in a cloud reserved against a hatched ground, flanked above and below by a line of gold-speckled black nastaliq in clouds reserved against a gold and polychrome illuminated ground, each corner with a gold and polychrome illuminated panel, gold speckled margins, minor smudges and light creases.

Text: 19 by 11.5 cm.

Folio: 19 by 30 cm.

Estimate € 8000 - € 12.000

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CATALOGUE NOTE

Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri (d.1564) (also known as Zarrin Qalam, ‘golden pen’) is thought to have been Shah Isma’il’s (d.1524) favourite calligrapher. He was born in the city of Nishapur, Iran, and studied calligraphy under the supervision of Abdi al-Katib Nishapuri. He specialised in the style of nastaliq with the famous nastaliq master Sultan Ali Al-Mashhadi (d.1519). Shah Isma’il adored him so much that, on his campaign over Ottoman Sultan Selim I, he locked up Shah Mahmud and painter Behzad, fearing that they could be kidnapped by the Ottomans. On his return, the first thing he did was visit Shah Mahmud (see S. Rado, Turk Hattatlari, Istanbul, 1980, p.67). The famous Khamsa, produced for Shah Tahmasp (d.1576), illuminated by the famous court painter Behzad, was copied by Shah Mahmud. Celebrated as one of the greatest masters of nasta’liq script, Shah Mahmud’s works have been collected by royal bibliophiles across the Muslim world. It has been noted that particularly members of the Ottoman elite adored him. A magnificent Quran manuscript by him, transcribed in nastaliq, can be found in the Topkapi Palace. See also Serin, Muhittin, Hat Sanatı ve Meshur Hattatlar, Kubbealti, Istanbul, 1999.

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Lot 21 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A MINIATURE OF A BATTLE SCENE, MUGHAL INDIA, AKBAR WORKSHOPS EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Two armies, made up of twelve horsemen, armed with sabers and spears and two mahouts on elephant backs, are engaged in battle; some, taken aback, lie wounded.

On the back, text from two Nastaliq banners, surrounded by smaller inscriptions on a background of polychrome flowers.

The album page features four seals of Mughal princes of Lucknow: Amjad Ali Shah, Asaf ud-Dowlah Yahya Khan, Sulayman Shah, Wajid Ali Shah.

40.5 by 27.8 cm.

PROVENANCE Former collection of Professor Donald Robertson (Cambridge University).

Estimate € 12.000 - €15.000

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Lot 22 _________________________________________________________________________________

A MINIATURE OF A BATTLE SCENE, SAFAVID, PERSIA, 16TH CENTURY

Page from a Khamse of Nizami.

Two armies of horsemen are engaged in battle in a golden landscape, under a blue sky covered with clouds. Borders with gold floral decoration.Text in black nastaliq script in clouded cartridges.

17 by 11.5 cm.

Estimate € 15.000 - € 20.000

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Lot 23 ___________________________________________________________________________________

BAHRAM GUR, THE SHEPHERD AND HIS DOG, TIMURID, PERSIA, LATE 14TH-EARLY 15TH CENTURY

A miniature painting depicting the king Bahram Gur, also known as Bahram V, the fifteenth Sasanian King of Persia from 420 – 438 A.D. He was the son of Yazdegerd I (399-420 A.D.) who gained the crown after his father’s assassination with the assistance of Al-Mundhir I ibn al-Nu’man – the king of the Lakhmid Dynasty.

He was a popular king in the Persian mythic tradition with many stories commending his valour and beauty, as well as his victories over the Romans, Indians, Africans and Hephthalites. He was also a celebrated hunter, builder of fortresses and gardens and lover.

Here we see Bahram Gur with a shepherd hanging his dog as punishment for having let a wolf steal his sheep. On the right we see the king wearing his royal crown of red and gold, a long blue tunic underneath a red short-sleeved tunic embroidered with luxurious gold thread. Behind him a majestic dark brown steed wearing a blue saddle. He is knelt next to a shepherd who wears a red headdress and a brown and gold tunic. They rest underneath a grand tree with leaves of gold and brown, on grassy green earth that sprouts various flowers and shrubs suggestive of a bountiful pasture. In the tree a grey dog with a white belly hangs upside down from a branch with his mouth open and tongue protruding.

Next to the shepherd is a large black tent with gold stars embroidered in to the fabric, which hangs from the tree with a gold crown. Above them is a rich gold sky, reflective of the intense Asian sun, but also symbolic of the vast cost of the work and wealth of its owner through the abundance of the expensive material. The painting is particular delicate in a rich palette of colours and is clearly the work of a master painter, possibly from Samarkand, which was the most prolific early centre of production for such works during the Timurid Dynasty.

Underneath the painting are four columns outlined in gold, each containing eleven lines of nastaliq script in elegant black calligraphic handwriting.

CATALOGUE NOTE A similar early 16th century painted version of this scene can be found in the Walters Art Museum in Maryland.

Estimate € 10.000 - € 12.000

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Lot 24 ____________________________________________________________________________________

BAHRAM GUR PROVES HIS RIGHT TO THE THRONE OF IRAN SAFAVID SHIRAZ, LAST QUARTER 16TH CENTURY The scene in this miniature painting depicts the Sasanian king Bahram Gur (420-438 AD) who was a dominant figure in Persian history and was celebrated in literature and visual arts as a prowess hunter and lover.

Bahram Gur was celebrated throughout history for his military conquests against the Romans, Hephthalites, Indians and Africans. In this work he is shown standing between two lions that attack his legs from either side and with the power of his bare hands he is able to subdue the mighty beasts.

Behind him is a large elaborate hexagonal throne made of two tiers of gold-work and a gold canopy. Resting on the seat of the throne is the king’s crown. Surrounding the scene on both edges and at the top are large groups of on-looking courtiers and servants dressed in bright silk tunics and white turbans or black hats. Some of the crowd are armed with spears and bows.

The scene is set against a rocky backdrop with cliff edges at the top, and behind a camel train of travelling merchants peer in to the action. The top right corner shows the camels that lead the pack, with their black and gold trappings, who also look on in awe at the king. The earthen coloured backdrop has been dotted with various pruned green shrubs suggestive of a royal garden or earthly paradise. Elegantly written lines of calligraphic nastaliq script border the image, with two at the top and four at the bottom, each written inside white clouds and presented on a gold background. The written word and visual allegory work harmoniously to create this wonderful work of art.

The reverse of the image contains further lines of nastaliq script, which are divided in four columns and written diagonally between cartouches with polychrome and gold illumination. The overall work leaves no surface unadorned and stunningly expresses the variety of techniques employable by the artist to create a visually rich composite work of art. It exalts the variety of various motifs, compositions, techniques and styles known to the artist and patron, while simultaneously suggesting the wealth of its owner through the vast amounts of gold present and the time employed to complete such a work.

26 by 22 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE Several versions of this scene exist from Persian manuscripts in museum collections, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Walters Art Museum and Manchester University Library. The most similar to ours however can be found in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

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Lot 25 ___________________________________________________________________________________

BATTLE OF BAHRAM CHUBINA AND KHOSROW PARVIZ, TURKISH SCHOOL, LATE 15TH CENTURY

Page of a Shah Name.

Bahram Chubina and Khosrow Parviz, both in armor and mounted on caparisoned horses, engage in a duel in a bluish hilly landscape, dotted with flowering stumps. Soldiers watch the scene sounding trumpets and drums under a blue sky crossed by swirling clouds. Text of four columns in black Nastaliq script above the miniature, separated by illuminated margins with floral and geometric friezes on a gold background.

Illuminated title cartridge.

Page: 33.5 by 22 cm.

Estimate € 15.000 - € 20.000

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Lot 26 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A CALLIGRAPHIC ALBUM PAGE BY YARI HERAVI, SAFAVID, PERSIA 17TH CENTURY

A standing portrait of a youth holding a pomegranate in his left hand and a bottle in his right hand, Safavid, Iran, 17th century.

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, gold and polychrome rules, on wide blue margins illuminated with gold foliage.

Folio: 29 by 18 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 4000

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Lot 27 __________________________________________________________________________________

A SAFAVID BRASS JEWELRY BOX, PERSIA, DATED 952 AH/1545 AD

Of rectangular form with coffered lid, the body and lid all decorated with panels of naskh and Quranic verses inscription in and around a ground of floral arabesques, reinforcing panels along the leading edges attached through applied silver pins, on flat base, with silver applied hinges and clasp.

12 by 23 by 16 cm.

Inscriptions Surah Al-Fatiha, Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Kafiroon, Surah Al-Fath, Surah An-Naba Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

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Lot 28 ________________________________________

A TIMURID DRAGON-HANDLED JUG CENTRAL ASIA, LATE 14TH- EARLY 15TH CENTURY

A cast bronze jug with a dragon handle. Globular body, resting on a low foot-ring, short cylindrical neck which has a collar at its lower end a rolled rim on top. An elegant ‘dragon-shaped’ handle is attached.

14 cm. height Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

Lot 29 ______________________________________

AN ABBASID CALLIGRAPHIC POTTERY CUP, MESOPOTAMIA, 9TH CENTURY The body covered with an opaque white glaze, with two Kufic lines around the body.

12.5 cm. height Inscriptions ‘possibly the repeat of ‘abdahu, ‘His (God’s) servant’.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 30 _______________________________________________________________________________

A PORTRAIT OF MIRZA HABIB ALLAH KOMASHTEH BY ABU’L HASAN GHAFFARI SANI AL-MULK, IRAN, 1282 AH/1865 AD

Gouache on cream paper, the bearded nobleman sitting in an interior on a carpet, wearing a tall black hat, wearing a red Kirman embroidered coat with boteh motifs. decorated wall with flowers in the background.

Portrait: 24 by 19 cm.

Folio: 29 by 23 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 31 ___________________________________________________________________________________

CALLIGRAPHIC LION, MUGHAL, INDIA, 17TH CENTURY

Black pen on paper, the lion formed of black thuluth on cream paper, highlighted with gold flowers mounted, with blue borders with gold floral design, framed.

24 by 35.5 cm.

The nada ‘ali quatrain runs as follows: Call upon ‘Ali who causes wonders You will find him helpful in misfortune All anguish, all sorrow will disappear Through your friendship [with God] O ‘Ali! O ‘Ali! O ‘Ali! Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

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Lot 32 _____________________________________

A CAUCASIAN NOBLEMAN RIDING A HORSE AND HOLDING A FALCON, 17TH CENTURY The nobleman dressed in a red jama, mounted on a prancing stallion holds a hunting falcon in his gloved right hand. A quiver of arrows and his bow are slung behind the saddle. The horse is elaborately bedecked with a golden saddle with fine floral decoration, a blue blanket , and gold bridle and reins.

Painting: 22 by 16 cm.

Incl. frame: 37 by 24.5 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE Amongst the various animals used, such as hawks, cheetahs, leopards, and saluqis, falcons held a favoured place and served as an emblem of imperial authority.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

Lot 33 ____________________________________________

A MINIATURE OF A YOUTH HOLDING A BOW AND ARROW, SAFAVID, PERSIA 17TH CENTURY Decorated in gold with real and mythical beasts in a landscape.

29 by 21.5 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 34 ________________________________________

A PERSIAN MINIATURE DEPICTING A GROUP DURING PRAYER LATE 18TH CENTURY Painting: 23 by 13.5 cm.

Folio: 31.5 by 19.5 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

Lot 35 ____________________________________

AN ILLUSTRATED LEAF FROM A MANUSCRIPT OF FIRDAUSI’S SHAHNAMA, SHIRAZ, PERSIA, 16TH CENTURY

Depicting archers arriving at the walls of a fortress, gouache heightened with gold on paper, text written in two lines of nastaliq script, with gilded blue borders design.

Painting: 22.5 by 15.5 cm.

Folio: 31 by 21 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 36 _____________________________________________

TWO INDIAN BIRDS MINIATURES COMPANY SCHOOL, 20TH CENTURY 31.5 by 20 cm. (2) Framed

Estimate € 1500 - € 2000

Lot 37 ________________________________

ROASTING ON THE MARKET, QAJAR, IRAN, 19TH CENTURY Painting 16.5 by 20.5 cm.

Framed Estimate € 1500 - € 2000

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Lot 38 ________________________________________________________________________________

A CALLIGRAPHIC ALBUM PAGE BY MIR ‘ALI AL-HARAWI (AL-KATIB AL-SULTANI), SAFAVID, PERSIA, 16TH CENTURY Ink, gouache and gold on paper pasted on a cardboard page, four in Persian, in Nastaliq, in reserve in clouds on a gold background garnished with foliage, was pasted onto a folio and decorated with several borders of lavish illumination. The writing itself is surrounded with cloudlike bubbles, around which miniature irises, lilies, and other plants bloom.

Text: 33 by 21.5 cm.

Page: 40 by 27 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE Mir ‘Ali al-Harawi is the well-known and celebrated nastaliq calligrapher of Herat under the Timurids and then the Safavids. He studied in this city and spent most of his life working as a scribe of firmans and then at the Royal Library of the Timurid Sultan Husayn Bayqara, from whom he received the title Sultani. After the death of the Sultan in AH 911/1505 AD, he moved from Herat to Mashhad but later returned to Herat. After the capture of the town by the Safavid ruler Shah Isma’il, Mir ‘Ali worked under the patronage of Khaja Karim al-Din Habibullah Savaji, the Minister to the Governor of Khurasan, Sam Mirza, a brother of Shah Tahmasp. Later he was taken to Bukhara together with other artists after the capture of the city by the Uzbek ruler ‘Ubayd Khan in AH 935/1529 AD. His recorded works are dated between AH 914/1508-09 AD and AH 951/1544-45 AD (M. Bayani, Ahval va-Asar-e Khoshnevisan, vol.II, Tehran, 1988, p. 494).

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 39 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A MINIATURE, THE RETURN OF THE KING, QAZVIN OR SHIRAZ, 1570-1580 AD, CENTRAL ASIA

Ink and gouache on paper.

This miniature depicts a scene of men surrounding a bearded king wearing a crown who stands above a noble man on a pink and blue rug with floral motif.

On the left six male figures with white turbans and dressed in long tunics of orange and blue belted at the waist, with some also wearing short-sleeved outer tunics. On the right there are four similar figures in the similar clothes.

The bottom-most figure of the scene rides an elegant blue horse that wears silver trappings.

Two more courtiers at the bottom discuss the red berries growing on the three in front of them. Their dress and facial hairstyles provide great insight in to the fashions of 16th century Persia and tell of the richness of the empire.

The whole scene is set amongst a delicately detailed wild garden filled with flowers in pinks, blues, whites, oranges and greens.

18.5 cm. by 15.1 cm.

PROVENANCE Private collection, France Sotheby’s, London 23 April 1997.

CATALOGUE NOTE The work was probably produced in either Qazvin or Shiraz, both of which were important cities for manuscript illumination workshops in Safavid Iran and which produced some of the finest paintings throughout the empire. This image is one of the illustrations from a manuscript of Negarestan, the work written by Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ghaffari during the mid-16th century. Muhammad Ghaffari (died 1567/58 AD) was a writer of Persian history and poetry and was recognized for the pragmatic qualities of his work that often detailed the rise and fall of various empires. A work of the early Safavid dynasty in Iran, it describes the history of Islam from the time of the Prophet until the date of manuscript’s first composition in 1564 AD. Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 40 ___________________________________________________________________________________

RUSTEM AND KHAQAN FROM CHINA, SAFAVID, PERSIA, LATE 16TH CENTURY Miniature depicting the hero Rustem grabbing Khaqan of China with a lasso and knocking him down from his white elephant, as armies on both sides battle in a blue landscape with golden skies.

Text of four column in black nastaliq script in clouded cartouches with a gold background above and below the miniature.

21.2 by 16 cm.

Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 41 ________________________________________________________________________________

A POLYGANOL BRONZE SILVER INLAID BOWL, KHORASAN 12TH-13TH CENTURY

On three feet, decorated with silver floral motifs and arabesque decoration and inscriptions.

15 cm. diam.

PROVENANCE Private collection, Japan Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

Lot 42 ____________________________________________

A KHORASAN OPENWORK BRONZE FINIAL, PERSIA, 12TH-13TH CENTURY

On a spreading base, the openwork body tapering towards with neck, rising to a bulbous section surmounted by a six-pointed openwork star and peacock terminal.

25.3 cm. height Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 43 ____________________________________________________________________________________

ALARGE ILLUMINATED QURAN, COPIED BY ‘ALA’-AL-DIN MUHAMMAD AL-TABRIZI SAFAVID PERSIA, 16TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on buff paper, 356 pages plus 2 flyleaves, 12 lines to the page, written in black naskh, verses separated by gold and polychrome pointed floral roundels, sura headings in white cursive script against gold ground within cusped cartouches on illuminated panels, some including words in naskh within clouds on reserved ground, margins ruled in colours and gold, catchwords, occasional marginal notes, marginal verse markers in the form of quatrefoil and drop-shaped illuminated medallions, two frontispiece bifolios with fine, full-page illumination in polychrome and gold, the following folio with an illuminated headpiece, two finispiece bifolios with similar full-page illumination, and three further illuminated double pages at the end with prayers and Falnama,with fine original gold-stamped brown morocco binding with central field and border cartouches of floral motifs and cloud scrolls, fine gold-stamped doublures with central field of tightly intertwined cloud scrolls, central medallion and cornerpieces of gilt filigree over polychrome grounds, border cartouches of gilt-stamped calligraphy consisting of pious phrases and an outer border band with further cartouches of gilt filigree, with flap.

33.5 by 22 cm.

Text panel: 21 by 13 cm.

Estimate € 100.000 - € 120.000

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CATALOGUE NOTE

Ala’ al-Din al-Tabrizi, whose full name was ‘Ala’ al-Din Muhammad ibn Shams al-Din Muhammad al-Hafiz al-Tabrizi, known as Mulla ‘Ala’ Beyg, was a master calligrapher from Tabriz, whose hand was copied by later calligraphers including Ahmad al-Nayrizi and ‘Ali ‘Askar al-Arsanjani. His father was also a calligrapher, active during the reign of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (reg. 1524-76), for whom he executed royal decrees (firmans). His immediate pupils were ‘Ali Riza and ‘Abd al-Baqi. His recorded work is dated between AH 964/AD 1556-57 and AH 1001/AD 1592-93): the first of these states that it was copied in Kerbala, the second, in the Safavid capital Qazvin (see Mehdi Bayani, ahval va athar-e khosh-navisan, vol. 4, Tehran, 1358 sh, pp. 103-104). He was also responsible for a number of inscriptions on buildings in Tabriz, Karbala, and Qazvin.

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Lot 44 ___________________________________________________________________________________

AN ILLUMINATED QURAN COPIED BY HAFIZ ALI NAMIQ IBN MUSTAFA STUDENTS OF HAJI MUHAMMAD AMIN ALWASFI BETTER KNOWN AS BAKHBAJI, OTTOMAN, TURKEY, DATED 1281 AH/11864 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 298 leaves, 15 lines to the page written in neat naskh script in black ink with diacritics and vowel points in red and black ink, gold roundels between verses, inner margins ruled in two shades of gold and red, catchwords, surah headings written in thuluth in white within illuminated rectangular panels, one illuminated double-page frontispiece in colors and gold, occasional illuminated devices in wide outer margins, in morocco binding with gilt-stamped medallions and cornerpieces decorated.

16 by 11.5 cm.

Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

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Lot 45 ____________________________________________________________________________________

AN ILLUMINATED QURAN, PERSIA, LATE 19TH-EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on blue paper, 64 leaves plus 2 fly-leaves, each folio with 33 lines of elegant gold naskh, gold verse roundels, surah headings in clouds on a blue hatched ground, text panels within gold and polychrome rules, the opening bifolio with a gold and polychrome illuminated floral headpiece, the heading in blue ink in cloud reserved against hatched ground, the margins with gold and polychrome scrolling floral vine, in lacquer binding decorated with flowers and birds.

Text panel: 22 by 21.5 cm.

Folio: 31 by 19 cm.

Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 46 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A LARGE TIMURID QURAN, 15TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on buff paper, 393 leaves plus two flyleaves, 11 lines to the page, written in naskh script in black ink with three large lines, folio 1b-2a bearing the text of Surat al-Fatiha in white thuluth script within two radiating shamsas within the fully illuminated panels, surah headings in white Riq’ah script on gold and polychrome illuminated panels, catchwords, verses separated by gold roundels pointed in blue, remargined and ruled in red and blue, margins ruled in colours and gold catchwords, occasional marginal notes, marginal verse markers in the form of quatrefoil and drop-shaped illuminated medallions, final sura followed by a two illuminated double pages prayer to be read after completion of the recitation of the Quran, the end of the manuscript with six pages prayers in naskh and nasta’liq scripts, in gilt stamped brown morocco binding, the doublures of brown morocco with fine, cut-out gilt and black scrolling arabesques over blue ground Folio: 38.5 by 25 cm.

Text panel: 25 by 16.5 cm.

Estimate € 50.000 - € 70.000

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Lot 47 ________________________________________________________________________________

DU’A AL-SABAH, SIGNED AND DATED, MIR TAHIR BEGINNING OF SHAWWAL 1297 AH/1880 AD

Du’a al-Sabah Hazrat Amir al-Muminin ‘Ali.Arabic manuscript on paper, 10 leaves., with 6 lines of neat black naskh script arranged in cloudbands on a gold ground per page within larger border of cobalt, red and gold flowers, opening bifolio with polychrome and gold illumination, signed and dated on final folio giving the patron as Muhammad ‘Ali Khan Kashani the Deputy (na’ib) of Sultan Murad Mirza Zill al-Sultan, in later red and green polychrome floral lacquer binding.

24.5 by 16.5 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 48 _________________________________________________________________________________

A SMALL ILLUMINATED QURAN, COPIED BY MUSTAFA, BETTER KNOWN AS MULLA AHMAD-ZADEH ISLAMIVI, A PUPIL OF YAHYA AL-LUTFI OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED 22ND SHA’BAN 1249 AH/4TH JANUARY 1834 AD An Arabic and Ottoman Turkish manuscript on pink-colored paper, 298 leaves, 15 lines to the page written in Naskhi script in black ink with diacritics and vowel points in red and black, gold discs decorated with blue and red dots between verses, margins ruled in red and gold, catchwords, illuminated devices in outer margins, surah headings written in Thuluth in white on illuminated rectangular panels, one illuminated double-page frontispiece and one illuminated single-page finispiece in colors and gold, Nazm Sajavandi written in verse in Ottoman Turkish at end, some inner margins crudely repaired towards the end, discoloration, some folios creased, brown morocco with stamped central medallions, cornerpieces and outer bands of gilt paper onlay, with flap, rebacked.

12.6 by 9.8 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 49 __________________________________________________________________________________

AN ILLUMINATED QURAN, OTTOMAN TURKEY, 18TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 322 leaves, 15 lines to the page written in neat naskh script in black ink with diacritics and vowel points in red and black ink, gold roundels between verses, inner margins ruled in two shades of gold and red, catchwords, surah headings written in thuluth in white within illuminated rectangular panels, one illuminated double-page frontispiece in colors and gold, occasional illuminated devices in wide outer margins, contemporary brown morocco, covers decorated with panels incorporating a diaper pattern in gold, with flap.

16.5 by 11 cm.

Estimate € 5000 - € 8000

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Lot 50 _________________________________________________________________________________

ABU ‘ABDALLAH MUHAMMAD BIN SULEYMAN AL-JAZULI, DALA’IL AL-KHAYRAT WA SHAWARIQ AL-ANWAR, OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED 1146 AH/1733-34 AD

Abu’Abdallah Muhammad Bin Suleyman Al-Jazuli, Dala’lil Al-Khayrat Wa Shawariq Al-Anwar, prayers with two full page illustrations of the holy shrines in Mecca and Medina, copied by Dervish Ahmed, better known as Qara Jawush Zadeh, Ottoman Turkey, dated 1146 AH/1733-34 AD. Arabic manuscript on paper, 131 leaves, 9 lines to the page written in clear naskhi script in black ink, significant words picked out in red, gold discs between verses, inner margins ruled in gold, catchwords in wide outer margins, one illuminated headpiece in colors and gold, extensive commentaries in outer margins, now faded, some rubbing, tears to edges towards the end, corners rather thumbed, some repairs to borders, last two folios with prayers written in a cursive script added at a later date, brown morocco with stamped gilt central medallion.

13 by 10 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 51 _________________________________________________________________________________

AN ILLUMINATED QURAN COPIED BY ABU BAKR WHEED AND AFTER HIS DEAD CONTINUED BY MUHAMMAD ASAAD NAQSHBANDI, OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED 1222 AH/1807 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 419 leaves, 13 lines to the page written in neat naskh script in black ink with diacritics and vowel points in red and black ink, gold roundels between verses, inner margins ruled in two shades of gold and red, catchwords, surah headings written in thuluth in black within illuminated rectangular panels, one illuminated double-page frontispiece in colors and gold, occasional illuminated devices in wide outer margins, brown morocco with stamped gilt central medallion.

With flap similar decoration, gilt edges.

17.5 by 11.5 cm.

Estimate € 5000 - € 8000

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Lot 52 ________________________________________________________________________________

A TIMURID QURAN, 15TH CENTURY

An Arabic manuscript on paper with 360 leaves and 3 flyleaves, 13 lines to each page in muhaqqaq, naskh and thuluth scripts, incidentals in thulth script within a gilt border.Surah headings in gold thuluth within gilt borders, gold pear-shaped devices in the margin marks ‘khums and ashar’. Gold verse markers pointed by blue dots, Al tajwid in red ink with occasional marginal notes, in brown morocco with flap. 22 by 18 cm.

Estimate € 8000 - € 10.000

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Lot 53 _____________________________________________________________________________

AN OTTOMAN MANUSCRIPT COPIED BY YUSUF IBN ABD AL-WAHHAB 1099 AH/1688 AD

Arabic and Turkish manuscript on buff paper.

40 leaves, plus 4 flyleaves with notes of the owner. 19 lines to the page in columns and horizontal dividing panels separated by gold rules, the opening page with illuminated frontispiece in colors and gold, text in neat Naskh script in black ink, with headings in red ink.

Two other illuminated pages in colors and gold. An exceptionally illustrated schema.

Brown Ottoman binding with gilt-stamped medallion and edges ruled with gilt chain, with flap.

19 by 14 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 54 ____________________________________

A POLYCHROME LACQUER BOOK BINDING, QAJAR, PERSIA, 19TH CENTURY With central rectangular panels decorated with spiraling leaf-like designs, the borders with orangecusped cartouches on green ground, each register between minor black and gold.

31 by 22 cm.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

Lot 55 ____________________________________

A COLLECTION OF PRAYERS, INCLUDING AN ILLUMINATED DALA IL AL KHAYRAT, TURKEY, OTTOMAN, 18TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, 144 leaves plus 4 fly-leaves, 9 lines to the page, written in naskh in black ink, ruled in gold, verses separated by gold pointed rosettes, illuminated floral headpieces, gold cartouches, f.23b and 24 a with illustrations of Mecca and Medina, in morocco binding with gilt-stamped decoration.

14 by 9 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 56 ___________________________________________________________________________________

MANUSCRIPT, MUHYI AL-DIN LARI (d.1526-27), FUTUH AL-HARAMAYN PERSIA,18TH CENTURY

Persian manuscript on paper, 41 leaves, 15 lines to the page, written in nastaliq script in black ink, titles in gold, text arranged in two columns, with gold intercolumnar rules, text panels within gold , catchwords, the opening page with an illuminated headpiece. 18 Illustrations including depictions of Mecca and Medina, remargined with colored watermarked paper, in brown stamped binding.

18 by 11.5 cm.

The list of illustrations are as follows: 1. The Kaaba and the Holy Sanctuary in Mecca.2. The bazaar between Safa and Marwa.

3. Jabal Abu Qubais and the split moon. 4. Suq al-Layl (the Night Market), the birthplace of the Imam ‘Ali and Fatima. 5. The bazaar at Muda’a.

6. Ma’ala Cemetery at Mecca, the burial place of the Prophet’s mother and his first wife Khadija.

7. Shabikah graveyard near Mecca. 8/9. Jebel al-Nur/Thur and Ghar Hira, the cave where the Prophet received his first revelation.

10. Jabal ‘Arafat, the mount where the Prophet delivered his farewell sermon to the Muslims who accompanied him on the Hajj. 11. The site of Muzdalifah between ‘Arafat and Mina.

12. The site of the stoning of the three pillars (jamarat) near Mina.

13. Jabal (Mount) Mifrah between Mecca and Medina, depicting two wells in the foreground.

14. The cemetery of Baqi’ in Medina, the burial place of the wives of the Prophet, his children, and Halima, his wet-nurse.15. Jabal Uhud, the tomb of Hamza, the Prophet’s uncle, and the tombs of the martyrs of the battle of Uhud. 16. The Holy Sanctuary at Medina Estimate € 5000 - € 8000

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Lot 57 ____________________________________________________

A TALISMANIC SCROLL, POSSIBLY ANDALUSIA 11TH-12TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, written in naskh and in the angular Kufic script in black and red.

135 by 15.5 cm.

Surah Al-Ikhlas is written 12 times in Al-Kofi red font as a frame for the entire scroll.

Scroll’s sections: 1.Description of Mecca is honored by Allah (God).

This part includes verses 97-98 from Al Imran’s Surah and part of verse 185 after starting by the name of Allah (God).

2.Verses 3 to 5 from Al- Mulk’s Surah to keep pains and illnesses away.

3.Description of the doomsday, verses 105 to 109 from Taha’s Surah 4.Verses to enhance safety from Al-Furqan’s Surah 22 to 24 5.Tongue’s function and its acceptance which includes verses 22 to 26 from Al-Ma’idah’s Surah.

6.Demise of enemies, verses from Al- Nahel’s Surah 10 to 14 7.Verses to facilitate dystocia, this part includes interpretation of verse 34 from Luqman’s Surah.

8.Verses to praise the prophet, verse 56 from Surah Al- Ahzab.

9.Verse to tranquilize children during their sleep, verses 21 to 27 from AlKahf ’s Surah.

10.Verses to spread love and relief, and it includes some supplications.

11.Verses to overcome remorse enhanced by the commentary on verse 88 from Hud’s Surah.

12.Supplications for dropsy with the commentary on verse 54 from AlA’raf ’s Surah.

13.Musa and Yahia, this section is marked by a drawing of Musa’s stick snatching the sorcerer’s talismans.

The drawing is surrounded by verses 15 to 85 from Taha’s Surah with the words Mohammad, Taha, and the Star of David on the left side.

All sections were written in black Nasikh font regardless of the rules of this font.There are three decorative drawings in the form of beacons, niches, and domes.The six-pointed star, a familiar symbol in Islamic art, is usually called ‘Solomon’s seal.’

Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 58 ________________________________________________________________________________

A TRAPEZOID SHAPED DRAWING OF THREE LIONS ENCIRCLING A PHOENIX, PROBABLY HERAT OR TABRIZ, EARLY 15TH CENTURY This drawing of unusual form comes from a group of drawings which are attributed to the master artist of the late 14th-early 15th century, ‘Ustad Muhammad Siyah Qalam’ - Muhammad, the Master of the Black Pen. It depicts three fierce lions prowling around a circular medallion amid plants of spiky palmate leaves growing from clusters of small rocks. The representation of the lions is naturalistic, which closely resembles the way Muhammad Siyah Qalam used to draw animals, and other super-natural figures, in his other works which are signed by him and are currently housed in various top museums such as the Topkapi Palace Museum. The bodies of the three lions undulate in a similar way, although the position of their legs, tails and head differs, adding to the particular intensity of this circular composition; the three lions are oriented anti-clockwise, starting with the most menacing-looking lion situated at the upper end of the panel. The mouth of all three lions seem to be biting down on the scroll motif which is around the central medallion.The circular medallion bordered by scrolls, includes a magnificent Phoenix with its wingspans spread out depicting a very fine detail of the body structure, surrounded by floral motifs.

39 by 31 by 8 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE It has been suggested that these peculiarly shaped drawings were conceived as decorative patterns for the manufacture of bookbindings, quivers or cloud collards. The reason of the triangular shape is, however, still unclear, although the highly finished nature of the drawing suggests that of these were valued as independent art works of who which is attributed to works of Muhammad Siyah Qalam’s.

Another similar piece in the Jean Pozzi collection, has three tigers oriented anti-clockwise, just like our one, and the few other pieces from this group which exist today. However, the orientation of the one sold at Sotheby’s (lot 24, April 30th 2003) is clockwise.

Estimate € 30.000 - € 50.000

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Lot 59 __________________________________________________________________________________

YUSUF AND ZULAIKHA BY ABD AL-RAHIM ANBARIN-QALAM, JAMI MAWLANA NUR AD-DIN ABD Al-RAHMAN DATED 1018 AH/1609 AD

Persian manuscripts on paper of 178 leaves with 12 lines to each page, written in black nastaliq script in two columns within gold and blue borders.The first two pages of nastaliq script in two columns in clouds reserved against with flowers decorated ground, within multiple borders of different colors. With 7 miniatures paintings of Yusuf and Zulaikha in different scenes, pen and ink heightened with gold and opaque pigments on paper. It is signed: ‘Completed at the hand of the sinful Abd-al-Rahim, May almighty Allah conceal his faults and forgive his sins with the dating of 1018 AH/1609 AD’.

24.5 by 18.5 cm.

Estimate € 20.000 - € 30.000

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Persian poems about Yusuf and Zulaikha, mentions that Yusuf was the closest of his sons to Jacob.

Yusuf half-brothers were jealous of him, most of them plotted to kill him with the exception of Reuben who suggested to have Yusuf thrown into an empty cistern (miniature 3), intending to rescue Yusuf himself. Unaware of this secondary intention, the others obeyed his first. Upon imprisoning Yusuf, the brothers saw a camel caravan carrying spices and perfumes to Egypt, and sold Yusuf to these merchants. Ultimately, Yusuf was sold to Potiphar, Aziz of Egypt (miniature 4). Later, Yusuf became Potiphar’s personal servant, and subsequently his household’s superintendent. Zulaikha, the wife of Potiphar, started watching him and following him everywhere as Yusuf grow to be a good soldier and hunter thanks to Aziz of Egypt teaching him (miniature 2, Zulaikha watching Yusuf in a camp during hunting). Zulaikha tried to seduce Yusuf, which he refused. During his escape his shirt was cut off (miniature 6). The news of this incident spread among the women of the city, Zulaikha wanted to show them the beauty of Yusuf, invited them to a banquet and intentionally gave each woman a knife to cut fruit and ordered Yusuf to enter the hall( miniature 7). When they looked at Yusuf, they were shocked with his beauty and cut their hands without feeling the pain.

The writer: This book is of Nur ad-Din ‘Abd ar-Rahman Jami, (817 – 898 AH/1414 – 1492 AD) also known as Mawlana Nur al-Din ‘Abd al-Rahman or Abd-Al-Rahman Nur-Al-Din Muhammad Dashti, or simply as Jami or Djami and in Turkey as Molla Cami (7 November 1414 – 9 November 1492), was a Persian Sunni poet who is known for his achievements as a prolific scholar and writer of mystical Sufi literature.

He was primarily a prominent poet-theologian of the school of Ibn Arabi and a Khwajagani Sufi recognized for his eloquence and for his analysis of the metaphysics of mercy. His most famous poetic works are Haft Awrang, Tuhfat al-Ahrar, Layla wa -Majnun, Fatihat al-Shabab, Lawa’ih, Al-Durrah al-Fakhirah. Jami belonged to the Naqshbandi Sufi order. A few years after his birth, his family migrated to Herat, where he was able to study Peripateticism, mathematics, Persian literature, natural sciences, Arabic language, logic, rhetoric and Islamic philosophy at the Nizamiyyah University. His father, also a Sufi, became his first teacher and mentor. While in Herat, Jami held an important position at the Timurid court, involved in the era’s politics, economics, philosophy and religious life. His poetry has been inspired by the ghazals of Hafiz, and his famous and beautiful divan Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) is, by his own admission, influenced by the works of Nizami. The Haft Awrang also known as the long masnavis or mathnawis are a collection of seven poems. Each poem discusses a different story such as the Salaman va Absal that tells the story of a carnal attraction of a prince for his wet-nurse. Throughout Jami’s work references to Sufism and the Sufi emerge as being key topics. Yusuf and Zulaikha is one part of his Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones). The story tells the romance of Yusuf and Zulaikha, wife of Potiphar based on the Islamic traditions, where Zulaikha’s longing for Yusuf represents the soul’s quest for Allah.

The calligrapher: Abd Al-Rahim Al-Heravi, he was a native of Herat but, as a young man, went to India and entered the service of Abd-al-Raim kan kana son of Bayrem Khan. According to the Maaer-e Raimi, he gained a wide reputation for his nasta’liq hand, a highly attractive cursive script descended from Persian traditions of calligraphy, while writing manuscripts for Mirza Abd-al-Raim kan kana (1556-1627). After some years kan kana presented him at the court of Akbar because of his proficiency in nasta’liq style, where Abd-al-Raim received an appointment. In recognition of his achievements as calligrapher he received two titles ‘Raushan Qalam and Anbarin Qalam’. He copied some of the worlds finest poetry for the emperor in swift, measured and elegant script. He became later one of the favourite calligraphers of Sultan Jahangir (1569–1627), who ruled between 1605 and 1627.

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Lot 60 ________________________________________________________________________________

ZAYN AL-DIN JURJANI (D. 1136 AD), ZAKHIRAH-YI KHWRAZMSHAHI, TREASURY DEDICATED TO THE KINGS OF KHWARAZMSHAHI, A MEDICAL ENCYCLOPAEDIA, PERSIA, DATED 988 AH/1580 AD

Persian manuscript on paper, 290 leaves, incomplete, 31 lines to the page written in Ruq’ah script in black ink, significant sentences and words picked out in red, chapter headings written in large thuluth script in black, in brown leather binding with stamped central medallions incorporating stylized vegetal and floral motifs.

37 by 25 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE The text was composed at some point before 1110 AD, and is generally held to be the first major medical work written in Persian, drawing on the medical literature of the period, and combining the knowledge in one work for convenience. It consists of ten books. There are twelve volumes in the Wellcome Library (see F. Keshavarz, A Descriptive and Analytical Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the Library of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London 1986, pp. 149-154); and also C. Rieu, Catalogue of the Persian Manuscripts in the British Museum, 1966 (repr.), pp. 466-468.

Estimate € 10.000 - € 12.000

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Lot 61 ________________________________________________________________________________

A SAVAFID GOLD-OVERLAID STEEL HELMET, PERSIA, 17TH CENTURY

The steel helmet of tall domed form with movable nasal guard flanked by two plume holders, gold-overlaid calligraphic band with stylised borders along rim, the spike finial on chased foliate mount, camail of chain mail 54 cm. height.

17 cm. diam.

Inscripions Quran, chapter XLVIII (al-Fath), verses 1-4.

In small cartouches, invocations to God: ‘O sufficient of necessities! O Raiser of dignities! O the responder to prayers!’

Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 62 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A TIMURID DRAGON-HEADED CANDLESTICK BRASS, POSSIBLY HERAT CENTRAL ASIA, LATE 15TH CENTURY

The waisted truncated conical base ribbed and ringed with a flattened drip-tray, the narrow cylindrical neck entwined with a pair of dragon-head sockets with open-mouths, scrolling crests and flaring nostrils.

22.5 by 14 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE A related example is in the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo, (inv. no.15201), see Komaroff 1992, pp.230-232, no.36. See also The Survey of Persian Art, vol VI, pl.1377.

Estimate € 20.000 - € 30.000

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Lot 63 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A BRONZE PEN-BOX, PERSIA, CIRCA 1200

Of elongated oval form, the hinged cover decorated with two roundels each with geometric on a scrolling foliate ground, the mounts with ornate openwork designs of interlacing foliate motifs, the interior with a well mount with an arch-form hinged cover.

27 cm lenght.

CATALOGUE NOTE The elaborate mounts on this pen-box are testimony to the origins of the form in wood or ivory, where such reinforcement would have been necessary. The date of this type of bronze pen-box is confirmed by another example in the Freer Gallery, Washington, which is inlaid with a date of 607 AH/1210-11 AD. (Atil 1990, p.96,fig.10). Following the shift of centers of production following the Mongol invasion in the early 13th century, the form appears in more westward regions of the Islamic world. For instance, a pen-box of this type from Syria or Turkey, dating from the first half of the 13th century, is in the al-Sabah Collection (Atil 1990,p.140, no.40) A comparable pen-box is in the L.A. Mayer Memorial Museum, Jerusalem (Baer, p.70, fig.50) Estimate € 15.000 - € 20.000

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Lot 64 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A RARE GLASS SPOUTED JUG, CENTRAL ASIA, 11TH-12TH CENTURY

The jug with an unusual spout, which projects steeply from the top of the jug. From the rim protrude twin extension loops, and a large handle with a thumb rest. The lower part of the handle rests on the vessel’s flattened shoulders. These swell outwards below a narrow cylindrical neck, ringed with an undulating applied collar, also of glass. The body of the jug below the shoulders is hemispherical and rests on a flat base.

30.5 cm. height PROVENANCE Previously in a private collection, Switzerland.

Originally acquired 17th October 1993 from Yazdani Ancient & Islamic Art Ltd (accompanied by Swiss import documents)

CATALOGUE NOTE The vessel bears elegant witness to the beauty of early Islamic glassware. Dating from the era of Seljuk rule, it was likely commissioned by a member of the new ruling elite. Techniques of glass-working continued much as they had under Sasanian and Abbasid rule, yet the ‘ewer’ type of vessel we find here, intended to pour wine or water, is a distinctively early Islamic type of ware.

A similar glass jug, dating from the same period, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Estimate € 30.000 - € 50.000

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Lot 65 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A LARGE MOULD-BLOWN BLUE GLASS BOTTLE-VASE OR SPRINKLER, PERSIA 12TH CENTURY With compressed mould-blown globular body, the base with a moulded five-petalled flower head, the free-blown upper section with coiled trail.

28 cm. height Estimate € 5000 - € 8000

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Lot 66 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A TALL-NECKED BLUE GLASS BOTTLE, PERSIA OR SYRIA, 11TH-12TH CENUTRY

The bulbous mould-blown body and narrow tapering neck, decorated with applied trails of the same colored glass around the neck and in a lattice pattern on the body, kick base with pontil.

22 cm. height Estimate € 8000- € 12.000

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Lot 67 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A FINE PALE BLUE CUT GLASS BOTTLE WITH FUNNEL NECK, PERSIA 10TH-11TH CENTURY

The glass of pale blue tone, the body of spherical form with a flat base and narrow tapering neck.

The body cut with a series of elongated arches forming an arcade, the shoulder, neck and lower body cut with a series of facets, the base with a cut square to centre. Intact.

14 cm. height Estimate € 15.000 - € 20.000

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Lot 68 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A WHEEL-CUT CLEAR GLASS BOTTLE NORTH EAST IRAN, 9TH-10TH CENTURY

The cylindrical body with flat base and rounded shoulder converging to flaring conical mouth, the body with an arcade of arches each containing an ogival facet and springing from a small rectangle, the shoulder with a series of smaller arched-shape facets, a plain band above, the flaring neck with rectangular facets between similar plain bands, the underside with square motif, intact, minor areas of iridescence. Intact.

14 cm. height Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 69 ___________________________________________________________________________________

AN AMBER GLASS JUG, PERSIA, 10TH-11TH CENTURY

This alluring glass jug is a fine example of Islamic glass making from the early Medieval Islamic Period.

Glass making production after the fall of the Roman Empire fell in to decline across the Near East, except for in the areas of modern day Egypt, Syria and Iraq, where its traditions continued, being passed on to Medieval craftsmen. As furnace technology improved, allowing wider variety of production, many new styles evolved, and the early Medieval Period between the 8th and the 12th centuries produced some of the most unique and playful glass from the across of Islamic world, little of which unfortunately survives due to its fragile nature .

This fine example consists of a rounded body, made using the dip-moulding technique where a parison of molten glass is be dipped in to a mould then tooled, blown or manipulated against the edges in to various forms . It exhibits a characteristic softly moulded pattern of raised, rolling lines across the body of the glass that radiate from the upper body in irregular curves, adding an element of decoration. This effect is achievable through the dip-mould technique and adds a sense of dynamism to the jug, making it appear almost organic, whilst the rich colour was probably achieved with the addition of Manganese inclusions during the melting process . The narrow neck, with a single ridged detail tapers to a drop-shaped spout with a slightly inverted rim that sits above a beautiful section of detailing around the neck of an undulating trail design of thick glass. A separately moulded glass handle applied when the body was still hot also exhibits and elegant trail motif at the upper end.

15 cm. height

PROVENANCE Private collection, CATALOGUE NOTE A similar glass jug exists in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, from modern day Iraq. This example has a similar globular shaped moulded body, with applied glass detail and handle, but lacks the deep colour, finesse of detail, and alluring shape of our example, whilst also of smaller size and in worse condition. It suggests our glass jug could take pride of place in any museum or private collection.

For more information see; S. Carboni, Glass from Islamic Lands, The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait National Museum, London 2001.

G.F. Bass et al.; Serçe Limani, Vol 2: The Glass of an Eleventh-Century Shipwreck, Texas University Press, 2009, p.468.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 70 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A LARGE WHEEL-CUT CLEAR GLASS FLASK, PERSIA 9TH-10TH CENTURY

Of clear glass with a pale yellowish hue, the cylindrical body curved at the shoulder, the tall neck of inverted conical form, decorated with interlocking abstract motifs, areas of iridescence.

16 cm. height CATALOGUE NOTE Similar abstract designs can be found on a flask of this period in the L.A. Mayer Museum (Hasson 1979, p.27, no. 47) Estimate € 15.000 - € 20.000

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Lot 71 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A FINE AND RARE COLORED GLASS ANIMAL FORM UNGUENTARIUM, SYRIA 7TH-9TH CENTURY

With two free-blown tubular flasks of transparent colorless glass encased in trails of purple hot-worked glass in the form of rippling vertical flanges with two lug handles set on four naturalistic animal feet with the tail, long neck, ears and mouth of a quadruped, possibly a camel.

9 cm. height Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 72 ____________________________________________

AN EARLY ISLAMIC GLASS BOTTLE, IRAN 9TH-10TH CENTURY

Six sided faceted bottle has slightly flared neck, a flat base and angular shoulder, the six-sided neck is faceted and the opening is hexagonal, translucent yellowish colorless.

16 cm. height Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

Lot 73 ____________________________________________

AN EARLY ISLAMIC GLASS BOTTLE, IRAN 9TH-10TH CENTURY

Six sided faceted bottle has slightly flared neck, a flat base, and angular shoulder, the six-sided neck is faceted and the opening is hexagonal.

10 cm. height Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 74 ______________________________________________

AN OTTOMAN INSCRIBED KNIFE, TURKEY, 16TH CENTURY The straight steel blade of tapering form, one side with groove with gilt inscription, with applied gold join, the faceted green hard stone hilt plain.

22 cm. length Estimate € 3000 - € 4000

Lot 75 _______________________________________________

A SMALL INSCRIBED KNIFE, LATE TIMURID, 15TH-16TH CENTURY With straight tapering steel blade, inscribed in gold to one side, the bone hilt flat either side and stained blue, applied gold juncture.

15.5 cm. length Estimate € 3000 - € 4000

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ISLAMIC JEWELLERY

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Lot 76 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A FATIMID COLLECTION OF ORNATE GOLD BEADS, 11TH-13TH CENTURY 31 Pieces: 1-1.5 cm. diam., 185 gr. weight

CATALOGUE NOTE Both men and women wore silver and gold necklaces in Fatimid times, but this resembles a woman’s choker.

This necklace consists of thirty one hollow beads made of gold sheet, each with facets and a central hole in each side surrounded by twisted gold wire.

Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

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Lot 77 _________________________________

A PAIR OF FATIMID GOLD EARRINGS, 12TH CENTURY 5 cm. height 12 gr. weight

Estimate € 1000 - € 2000

Lot 78 ___________________________________________

A SELJUK GOLD PENDANT, PERSIA, 11TH12TH CENTURY Comprising a central inverted T-shape element of box construction, the face with figure-of-eight wire decoration, flanked on each side with confronted birds formed of scrolling wirework with applied similar wings and conical tails, one with a pronounced crest, three pendant beads of similar workmanship below with seed-pearls, a similar larger seed-pearl and suspension loop above.

6 by 4.5 cm.

8 gr. weight CATALOGUE NOTE The motif of two confronted peacocks, found on Byzantine jewelry (Hasson, Rachel: Early Islamic Jewelry, Jerusalem, 1987, no.3, p. 13), and was popular in various areas of Seljuk art including jewelry as Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 79 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A SELJUK INSET GOLD BRACELET, PERSIA, 12TH CENTURY

Comprising eight similar rectangular panels, each with a central inset hardstone or white metal panel inscribed with two lines of kufic, in a border of wirework figure-of eight motifs within twisted wire and granulated decoration, attachment loops along each side, the reverse plain, some stones probably replaced.

Each panel 2.5 by 2.5 cm.

63 gr. weight Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

Lot 80 _____________________________________________________________________________________

FATIMID GOLD OPENWORK FISH, 11TH CENTURY 3.4 cm. width Estimate € 800 - € 1200

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Lot 81 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A FATIMID BEADED GOLD NECKLACE, LAPIS-LAZULI, 11TH-13TH CENTURY 50 cm. length 36 gr. weight Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

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Lot 82 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A TURQUOISE AND PEARL-SET PARCEL GOLD BAZUBAND, PERSIA OR ANATOLIA 12TH-13TH CENTURY Composed of fifteen elements each connected by a panel of interlocking links, the elements alternately of square form and dome shape. 68 cm. length

Estimate € 20.000 - € 25.000

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Lot 83 _______________________________________________________________________________

A SELJUK GOLD BRACELET, PERSIA, 11TH- 12TH CENTURY

This bracelet is a very beautiful example of Seljuk jewellery. With its twisted body (Shank), and finely crafted ends (in the shape of four hemispheres around the clasp of cartouche-shaped), with granulation, adorned with fine chisel , this bracelet represents a very high level of craftsmanship.

Probably produced by an Anatolian workshop and not by an Iranian one, considering that at the beginning of the century, the great Seljuk empire fell under the rule of the Mongols, interrupting for some time the extremely rich production of goods from Iran. It is likely that, because of their beauty, craftsmanship and fine materials, this bracelet was worn by an affluent member of society.

8 cm diam.

59 gr. weight CATALOGUE NOTE Finds of bracelets comprising graduated twisted shanks were made in Syria (Al-‘Ush, Abu’l-Faraj, Musée Nationale de Damas, Départment des Antiquités Islamiques, Damascus, 1976, p. 207, fig.

118). It has also been reported that in Gurgan, in Northern Iran, bracelets of this type have been found (M. Jenkins and M. Keene, Islamic Jewelry in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1982, no. 22) Estimate € 8000 - € 10.000

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Lot 84 ___________________________________

A GOLD AN SILVER RING AYYABID DYNASTY 12 TH CENTURY

A gold dinar with a cursive inscription within a gold border with arabesque design and shank with applied palmettes.

2.1 cm. height, 7 gr. weight

Lot 85 _________________________________

A FATIMID INSCRIBED GOLD RING, 12TH-13TH CENTURY

Inscriptions ‘There is no G-d but G-d, Muhammad is his Prophet’.

2.2 cm. height, 6 gr. weight Estimate € 1500 - € 2000

The inscription Al’amam ‘Ahmad Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

Lot 86 _____________________________________________________________________________

A ISLAMIC GOLD RING, POSSIBLY ANDALUSIA , 10TH-12TH CENTURY

The bezel with domed section in claw setting, the shanks with an applique palmette either side .

3 cm. height, 10 gr. weight CATALOGUE NOTE For a related ring in the Benjamin Zucker Collection, also combining filigree and applique decoration, see Derek J. Content, Islamic Rings and Gems, the Zucker Collection, London, 1987 Estimate € 8000 - € 10.000

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Lot 87 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A SELJUK GOLD BRACELET, PERSIA, 11TH CENTURY

Of hollow sheet construction terminating in two highly stylized confronted dragons’ heads, one quarter hinged, the exterior applied with a band of inset turquoise or turquoise glazed elements alternating with raised twisted wirework domed elements, flanked by applied wirework rosettes, the features of the dragons’ heads similarly indicated and inset.

7 cm. diam.

54 gr. weight Estimate € 7000 - € 9000

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Lot 88 ____________________________________________

A SELJUK NIELLOED GOLD RING WITH TURQUOISE, PERSIA, 12TH-13TH CENTURY Cast in gold, with oval bezel with four prongs securing turquoise stone, the shoulders engraved and inlaid with roundels containing and a scrolling interlace arabesque.

2.4 cm. height, 4 gr. weight Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 89 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A SELJUK GOLD BRACELET, PERSIA, 11TH CENTURY

Of hollow sheet construction terminating in two highly stylized confronted dragons’ heads, one quarter hinged, the exterior applied with a band of inset turquoise or turquoise glazed elements alternating with raised twisted wirework domed elements, flanked by applied wirework rosettes, the features of the dragons’ heads similarly indicated and inset.

8 cm. diam.

54 gr. weight Estimate € 7000 - € 9000

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Lot 90 _______________________________________

AN EARLY GOLD ISLAMIC BANGLE 12TH CENTURY

A gold bangle decorated with engraved ducks alternating with stylized crosses. Fastened by a pin.

6 cm. diam., 16 gr. weight Estimate € 1500 - € 2000 Lot 91 ____________________________________________

A RARE ABBASID SILVER NIELLOED RING 9TH-10TH CENTURY Oval form and widening at the shoulders, incised with inscription, the shoulder with a palmette-filled oval medallion.

2.5 cm. height, 12 gr. weight The inscriptions read ‘Victory and blessing Youssef Inam Allah Honesty is my ring’ Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

Lot 92 ____________________________________________

A CARVED AMETHYST FLASK WITH STOPPER, INDIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

The amethyst body carved with stylized foliate design, central cylindrical tube within, stopper with four stylized leaves to the top.

6 cm. height Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 93 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A RARE SILVER AND NIELLOED CUP WITH KUFIC INSCRIPTION PERSIA OR CENTRAL ASIA, 11TH-12TH CENTURY

Of deep, rounded, and a loop handle with flattened tri-lobed thumb piece, the exterior decorated with niellowork, including scrolling arabesques on the petals and an inscription along the rim, the body with three medallions.

18.1 by 8.2 cm The inscriptions alnama’ wal’kamal wal saeada lak fi aldunya Growth, perfection and happiness for you in the world ‫النماء والكمال والسعادة لك في الدنيا‬ Estimate € 80.000 - € 120.000

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CATALOGUE NOTE The date for the current bowl is based on comparisons with a number of examples attributed to the eleventh and twelfth centuries in Persia. Notably, the so-called "Harari hoard", once owned by the collector Ralph Harari and now in the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art, Jerusalem, which provides a number of comparable silver objects with niello decoration and inscriptions, which include jugs, incense burners, rosewater sprinklers and two footed trays (illustrated in: Hasson 2000, p.41). Another silver cup, also in the L.A. Mayer Memorial Museum in Jerusalem (inv. no. M40-68) is of shallow round form with niello decoration on the exterior and has a similar round loop handle with a flat top similar to the present cup.

It was noted by Eva Baer as having parallels with Sogdian silver of the eighth to ninth century, which, though later in date, is contiguous in location with the previous example stated in this note (Baer 1983, p.105, no.83; and Pope and Ackermann 1938-9, vol.VI, pl.1351a).

Another related piece, a rosewater sprinkler with parcel gilt and niello decoration from the L.A.Mayer Museum (inv. no. M 30-68) compares to a bottle from Persia dated to the twelfth century in the Freer Gallery of Art (inv. no. 50.5) illustrated in: Atil 1985, p.85, no.31. Such extant silverwork with niello decoration, even though ascribed to a period between the tenth and thirteenth century by scholars, has not been organised in a particular chronological order but can clearly be linked together through their Persian connections attested through their inscriptions: from the fifth-century BC bowl naming the Achaemenid King Artaxerxes I, to several models inscribed with the name of Amir Abu'l-Abbas Valkin ibn Harun, who was thought to be a Daylamite prince of the tenth century (Atil 1985, p. 85).

Amir Abu'l-Abbas Valkin ibn Harun, whose name is inscribed on various silver objects with niello ornamentation, is mentioned by Rachel Ward in connection with Buyid metalwork (Ward 1993, pp.5455). The Buyids, who ruled Iraq and Western Iran from 932 to 1062 AD, constructed their identity by emphasising their Sassanian heritage and marking themselves as "Persian" Kings. The particular notion of inscribing one's name on vessels is attributed by Ward to the tradition of the Buyid's Byzantine neighbours (Ward 1993 p.54).

The present bowl, with an inscription simply praising its owner without naming him, should be examined within the ancient tradition of Persian silverwork and the influences derived from Sogdian to Byzantine models. It is an object both of rarity and academic interest because, in its stylistic traits, it bears the imprint of a long and rich tradition of high-quality Persian silverware, of which precious few examples survive.

The eared handle provides an important clue for the dating of this piece, being comparable to a number of other vessels in both metal and ceramic dating to the tenth/eleventh century. The variety of decorative motifs employed on such loop handles is illustrated by the Khurasan bronze cup with three-dimensional elephant-form thumb-piece, exhibited in Geneva 1985, p.253, no.254. The author ascribes this form to the Sogdian tradition with its widespread use of small ring handles for everyday objects (ibid, p.253, no.254). Another deep round silver cup with an inscription near the rim and a loop handle with a flat thumb piece from eastern Khurasan, eleventh century, is a part of the State Hermitage Museum's collection (inv. no. VZ-875; illustrated in: Kuwait 1990, p.44, no.21). Ceramic models also illustrate such a trend, notably a cup also from the State Hermitage Museum Collection, inv. no. SA-7175 (exhibited in Piotrovsky and Pritula ed., Beyond the Palace Walls: Islamic Art from the State Hermitage Museum, 2006, p.36, no.30 and also illustrated in Saint Petersburg, 2008, p.58, no.42).

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Lot 94 __________________________________________________________________________________

A SILVER SELJUK CIRCULAR PLAQUE, POSSIBLY A MIRROR 12TH-13TH CENTURY The reverse of this mirror depicts a hunter on horseback.

8.5 cm. diam.

Estimate € 1500 - € 2000

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THE ART OF SCIENCE

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Lot 95 __________________________________________________________________________________

A PREVIOUSLY UNRECORDED EARLY MAMLUK BRASS ASTROLABE-QUADRANT, SIGNED BY MUHAMMAD B. AHMAD AL-MIZZI, AND DATED 740AH/1339-40 AD

One side is engraved with an astrolabe-quadrant, for latitude 33°30’ (presumably for Damascus) with the positions of 15 stars marked and named. The other side is engraved, as is customary, as a sexagesimal sine/cosine quadrant, with arcs of the obliquity of the ecliptic and of sine and ‘versed sine’ and two prayer lines.

The inscriptions throughout are in simple eastern kufic script, and the numeration of the scales and the date in abjad. The inscription on the astrolabe side in the empty space below the astrolabe, in a larger font size, records the maker of the instrument as Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Mizzi al-Maliki in 740 AH/1339-40 AD The instrument is made of brass and measures 145 mm along each of the straight sides and on average 1.5 mm thick. The weight is 229 grams. The lead plumb bob (used for sighting) that came with this artefact is just under 25 mm long and weights 14.5 grams.

THE MAKER The famous muwaqqit (mosque astronomer) and an astronomical instrument master, Muhammad b.

Ahmad al‐Mizzī, was born in the village of Mizze near Damascus in 1291 AD. Sources about his life state that he studied in Egypt and that he was tutored by the famous Egyptian physician and encyclopedist Ibn al-Akfānī.

Working at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus as a muwaqqit until his death, al-Mizzī owed his reputation to the fact that his didactic treatises were very popular among students who studied the science of miqāt, i.e. calculation of the prayer times. Moreover, the astrolabes and quadrants he made were considered among the best quality of its time and were sold at very high prices (2 dinars or more, for a quadrant).

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OTHER QUADRANTS BY AL-MIZZI Five instruments by al-Mizzi, apart from that offered here, have been recorded , all astrolabe-quadrants: a) Dated 727 H (#5003, London BM, 1326/27 AD) b) Dated 727 H (#5004, Cairo IAM, 1326/27 AD) c) Dated 730 H (#5005, Copenhagen, David Museum, 1329/30 AD) d) Dated 734 H (#141, Leningrad, Kunstcamera, 1333/34 AD) e) Dated 734 H (#5007, British Museum, London, [1333/34 AD) These instruments are similar in design although they vary in size. According to the above list, the instrument at hand seems to be his latest quadrant. This instrument, is previously unrecorded and no reference to the it been found in literature.

CONDITION The instrument is generally in very good condition and is lightly patinated and has few small scuffs and marks, all of which is consistent with relatively light handling over many years. An metallurgic analysis of the composition of the brass of the instrument and comparison with one of the two al-Mizzi’s quadrants in the British Museum ( BM 1888, 1201.276), shows that it closely comparable both in terms of the main alloying components of copper and tin as well as the minor and trace elements present.

There is an accompanying leather carrying case although it seems that this case was made for a similar, but smaller instrument.

PROVENANCE Private collection, Belgium LITERATURE François Charette, Mathematical Instrumentation in Fourteenth Century Egypt and Syria: The Illustrated Treatise of Najm al-Din al-Misri, Brill, Leiden, 2003. P. 13-14 Thomas Hockey et. al (eds.). The Biographical Dictionary of Astronomers, Springer-Reference, Springer, New York, 2007, pp. 792-793 Géza Fehérvári, “An eighth/fourteenth-century quadrant of the astrolabist al-Mizzî” in Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 36:1, 1973, pp. 115-117, pl. I-II.; REPORT Analytical appraisal and overall assessment of a previously unrecorded astrolabe quadrant by Dr Brian Gilmour PhD, Dip Cons, FSA, FCIFA, FRMS, Archaeometallurgy and Archaeology, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Available on request.

Estimate € 80.000 - € 120.000

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Lot 96 _________________________________________________________________________________

AN UNUSUAL QIBLQA-INDICATOR BY THE MASTER CRAFTSMAN OF LATE 17TH CENTURY ISFAHAN, ABD AL-AIMMA

The top and base of the box heavily inscribed in minute naskh script, the signature at the centre of the top. 6.5 cm. diam.

‘Abd al-A’imma was one of the most prolific instrument-makers of late-17th-century Isfahan. [See Mayer, Islamic Astrolabists, pp. 23-26.] He is known by over thirty astrolabes and at least two other qibla-indicators, both of which are rectangular and incorporate sundials and information on the times of prayer. His work is characterized by its elegance and its technical accuracy. He used an elegant ornamental naskhî script for his principal engraving. Nothing of consequence is known of his life, save that he was a Shi‘ite, his name signifying “Slave of the (twelve Shi‘ite) Imâms”, in the same way that little is known about the milieu in which he worked.

CATALOGUE NOTE This is a scientific instrument designed solely for the purpose of finding Mecca from anywhere within the Islamic world. Qibla simply means ‘the direction of Mecca’, so a qibla indicator indicates what that direction is. One of the five pillars of Islam directs Muslims to pray in the direction of Mecca five times a day, so it is essential they know which way to face, wherever they are.

Many devices exist to find the direction of Mecca, but once the compass found its way into the Islamic world - around the 13th-century AD - it became one of the most popular. Different types of compass can often be found incorporated into other instruments, such as astrolabes, or in qibla indicators like the one shown here. there is a circular grid called a gazetteer, this lists all the places you might possibly want to find Mecca from. Another section gives an approximate direction (eg NE) for Mecca in relation to where you are, and another gives you a more accurate direction still. The bottom section contains a compass, which you line up with the direction quoted for your location, to find Mecca.This device allowed anyone within the expanding Islamic world to find the direction of Mecca with a minimum of scientific knowledge. All a devout Muslim needed to know was the name of the town nearest to where he found himself. Independent travel, while keeping to the pillars of Islam, was now possible.

Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

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Lot 97 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A COMBINED SUNDIAL AND QIBLA INDICATOR, SAFAVID, PERSIA 17TH CENTURY

This instrument, which encompasses a horizontal sundial and compass was used for determining the prayer times and finding the qibla, the direction towards Mecca.

The base of the instrument is a rectangular brass plate divided into two equal halves along the long side.

The left side is again divided into two halves where the upper half contains an inscription and numerical table in abjad numerals for the determination of the times of the daylight prayers. The lower half contains a sundial with markings for Babylonian hours since sunrise. Just below the gnomon of the sundial, there is set a small compass for orienting the instrument. In the lower left corner there is a quadrant with a pivoted pointer to indicating the direction of the qibla. On the right half of the instrument there are concentric arcs of circles with radii 1-32 units, for determining the prayer time from the shadow cast by the collapsible gnomon which is located at the center of the circles. There is an third collapsible triangular gnomon located at the center of the instrument between the sundial on the left and the diagram with concentric circles on the right half.

20 by 11.5 cm.

SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS Although instruments with only the sundial and qibla quadrant with pivoted pointer are more common, instruments with extra engraved tables and gazetteers seem to be less common. There are only three instruments known to literature, which have a similar make.

The first is in the collection of the Oxford Museum for the History of Science ( Inv. No. 48472). This instrument is rectangular but engraved to be used vertically. The upper half is furnished with a sundial with markings for both Babylonian hours and concentric circles for measuring shadows for the determination of prayer times. There is also a hole which must have been for the inset magnetic compass. This particular instrument also misses the qibla quadrant, which is replaced with a compass diagram where each quadrant is divided from 0- 90 degrees and on which various compass directions, including Qibla. The instrument also contains a table with inhiraf for 59 localities.

The second instrument, is reported to be in a private collection in Paris.

The third instrument in the al-Khalili Collection is very similar in make to our instrument. It has a similar landscape position rectangular shape divided into two, with on the left side the sundial, qibla quadrant with pivoted pointer and a qibla table and markings with concentric circles on the right. The main difference seems to be the extra incomplete gazetteer on the back of the instrument. This instrument was previously in the collection of the now dispersed collection of the former Time Museum in Rockfort and was auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2004.

THE MAKER The maker’s name is inscribed in a cartouche in the lower left corner of the sundial Muhammad Ibn Zakarriya PROVENANCE Private collection, Germany

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LITERATURE David A. King, World-Maps for Finding the Direction and Distance to Mecca, Brill, Leiden. Pp. 118119, 177, 281, 282, 296, 413, 439. App. 518-519.

Emilie Savage-Smith, Science, Tools & Magic, The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1997 Mayer, Islamic Astrolabists, pp. 23-26, supplement. p.8 [printed in Aus der Welt der Islamischen Kunst, Gebrüder Mann, Berlin, 1959. pp. 293-296; reprinted in Fuat Sezgin, Islamic Astronomy and Mathematics, vol. 96. pp. 141-285, 291-294.

Sotheby’s, Masterpieces of the Time Museum, 3 vols, London, 2004 Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 98 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A CELESTIAL GLOBE, MADE BY MUGHAL ASTROLABIST MUHAMMAD SALIH OF THATTA, DATED 1074 AH/1663 AD Brass celestial globe made by the prominent Mughal astrolabist Tatawi in 1073 AH/ 1662-1663 AD. This celestial globe is one of the four known celestial globes of the maker.

Circa 21 cm. height and 21 cm. diam.

ENGRAVING It full complement of 1018 star position are marked by engraved dots enclosed within circles. This, in contrary to his other globes, where he uses inlaid silver for making star positions. . The outlines of 48 constellation figures are drawn carefully. On the globe the celestial equator and the ecliptic are represented by double bands of lines, where the narrower band is graduated in single degrees and the broader band encompassing 6 degrees are numbered in are abjad notation. The tropics, polar circles and ecliptic latitude circles are marked by single lines. The horizon ring also has two bands of lines, where the narrower band is graduated in single degrees and wider band in groups of 6°.

The maker’s inscription is inside the southern polar circle and reads “The work of Muhammad Salih Tatawi” THE MATERIAL AND BUILD It is a seamless hollow globe made of brass with a visible diameter of 15 cm. The axis of the globe passes through the poles of the equator and rests on a ring supported by a quadruped stand [height: 13 cm ] with spindle like legs supported by a base formed by two cross bars. The axis is furnished with to decorative endpieces on both ends.

THE MAKER The prominent Mughal astrolabist Muhammad Salih of Thatta or Muhammad Salih Tatawi (fl. 1659-1667) was active in the vicinity of the Mughal Court either in Agra and or Delhi and seems to have played a significant role as intermediary between the Arabic/Islamic and Hindu traditions of astronomy. So far, only three astrolabes and two celestial globes made by him are known to have survived.

PROVENANCE 1991 Rajasthan 1992 Private collection, Bangalore 2021 Private collection, Germany LITERATURE This instrument was described for the first time in [Sarma, Ansari & Kurkarni. 1993], For a description of the makers life and a descriptions of his other instruments see [Sarma, 2021] and [Savage-Smith, 1995] S. R. Sarma, S. M. R. Ansari & A. G. Kulkarni, Two Mughal Celestial Globes, Indian Journal of History of Science 28 (1), 1993 [Contains a detailed description of our instrument] S.R. Sarma, A Descriptive Catalogue of Astronomical Instruments Emilie Savage-Smith. Islamicate Celestial Globes, Smithsonian Institutions Press, 1985 Estimate € 30.000 - € 40.000

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Lot 99 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A RARE PERSIAN GUNNER’S CALIPER PRODUCED FOR THE PERSIAN ARMY DATED 1154 AH/1741-42 AD

A very rare 18th century Persian gunner’s caliper (also known as gunner’s compass/ gunner’s sector) modelled after one of the various types of gunner’s calipers developed and produced in 18th century England.

Despite the fact that English versions of this instrument are quite common, eastern versions seem to be very rare, since there are very few descriptions or references to similar instruments in literature. The Persian caliper at hand seems to be identical to an English gunners caliper auctioned 30th of October, 2019 at Morphy Auctions, as lot. 1187, made by “Gilkerson Tower Hill London”. A quick comparison shows that the numerical tables and engravings correspond almost identically.

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The instrument consists of two thin legs or rulers, pivoted with a screw and movable around the screw.

Both arms are rounded around the screw. The instrument is engraved on both sides.

The arms on the screw side of the instrument are engraved with scales for measuring lengths and diameters in inches and a tables indicating the amount of gunpowder quantity needed for proof and service for various diameters of brass mortars and howitzers for both sea and land. The screw side also has circular scale for measuring the diameter of bores in the round section.

The reverse of the instrument contains two tables for artillery: one for brass guns on the upper leg and one for iron guns in the lower leg with two rows of numbers. The Persian captions indicating the tables are textually longer than on the English instrument. For example the caption “proof ” on the English instrument becomes “gunpowder weight for testing the cannon” on the Persian instrument.

The only inscriptions which are different from the European original are both on the reverse side: (1) the date above the pivot, which reads 1154 (AH) and (2) a vertical inscription indicating “the property of God” left to the pivot.

17.5 cm. lenght CATALOGUE NOTE The gunner’s caliper is a modification of the sector for the use with artillery. The major modification is that the two arms have been hollowed out slightly to allow the user to measure the diameter of canon balls (convex diameter). Most gunner’s calipers also allowed to user to cross the arms over top of each other to measure the diameter inside the mouth (bore) of a cannon.

The arms were usually engraved with various scales and tables such as : scales for concave and convex diameters, degrees and tables for weights of iron shot diameters. This caliper is clearly modeled after 18th century European models LITERATURE J. Robertson, A Treatise of Such Mathematical Instruments as are usually put into a portable case containing their various uses in arithmetic, architecture, geometry, surveying, trigonometry, gunnery etc., London, 1757 M. Williams and E. Tomash, “The Sector: Its History, Scales, and Uses”, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 25, no. 01, pp. 34-47, 2003.

David S. Weaver, “The English Gunner’s Caliper”, Arms Collecting, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp.

Morphy Auctions Catalogue, 30th October, 219. Lot 1187: FINE SET OF ENGLISH BRASS ARTILLERY CALIPERS. Estimate € 8000 - € 12.000

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Lot 100 ____________________________________________________________________

A SAVAFID HOROSCOPE ALBUM, 17TH CENTURY

A rare concertina album from the Qajar period with Safavid miniatures and text, and two photo’s of Qajar royal figures.

The album starts with a miniature of presumably two royal Qajar figures, an inscription on the photo indicates, ‘This photo has been taken from the navab noblest, most glorious, highness, son of great king of the king Jalal al Doula, his life be long, ruler of Isfahan and excellency Majad Alneghab Majd Aldula, minister of arms of shrine in a capital royal seat, dated of Mohharam of 1281AH (1865-65 AD)’.

The second panel with a text, followed by ten miniatures depicting Islamic astrological zodiac signs as well as angels.

The 10 miniatures, with Aries, Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Pisces and angels.

Subsequently the album ends with another photo with three presumably royal men from the Qajar dynasty, with their names.

The verso with the astrological text. The final page with a horoscope and a colophon in a triangular box with two separate inscriptions on both sides.

The colophon, in the center indicates that the text was written by Abd al-Haqir Ghayb Ali Hafez at the House of Reign, Isfahan. In the triangular lower right corner there is an inscription mentioning the name of Shah Abbas II. While the lower left corner the name of Shah Abbas II’s son Sulayman is mentioned.

This album belongs to Jalal al-Dawla, son of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, 1864.

Miniature: 20 by 12 cm.

Album: 29.5 by 20 cm.

Estimate € 20.000 - € 30.000

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Lot 101 _______________________________________________

AN OTTOMAN COMPASS AND QIBLA INDICATOR, 19TH CENTURY

A case, the frame painted in gold, decorated with a crescent moon and star in the center, opening in two parts.

The inside of the cover painted with a central medallion representing aerial view of the al-Masdjid al-Harām mosque in Mecca, surrounded by a polychrome decoration of flowers and foliage on an ocher background. The inside of the box with a compass and compass rose in twelve directions, divided into degrees, with painted medallion view of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.This instrument, with the direction of the qibla positioned directly straight south, was made exclusively for Medina. To use it, orientate it by making the needle coincide with the northern minaret, then turn the box until the needle aligns with the direction of the qibla. The instrument can also be used to determine the true noon indicated when the string matches its own shadow on the meridian. At this time it also indicates true south, and therefore the direction of Mecca.

With miniatures representing the sacred sites of Mecca.

Painted wood, brass hinges and closure.

26.3 cm by 17.9 cm.

Estimate € 8000 - € 12.000

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Lot 102 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A SILVER TALISMANIC BAJUBAND ‘ZODIACS’ BOX, IRAN, 18TH CENTURY

The box decorated with three zodiacs a fish, lion and a ram. The rim inscribed with Arabic script, the bottom decorated with a talismanic scheme.

5 cm. diam.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000 Lot 103 _____________________________________

A MANUSCRIPT EXPLAINING THE FATIHIA MESSAGE IN THE ASTRONOMY

Copied by the astronomical scholar Mahmoud bin Mohammed ibn Qadi Zadeh al-Rumi better known as Miram, 931AH-1525 AD It was copied to be offered to the library of Sultan SalimI bin Sultan Bayezid Khan. The date of copy is 927 in Rajab but the draft was written two years earlier.

Arabic manuscript on paper, 112 leaves, 21 lines to the page written in naskh script in black ink and the illustration is in redwith 30 detailed geometric drawings in red ink, in brown leather binding with stamped central medallions incorporating stylized vegetal and floral motifs.

15 by 20 cm.

Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

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Lot 104 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A KHORASAN BRONZE EWER, IRAN, 12TH-13TH CENTURY

A raised collar at the base of the neck. The simple undulated strap handle with a bold palmette finial topped with a knob.The exterior of the body engraved with a horizontal register of calligraphic script under the collar, arabesque motifs in cartouches in profile and foliage stemming from globular vases on the belly. On the foot, a further band of vertical partitions.

34 cm.

Estimate € 7000 - € 10.000

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Lot 105 _______________________________________________

AN UMAYYAD INSCRIBED BRONZE OIL LAMP, POSSIBLY ANDALUSIA 12TH-13TH CENTURY

On spreading shaped trumpet foot, with lion’s head cover and with four spouts each with heart shaped funnel. The simple loop handle with finial in the form of a bird inscribed to the shoulder.

18 cm. height Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

Lot 106 _______________________________________________

A LARGE KHORASAN BRONZE VASE, PERSIA 10TH-12TH CENTURY With fluted pear-shaped body, flaring neck and on a splayed high foot, all sections incised with cartouches of Kufic inscriptions.

29 cm. height Inscriptions ‘Glory, prosperity and power’ Estimate € 3000 -€ 5000

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Lot 107 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A KHORASSAN SILVER INLAID BRONZE PENCASE, IRAN, 13TH CENTURY

Of rectangular form with rounded ends, the cover with two hinges behind and a similar clasp on the front, the base plain, the top with a silver inlaid benedictory inscription between similar plaited bands, a complex interlaced geometric roundel at each end. With areas of red patina.

20 cm. lenght Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

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Lot 108 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A KHORASAN BRONZE POLYCANDELON, PERSIA, 12TH-13TH CENTURY

Made up of twelve small interlinking circular candle-holders, surrounded by double facing birds, incised with decoration.

50 cm. diam.

CATALOGUE NOTE Polycandela originated in classical times and were particularly common in the Byzantine world during the 6th and 7th centuries. They continued to to be manufactured in Spain, North Africa, Syria and Egypt during the Islamic period. However, in Persia they were not so popular and it is said that Persians actually preferred to have lampstands on the floor instead of ones that hung from the ceiling. The projecting birds’s heads on the polycandelon may be a stamp of a maker’s workshop.

An almost identical bronze polycandelon is in the David Collection, (Kjeld von Folsach, Art from the World of Islam, Copenhagen, 2001, no. 475) and another in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, (The Arts of Islam, Hayward Gallery, London,1976, no. 182).

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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Lot 109 _______________________________________________

A FINE CAST BRONZE LION HEAD, FROM AN INCENSE BURNER, KHORASAN, 11TH-12TH CENTURY Cast in the form of a lion with open mouth, pointed ears, the body pierced and engraved.

6 cm. height Estimate € 1000 - € 1500

Lot 110 __________________________________

A SELJUK BRONZE GILDED BIRD 12TH-13TH CENTURY 6 cm. height, 8 cm. width Estimate € 800 - € 1000

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Lot 111 ______________________________________

A KHORASAN BRONZE INCENSE BURNER, PERSIA, 13TH CENTURY

With cylindrical base standing on three hoof feet, the handle joined at right angles to the body, with hinged bulbous cover surmounted by three birds and standing animal at the finial, the cover and handle with pierced decoration, the base incised with a strap work frieze, the cover with three arabesque bands, below the finial an openwork bulb.

40 cm. height Estimate € 16.000 - € 20.000

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Lot 112 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A SILVER DISH WITH THE IMAGE OF A RAM, LATE SASSANIAN OR EARLY ISLAMIC, CIRCA 7TH CENTURY

With applied basel ring, incised line below the inner rim, high relief profile image of a ram advancing on an uneven surface. The ram with hatched areas to the neck, chest and legs, curled horns, two billowing streamers attached to the rear of the neck and trefoil before the chest.

The baseline formed from four bell-shaped humps with a hatched outline, reserved flower.

The imagery of animals is borrowed from the late classical cult of Dionysus while the ram, symbol of the war god Verethragna, is a potent symbol of Sasanian royalty.

21 cm. diam.

PROVENANCE Acquired from important London Gallery in early 20s , Ex, Mr R.K since 1970s.

Estimate € 20.000 - € 30.000

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Lot 113 _____________________________________________________________________________________

BRONZE CANDLESTICK MOSUL, IRAQ, 13TH CENTURY

The body decorated with four cartouches on scrolling ground, divided by roundels containing , a band of stylised leaf-motifs above and below, the shoulder decorated with scrolling arabesque interspersed with roundels with interlaced geometric motif, the neck with stylised palmettes in roundels on an interlaced geometric ground.

20 cm. height 16 cm. diam.

Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

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Lot 114 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A BRONZE LIDDED DAWAT, 12TH-13TH CENTURY, CENTRAL ASIA

A large golden brass coloured bronze pot with fitted air-tight lid that suggests a utilitarian purpose – perhaps originally to hold medicines, spices and incense, which would need to be protected from the outside conditions, as well as kept secure.

The pot with three lines of delicately inlaid epigraphic Kufic panels which run around most of the body.

Another line of inscription runs around the rim of the lid, where the remains of a hinge can be seen on one side.

18 cm.height, 24 cm. diam.

Estimate € 4000 - € 6000 CATALOGUE NOTE The intricate decoration highlights the Islamic fascination with calligraphic script, which was elevated from a means to transmit text to an exalted art form where the shape, style, size and colour of the lettering became its own exquisite form of decorative motif. It also highlights the pursuit of the written word at the time, with a thirst for academia, poetry and religious inscriptions being pursued.

Often vessels of this type are topped with a domed lid, in resemblance to a domed building or minaret - it is rare that an example of this type has a simple flat top. This vessel is similar in style but much larger in size to the dawat inkwells found throughout the medieval Islamic world.

Metalworkers frequently used bronze as the main body for practical objects, however the technique of inlaying with gold, silver, black niello and copper wire was widely popular as a form of decoration. Incisions were made, into which copper wire was hammered, creating a beautiful contrast of the green gold bronze and the red of the copper wire that obtains a beautiful rich patina over time. Such objects convey the wealth of the owner as a conspicuous display, but also tell of their taste and refinement, and Islamic metalwork such as this is one of the greatest surviving remnants of the period, which remains highly prized today. No two of these large cylindrical boxes are alike, suggesting that each would have been most likely custom made to the patron’s wishes.

A similar style large cylindrical in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Khalili Collection in London.

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Lot 115 ___________________________________________________________________________________

AN ISLAMIC JEWELLRY BOX, 12TH-13TH CENTURY

An ornate bronze box is of a type attributed by Melikian-Chirvani to Western Iran. Formed from a large rectangle that rests on four short feet, with a body decorated in intricate silver inlay, which includes rosettes at each corner and a large floral motif either side of a lock. The large sturdy hinged lock suggests it was used specifically to store valuable items and highlights the practical function of the object that elegantly combines form and function. The top part of the box is composed of a lid with sloping shoulders and contains a large bronze exotic bird with its wings spread and tail plumage fanned as if in flight.

20 by 16 by 11 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE As was tradition for luxury metal goods in the Medieval Islamic period, a fine inlay of silver has been applied to the box, which highlights the intricate detail of the decoration, contrasting the gold and reflecting the intricacy of the design whether by sunlight or flame. It also displays the wealth and taste of the owner while simultaneously hinting at the rich contents inside – perhaps fine jewellery or precious objects that needed to be kept safe from prying hands and eyes.

Islamic bronze workers in Iran during the Sasanian and post Sasanian periods often played with the proportions of different alloys. Highly tinned alloys (around 20% tin) would result in a very reflective silver finish. This casket has a more golden tone with red patina, which can most likely be attributed to higher levels of copper, zinc or lead that can be found in the alloy. The wonderful color has a rich shimmer and brilliant patina, and speaks highly of the mastery of these Islamic metalworkers.

A similar bronze box can be found in the David Collection in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 116 _________________________________________

A BRONZE KHORASAN JUG WITH SILVER INLAY, CENTRAL ASIA 12TH-13TH CENTURY

With a straight neck and a bulbous form neck that rests upon a flaring foot. The neck with a decoration that runs all the way round it. With a backing of a foliate and arabesque design, laid on top is a stylized script, where the verticals of the downward strokes are inlaid with silver creating a secondary band design. The body is not completely ovoid, composed of twelve slightly concave strips, each with a stylized flower design, with the centre of the flowers being a small dot of silver. The foot decorated with a band of incised lotus flowers.

14 cm. height Estimate € 1000 - € 1500

Lot 117 _________________________________________

A KHORASAN BRONZE COVERED FOOTED BOWL, PERSIA, 12TH-13TH CENTURY On an engraved scrolling foliate ground, the cover with similar engraved band.

Inscription ‘Glory, prosperity, health, power, safety, happiness, satisfaction, divine care, abundance, health, completude, perpetuity and to him [the owner] Paradise’.

22 cm. height, 15 cm. diam.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 118 ______________________________________

AN ISLAMIC BRONZE EWER CENTRAL ASIA, 8TH CENTURY

A spouted ewer with slightly flared base, pear-shaped belly and tapering spout. The ribbed handle is attached to the main body and rises to the back of the spout. A ball shaped pomegranate counter weight sits at the top. With a very simple but elegant in design, it is likely this vessel was used a wine pourer.

36 cm. height CATALOGUE NOTE This type of ewer, whose shape is derived from known Sasanian silverware, has been dated from the start of the 8th century, thanks to a record of a similar ewer in the Tiflis Museum in Georgia.

There is a similar shaped ewer in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and another, exhibited in Riyadh and London, in the collection belonging to the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan.

Estimate € 5000 - € 8000

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Lot 119 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A SILVER-INLAID MORTAR, KHORSAN, 13TH CENTURY

The octagonal body with flat everted rim, eight loop handles within four stylized bovine clasps, the brass body incised and inlaid with silver, designed with two anthropomorphic naskh friezes on body and four roundels enclosing a seated figure in the centre against a foliate scroll ground.

25 cm. diam.

Inscriptions ‘Boundless honor, wealth, and happiness to the owner’ wa’l-thana ‘..and praise’ Estimate € 30.000 - € 50.000

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This impressive mortar displays the ingenuity of thirteenth-century craftsmen working in Khorasan, famed for their silver-inlay techniques.

The present example is shaped as a simple bronze mortar, whose use would have lain in the pounding of herbs and spices for medicinal purposes. Yet it was inlaid with detailed silver designs, including an anthropomorphic naskh frieze on a vegetal ground near the rim and base of the mortar, as well as four roundels which enclose a seated cross legged figure. The seated figure may be read possibly as the personification of a planet or zodiac sign as in a comparable example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 91.1.527a,b). The mortar in the Metropolitan Museum was made for Abu Bark ‘Ali Malikzad al-Tabrizi and is dated to the late-twelth/ early thirteenth century. It features figural medallions, two of which are identified as Jauzahr, the eighth planet, depicted as a seated figure flanked by snakes with dragon-heads. The figure on the present example can also be interpreted as a courtier, but the use of an anthropomorphic frieze above and below suggests an astronomical reading.

CATALOGUE NOTE The present example features eight suspended rings that are held together by four stylized bovine heads which are comparable in style to a bronze mortar of the same period in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. M.24-1963, see Melikian-Chirvani 1982, pp. 161-162). It is rare to find an object of everyday use elevated to such an artistic rank and the silver inlay and complexity of design on the present mortar point toward a luxurious commission probably for an apothecary’s shop.

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Lot 120 ____________________________________________________________________________________

CANDLESTICK WITH SILVER INLAY, PERSIA, 11TH-12TH CENTURY

A candlestick with a concave-sided body and candle holder, a concave drip tray and cylindrical neck. The body is decorated with large cartouches enclosing Arabic inscriptions in large thuluth script, linked with cartouches enclosing arabesques, set between two bands of geometric desgins and chains. Around the foot a band of flower heads. The shoulder is decorated with three cartouches enclosing Arabic inscriptions in thuluth script linked. The candle holder with roundels enclosing Arabic inscriptions and geometric designs.

22 cm. height POVENANCE Previously in a Private Family collection, 1960’s.

Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 121 ________________________________________________

AN ISLAMIC OPENWORK OIL LAMP AND STAND, CENTRAL ASIA, 12TH-13TH CENTURY The lamp is a wonderful example of its type, standing on a spreading and trumpeted pedestal base, decorated with a simple openwork motif, with a fuel chamber that is squat in form, topped by a hinged, highly decorated bell shaped lid. On the front of the chamber, and on each side, are spouts with long openings, to increase the amount of light the flame would produce.

Attached to the back of the body is a flat projection to which a loop handle is fixed. On top of this is a large, inverted teardrop to act as a counterweight, allowing the user of the lamp to hold it at a distance safe from burning. The tubular stand, also with openwork, rises from three feet to a level shoulder. Just above, the dome-shaped section is adorned with perforated arabesque decoration, which leads to a carved tubular shaft with bosses at either end. The magnificent stand culminates with a wide circular tray that has slightly flared rim with engraved calligraphy.

The inclusion of calligraphy illustrates a medieval passion for the form, where it was extended beyond a means to transmit a message in to a versatile and infinite art form, and descriptions on lamp stands are known to reference the virtues of light. The palmette design around the foot of the stand resembles earlier archaic forms and highlights the amalgamation of styles present. This rare example of a complete lamp and stand is testament to the medieval Islamic metal workshop’s skill and ability in producing monumental pieces that seamlessly combine form and function to produce exquisite works of art. The volume of bronze necessary to create such a piece, combined with the necessary knowledge in bronze-working mean this could have only been created by a particular skilled artisan versed in production techniques, and only afforded by a wealthy patron of the workshop.

83 cm. (stand), 23 cm. (lamp)

Estimate € 7000 - € 9000

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Lot 122 __________________________________________________________________________________

A MONUMENTAL KHORASAN BRONZE SERVING BOWL, SIGNED BY ‘ABU BAKR MUHAMMAD IBN HASAN AL-HERATI PERSIA, 13TH CENTURY

Of deep rounded form on a short splayed foot with flat rim, the rim engraved with a band of inscription-filled cartouches interspersed by roundels containing cruciform motifs surrounded by petals, one cartouche with Thuluth inscription and a quadruped surrounded by an undulating vine, another with inscription in cursive surrounded by an undulating vine, the remaining cartouches with inscription in Kufic on a ground of scrolling vines terminating in trefoil palmettes.

71.5 cm. diam.

Inscriptions al-’izz wa al-iqbal wa al-dawla wa a/l-salama wa al-sa’ada wa al-shifa’a wa a/l-shukra wa al-shakira wa al-’afiya wa al-tamma/ wa al-rahma wa al-raha wa al-baqa li-sahibihi, ‘Glory and Prosperity and Wealth and Well-being and Happiness and [Prophet’s] Intercession and Gratitude and Gratefulness and Health and Plenitude and Mercy and Ease and Long-life to its owner’; and signed as ‘Work of Abu bakr Muhammad bin Husayn al-Harati’; with the owner’s name ‘Haji Habash (?) Halwa’i (the confectioner)’.

CATALOGUE NOTE This large scale bronze Khorasan serving bowl is of remarkable importance. The engraved maker’s signature on the rim, Abu Bakr, leads us to believe that our bowl was made in the region Herat, Eastern Khorasan. Additionally, Abu Bakr’s signature bears witness to the existence of an active and powerful metalwork family. The very presence of a signature highlights the success of casting such a monumental vessel; this fits in with the custom of signing Khorasan metalwork seen elsewhere on a cauldron found in the Hermitage (Anatoli Aleksevich Ivanov, vo dvortsaw i v shatrax, islamskiy mi rot kitaya do evropi, exhibition catalogue, Saint Petersburg, 2008, pl. 23, p. 41). Almost synonymous in style, a tray in the Kier collection is engraved with a similar rabbit motif to those found on our bowl, suggestive of a decorative trend particular to the Herat province (G. Fehervari, Islamic Metalwork in the Keir Collection, London, 1976, pl. 23a.)

Unconventional in size, our Khorasan serving bowl breaks from the trend of the cauldron style, initially designed for use over a fire, highlighting the maker’s motive and priority for design over practicality.

Estimate € 40.000 - € 60.000

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Lot 123 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A BRONZE, COPPER, SILVER AND BRASS BASIN, CENTRAL ASIA, 11TH-13TH CENTURY

The basin is composed mainly of bronze, with inlay of copper, silver and brass. It is an elegant shape with a broad mouth that flows in to rounded shoulders, which narrow quickly to a rounded base containing particularly complex decoration. The entire exterior of the basin is almost completely covered with highly-detailed inlaid designs that swirls around the surface, enhancing the shape. At first glance, the design lends the surface of the object a silvery and ornate impression, but upon closer examination, a forest of ornament becomes apparent in bands of braids and vegetal borders. The central, widest register is filled with small roundels, interspersed with larger ones, within which figures sit in profile. Their arms are raised, and each holds an instrument. It is most likely that they are court musicians.

12 cm. height 28 cm. diam.

Estimate € 15.000 - € 20.000

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Lot 124 ________________________________________

A KHORASAN SILVER-INLAID BRONZE BOWL PERSIA, 13TH CENTURY Of deep rounded form on a splayed foot, the rim engraved and decorated in silver inlay with a frieze of inscription in Kufic on a ground of scrolling foliate vines.

18 cm. diam.

Inscriptions al-’izz wa al-iqbal wa al-dawla wa al-sa’ada wa al-salama wa al-’inaya wa al-qina’a wa al-shifa’a wa al-’afiya wa al-tamma wa al-ni’ma, ‘Glory and prosperity and Wealth and Happiness and Well-being and Sympathy and Contentment and [Prophet’s] Intercession and Health and Health and Plenitude and [God’s] Grace’.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000 Lot 125 _____________________________________

A BRONZE OIL LAMP, KHORASAN EASTERN, PERSIA, 12TH CENTURY

On spreading shaped trumpet foot, with cover and two spouts each with heart shaped funnel.

The simple loop handle with finial in the form of a bird, inscribed to the shoulder.

29 cm. height Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 126 ____________________________________________________________________________________

SILVER VESSEL WITH NIELLO, CENTRAL ASIA, 12TH-13TH CENTURY

This sheet-silver container was originally the base and lower neck of a bottle, but at some stage of its history-the neck and mouth were cut off. However, the bottle had already been altered by the addition of a handle, for the outline of part of the lower handle terminal is clearly visible below the calligraphic ornament at the beginning and end of the inscription round the shoulder. It seems likely that the three roundels belong to this period of its history.

The Kufic inscription gives the name of the owner, reading: ‘Glory, prosperity, wealth and happiness to Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn ‘Isa the mattress-stuffer’. We do not know who Abu Bakr Muhammad was, or where he lived, but he had clearly prospered in his mattress­stuffing business. The script suggests a dating to the 12th or early 13th century.

The three roundels bear a pair of confronted peacocks, a horseman and a fox. The first two motifs are common on Islamic metalwork, though the horseman is carrying an uncommon kind of mace over his shoulder and his face is shown unusually in three-quarter profile. The fox, however, is exceptional. The jackals Kalila and Dimna are found in Islamic art, particularly of course in illustrated manuscripts of the animal fables in which they feature, and foxes are found walking with other animals in the animal friezes which decorate many metalwork objects. Here, however, we have a fox apparently tearing at its own tail.

The significance of this image remains to be discovered. The dating of these roundels to the 11th century is suggested by the style of the fox’s tail and of those of the peacocks.

12.6 cm. height, 12.8 cm. diam.

Accompanied by three metallurgy test.

Estimate € 100.000 - € 150.000

“‫”المجد واالزدهار والثروة والسعادة ألبي بكر محمد بن عيسى حاشية المراتب‬

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Lot 127 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A PERSIAN SILVER AND NIELLO ORNAMENT, 12TH CENTURY

Of demi-lune form the surface lightly engraved with two confronted peacocks within roundels against a ground of scrolling vegetation, a crouching hare in the space beneath them, two smaller birds in the spandrels above, surrounded by a knotted border, two attachment knops in top two corners, small portion missing at bottom edge.

11 cm. across Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

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Lot 128 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A CARVED JADE BOWL INDIA, 18TH CENTURY

With rounded sides and slightly everted rim on a short foot, the exterior carved in relief with a frieze of Chinese-influenced meandering vines bearing chrysanthemum flowers.

16 cm. diam.

CATALOGUE NOTE: For a similarly carved piece see M. L. Nigam, Jade Collection in the Salar Jung Museum, 1979, pl.6.

Estimate € 8000 - € 10.000 Esti Estimate € 2 - € 3 mate € 2 - € 3 Estimate € 2 - € 3

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Lot 129 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A CELADON JADE MUGHAL-STYLE BOWL, 17TH CENTURY

The steep sides rising from a short spreading chrysanthemum-shaped foot to a slightly flared rim, carved in low relief to the exterior with three rows of stylised floral foliates, the stone of a pale celadon tone.

13.6 cm. diam.

PROVENANCE Collection of Edward George Robey (1869-1954).

Estimate € 30.000 - € 40.000

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Lot 130 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A KING (SHAH) ROCK CRYSTAL CHESS PIECE, IRAQ OR KHORASAN LATE 9TH-EARLY 10TH CENTURY

This piece of rock crystal is carved as a chess piece, probably a king. In the Middle East the king originally showed the monarch riding on an elephant in full state. However, the shape soon became highly stylised, and its main distinguishing feature is its lack of symmetry front and back. This piece has a low, plain, recessed oval base. The main body has a rounded top and has been carved as three separate elements. A high band with a decorated upper surface separates two faces that curve outwards. The front shows a pair of birds confronting one another. They make a pattern that looks a little like an elephant’s face. The back is much lower and is decorated with a pattern of leafy scrolls.

6 cm. height 4.5 cm. diam.

Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

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Lot 131 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A CARVED IVORY CHESS PIECE, EGYPT OR IRAQ, 10TH-11TH CENTURY The carved chess piece with elongated arabesques to front.

4.8 cm. height

CATALOGUE NOTE Other comparable ivory chess pieces can be found in the British Museum; Metropolitan Museum, New York and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Chess pieces such as the present example, may possibly have been made in the Iraqi cities of Basra or Samarra, not only for themselves and their own market, but for the Fatimids of Egypt and Syria too.

However, an unlocated piece bearing some similarities to the current example (but made of wood) has been attributed to Afghanistan during the 11th-12th century Ghazni period.

Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

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Lot 132 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A MUGHAL CARVED SPINACH JADE QURAN STAND, 19TH CENTURY

The two sides carved from one block of jade, each side deeply carved with a cartouche enclosing Arabic calligraphy, surrounded by scrolling flowers, further highlighted with inlaid gems set in gold.

20 cm. height, 15 cm. width Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000

Lot 133 ____________________________________________

A TIMURID CARVED JADE DAGGER 16TH CENTURY

A Timurid spinach jade dagger hilt carved with floral motifs, downturned gilt cockerel head quillion set with red jewels. And a 16th century European curved double-edged watered-steel blade.

24.5 cm. length PROVENANCE Private collection, Germany Estimate € 5000 - € 8000

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Lot 134 ____________________________________

Lot 135 ___________________________________________

A double-edged watered-steel blade, the rock-crystal hilt with scroll quillons and rounded pommel, inlaid with gold and gem-stones with leaves, the cloth-covered scabbard.

47 cm. lenght

A double-edged watered-steel blade with a central ridge, the jade hilt with swelling grip inlaid overall with engraved gold flowers heads and small buds set with ruby.

35.5 cm. length

PROVENANCE Private collection, Germany

PROVENANCE Private collection, Germany

Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

Estimate € 25.000 - € 30.000

A GEM SET ROCK CRYSTAL HILTED DAGGER, MUGHAL INDIA, 18TH CENTURY

A FINE MUGHAL GEM-SET JADE-HILTED DAGGER, JAHANGIR PERIOD 17TH CENTURY

153

Lot 136 _____________________________________________________________________________________ A MUGHAL CARVED EMERALD DEPICTING A PARROT IN A TREE, 19TH CENTURY Emerald with gold.

11.4 cm. height 133 gr.

Estimate € 40.000 - € 60.000

154

Lot 137 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A GEM-SET GOLD PENDANT IN THE FORM OF A BIRD, PROBABLY DECCAN INDIA, 19TH CENTURY This impressive gem set pendant in the form of a bird prey, with spread wings and fanned tail is part of a small group of bird pendants dating from the 17th century to the 19th centuries.

7.5 by 6 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE There are known examples in the Al-Sabah collection, Kuwait and two in the Nasser D Khalili Collection Estimate € 10.000 - € 12.000

155

Lot 138 _____________________________________________________________________________________

AN ENAMELED PORTRAIT MEDALLION, SIGNED GHULAM KHANZADEH ‘ALI, QAJAR IRAN, CIRCA 1830

Depicting Prince Muhammad ‘Ali Mirza Qajar, son of Fath ‘Ali Shah, with identification inscription above and signature, ghulam-i khanah-zad ’ali below, the reverse covered with turquoise enamel, the later mount with hanging loop and pin attachment 6 cm. height CATALOGUE NOTE Known as Dawlatshah, Prince Muhammad ‘Ali Mirza Qajar was the eldest son of Fath ’Ali Shah, but on account of his mother being Georgian, his half-brother, ’Abbas Mirza, whose mother was a Qajar princess, was made heir apparent. Dawlatshah instead became governor of Fars and then Kermanshah, where he was in charge of the western frontiers and demonstrated his courage in successive battles against the Ottomans.

For portraits of him, see Sotheby’s, 28th April 1993, lot 29 and Abolala Soudavar, Art of the Persian Courts, New York, 1992, no. 159. An enamelled portrait of Dawlatshah’s father, Fath ‘Ali Shah, was sold at Christie’s, London, 4 October 2012, lot 157.

Estimate € 8000 - € 12.000

156

Lot 139 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A FATIMID SILVER MEDICINE FLASK WITH KUFIC INSCRIPTION, SYRIA OR EGYPT, 10TH-11TH CENTURY

The cast flask of drop form with trefoil pendant and turned concave cylindrical neck, engraved on both flat faces with Arabic inscriptions in foliated Kufic.

10.5 cm. height Inscription in Arabic al-’izz wa al-kirama/li-man talaba al-salama ‘Might and Honour to the one who seeks Health’ Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

157

Lot 140 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A BRASS-INLAID BIDRI DISH, BIDAR, INDIA, 17TH CENTURY

Of round form with curved rim, inlaid with leaf and floral sprays interspersed, around a central rosette, the rim with scrolling flowers.

36 cm. diam.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3.000

158

Lot 141 _____________________________________________________________________________________

A STEEL HELMET, MUGHAL, INDIA, 17TH-18TH CENTURY Of domed form surmounted by a spike holder, the sides with ear guard flaps, with a lobed peak incised with floral decoration, with engraved bands of calligraphy around the rim with Surah Al-Kursi. The apertures around the base of the helmet suggest that, originally, it would have been completed with a chain mail neck and face guard.

35 cm. height Provenance: According to the present owner from a Swiss private collection purchased 1980 from Rosenbaum in Ascona - 1980-1994 Belgium private collection - 1994-2020 Private collection Germany Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

159

Lot 142 __________________________________________

A SELJUK BRONZE OIL LAMP, CENTRAL ASIA, 12TH-13TH CENTURY Of typical form, missing lid, with bird mounted to handle, engraved with inscriptions to wide rim and with arabesque filled cartouches to base and body.

18 cm. height Estimate € 2000 - € 3000 Lot 143 ________________________________________

A BRONZE INSCRIBED FATIMID HARE, 10TH-11TH CENTURY 13 cm. height, 14 cm. length Inscriptions ‘Perpetual glory and prosperity’ Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

160

Lot 144 __________________________________________

A BRONZE ELEPHANT SPOUT TERMINAL, PERSIA OR CENTRAL ASIA 11TH-12TH CENTURY 18 cm. height Estimate € 800 - € 1200

Lot 145 ___________________________________________________________________________________

AN INSCRIBED KHORASAN OPENWORK, BRONZE CANDLESTICK BASE, PERSIA 12TH-13TH CENTURY

Of domed form, with slight everted base, stepped shoulder and the shaft emerging from a sunken well to top, inscribed in Kufic script to base and shoulder.

28.2 cm. diam.

15.4 cm. height Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

161

Lot 146 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A PAIR OF LARGE JUGS, KHORASAN, CENTRAL ASIA, 11TH-12TH CENTURY

These two monumental Khorasan ewers are a matching pair, both displaying fine incision work and verdigris patination. The handles are curved and adorned with thumb rests and a pierced dome with a bird finial on top. Each lid is cast with delicate openwork, the tops domed and resembling minarets. The long tubular necks are decorated with bands of scrolling incision work and arabesque.

51 cm. height (2) Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000

162

Lot 147 ____________________________________________

A BRONZE INSCRIBED SILVER-INLAY LID, KHORASAN, 12TH-13TH CENTURY Inscriptions ‘Glory, prosperity, power, happiness, safety perpetuity, happiness, prophetic intercession abundancy, divine protection, satisfaction justice and perpetuity to its owner’ 8 cm. diam.

Estimate € 5000 - € 8000

Lot 148 ______________________________________________________________________________

A BRONZE INSCRIBED SILVER-INLAY INKWELL BODY, KHORASAN 12TH-13TH CENTURY 6 cm. height, 9.5 cm. diam Inscriptions ‘Glory and prosperity and wealth and endurance and generosity’ PROVENANCE Private collection, United Kingdom since 1960’s Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

163

164

Lot 149 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A LARGE ENGRAVED BRASS TRAY, SYRIA, LATE 15TH-EARLY 16TH CENTURY

Of flat circular form with everted rim, the base with central radiating roundel containing strap-work rosette, further encircled by a broad band of bold thuluth followed by twelve ogival medallions containing arabesques and outer broad band in thuluth uninterrupted.

The rim wit a simple plaited band.

112 cm. diam.

CATALOGUE NOTE Inscriptions in the tray A poem from the famous poet Abu Al-Wafa Bin Omar Bin Abdul-Wahhab, the Shafi Mufti in Aleppo, 973 AH/1565 AD. One of the most eminent scholars in knowledge, mastery, memorization and control in Aleppo in that time.

Estimate € 8000 - € 12.000

165

Lot 150 __________________________________________________________________________________

AN OPENWORK GILT BRONZE BANNER STAFF HEAD (ALAM) OTTOMAN TURKEY, 14TH-15TH CENTURY

Alam rising from a conical shaft. The hollow palmetto-shaped head, engraved in Kufic script on both sides, with a motto proclaiming: ‘There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.’ 60 cm. height, 20 cm. width Inscriptions With a probably later engraved inscription.

‘The alam of the house of Hazrat Abbas, uncle of the Messenger of God Muhammad Sheikh Syed Sebaei Abu Bakr-Omar-Ali-Hassan -Hussein -Abbas-Fatema’.

Estimate € 14.000 - € 18.000

166

Lot 151 ___________________________________________________________________________________

AN EARLY OTTOMAN CAST BRASS CANDLESTICK, TURKEY, CIRCA 1500

The body of truncated conical form with flanged base, perforated bands and everted drip-pan, the shaft with globed perforated bulb, the socket of spool form with ridges, engraved with a central band of cartouches containing incised inscriptions and thinner bands of chain pattern and foliate motifs.

21.6 cm. height Inscriptions li-sahibihi al-sa’ada / wa al-salama / wa tu [l] / al-’umr sahat (sic.) [ma nahat] hamama a / ‘To its owner Happiness and Well-being and Long-life as long as the dove coos’ This inscription can be found on Persian metalwork as early as the third quarter of the thirteenth century and continued to be engraved on later Persian and Ottoman works (see Melikian Chirvani 1982, p. 143).

Estimate € 15.000 - € 20.000

167

168

Lot 152 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A FIGURAL ABBASID LUSTRE BOWL, MESOPOTAMIA OR CENTRAL ASIA 9TH CENTURY

Of rounded form with everted lip on short foot, the pale tin glaze painted in tones of lustre with a central two figures They dance with each other wearing a striped robes and carrying in raised hands a , scrolling floral vine to either side, with two a stringed instruments that looks like, al Oud music instruments the rim with alternating green and brown lobes, the exterior with diagonal rows of green and brown splashes. This lot is accompanied by a Thermoluminescence test, Oxford, UK 6 cm. height, 20 cm. diam.

Estimate € 20.000 - € 30.000

169

Lot 153 ______________________________________

AN ABBASID LUSTRE POTTERY BOWL, IRAQ, 9TH CENTURY

Earthenware; polychrome lustre-painted on opaque white glaze.

Standing on a low foot, its curved sides terminate in an everted lip. Polychrome painting with olive green, yellow gold, and copper red.

7 cm. height, 21 cm. diam.

Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

Lot 154 _____________________________________

AN ABBASID LUSTRE POTTERY BOWL, MESOPOTAMIA 9TH CENTURY

With rounded body and slightly everted rim, decorated in olive green and a brownish lustre on a natural ground, the design consisting of a central lattice enclosing dotted panels within a concentric band filled with roundels, the rim with a frieze of half-lunettes, the exterior with splashes.

6.5 height, 21 cm. diam.

Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000

170

Lot 155 _____________________________________

A NISHAPUR FIGURAL BUFFWARE POTTERY BOWL DEPICTING A WARRIOR, PERSIA, 10TH CENTURY With sloping sides and upright rim, decorated in black, green and mustard-yellow, depicting a male figure with legs and arms astride, holding a shield and a sword.

9.5 cm. height, 22 cm. diam.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

Lot 156 _______________________________________

A NISHAPUR POTTERY BOWL, IRAN, 10TH CENTURY

On a short foot, with rounded sides. The basin interior is awash with shades of brown and pale-yellow glaze that creates a colorful ground atop which a long-necked avian is presented between a pair of abstract petaloid forms. Fineline geometric shapes fill the areas around the black adornments and provide a sense of depth and character to this bowl.

9 cm. height, 27.5 cm. diam.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

171

172

Lot 157 __________________________________________________________________________________

A POST SASSANIAN TURQUOISE GLAZED POTTERY STORAGE JAR IRAN OR IRAQ, 7TH-8TH CENTURY

The egg-shaped jar, with three small handles, is covered entirely with a heavy dark-green glaze, which is common in Sassanid ceramic production.

The decoration is based on a series of concentric circles in relief finished off in the middle with a motif of a stylised bunch of grapes, which is related to a widespread tradition of symbolic figures. Below the brim there is a geometric motif in relief made up of small rhombuses, The shape, decoration and technique used in the piece are evidence of the stylistic continuity between the late Sassanid and the early Islamic periods. The jar was probably intended to store foodstuffs.

Through stylistic analysis. The shape and decoration of the jar, the technique used and the dark green glaze are all typical of Sassanid ceramics.

50 cm.

PROVENANCE Private collection, The Netherlands CATALOGUE NOTE This type of alkaline-glazed pottery, intended for storage of food stuffs or drinking water, had been produced in kilns along the Upper Euphrates since at least the Parthian period continuing through the Umayyad and early Abbasid periods, with subtle changes in shape and design. The distinctive silvery iridescence offset by the turquoise glaze only adds to their decorative appeal. Their story is also fascinating, for examples have been found as far afield as Fujian province in China. A tomb at Lotus Peak on the outskirts of Fuzhou, dedicated to one Liu Hua, who died in A.D. 930, wife of King Wang Yangjun of the Min Kingdom (909-945 AD), yielded three similar turquoise-glazed jars, testament to the trading activities of Persian and Arab merchants along the southern coast of China at this time.

Estimate € 8000 - € 12.000

173

Lot 158 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A FATIMID LEED-GLAZED JAR, EGYPT, 10TH-11TH CENTURY

Of pear-shaped form with everted foot, broad flattened shoulder and a narrow slightly everted neck, the shoulder, neck and upper body incised with ring and hatched designs, partially dipped in copper green lead glaze.

23 cm. height PROVENANCE With Fratelli Molayem, Approdo Galleria, Rome, from at least 1969.

Private Collection, Turin, acquired from the above in 1976.

CATALOGUE NOTE Exhibited “Islamic Ceramics of the Persian Middle Ages” Turin, Approdo Galleria, March 22nd - April 14th 1969.

Estimate € 10.000 - € 15.000

174

Lot 159 ____________________________________

A UMAYYAD GREEN GLAZED POTTERY JUG, EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN 8TH-9TH CENTURY

The shouldered rounded body with neck and spout, a handle with three applied knops linking the shoulder and mouth, the body moulded under the plain green glaze with a register of bold tear-shaped patterns around the shoulder composed of a border of small dots within two thick lines.

33 cm. height Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

Lot 160 _______________________________________

AN ABBASID TIN GLAZED POTTERY BOWL, MESOPOTAMIA, 9TH CENTURY

Of rounded form with everted lip on short foot, the light grey interior painted in brown with a single phrase of flowing Kufic, extending from the edges above and below are six green dashes and from either side a hand reaching inwards, the exterior plain.

6 cm. height, 21 cm. diam.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

175

176

Lot 161 ____________________________________________________________________________________

A FINE KASHAN SILHOUETTE-WARE POTTERY VASE, PERSIA LATE 12TH CENTURY

Of baluster form with tapering neck, moulded and decorated in turquoise and black, the shoulder with a band of hares and foxes running on a ground of undulating tendrils terminating in split-palmettes, the neck with a band of palmette motifs on a ground. Of lattice design, the body with a series of panels radiating from the foot.

This lot is accompanied by a Thermoluminescence Test (CIRAM 0116-OA-14R, dated 26/1/2016).

31.3 cm. height PROVENANCE Private collection, United Kingdom CATALOGUE NOTE Silhouette-wares mark the transition between the production of clay-bodied ceramics and the development of the underglaze painting technique in Persia. Stylistically the decoration of the group relates to the lustrewares produced at Kashan during the monumental period in the last three decades of the 12th century. The decoration to the present lot is comparable to that on a vase in the Al-Sabah Collection at the Kuwait National Museum (Oliver Watson, Ceramics From Islamic Lands, London, 2004, p. 334, Cat.N.1). Both vases take inspiration from Garrus earthenwares, where the slip is removed entirely from the background of the image in order to leave the principal motifs in relief on a lighter background. The depiction of the quadrupeds is reminiscent of that on Fatimid pottery, the quality of the drawing being far finer than that on Garrus wares or any other vessels produced in the incised technique in Persia.

Estimate € 8000 - € 12.000

Lot 162 _______________________________________

A KASHAN POTTERY BOWL, PERSIA 12TH-13TH CENTURY

Of truncated conical form with flaring walls stepped down to a straight vertical foot, painted in cobalt blue and black under a transparent colourless glaze, the interior with four radial black bands with naskhi calligraphy scratched in reserve between blue borders, divided by six triangular panels with scrolling waterweed painted in black on a blue and white ground, the reverse with further waterweed motifs.

7 cm. height, 15 cm. diam.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

177

Lot 163 _______________________________________

A MINAI POTTERY BOWL, PERSIA 12TH-13TH CENTURY

Of rounded form on a splayed foot, decorated in polychrome on a blue ground with a six-petaled lotus to the centre surrounded by an interlace of split-palmettes, a band of pseudo-kufic to the rim, a further band of pseudo inscription to the exterior.

21.2 cm. diam.

PROVENANCE Sotheby’s, Islamic and Indian Art, 27 April 1995, Lot 35.

Estimate € 1500 - € 2000

Lot 164 _______________________________________

AN ISLAMIC BOWL DEPICTING A BIRD, SULTANABAD WARE, 12TH13TH CENTURY

A ceramic bowl with inscription on the outside.

20.5 cm. diam.

Estimate € 1500 - € 2000

178

Lot 165 _______________________________________

A KASHAN EWER, PERSIA 12TH-13TH CENTURY

Of globular form rising to a thin neck with a wide rim, with a curvilinear handle and spout, the body decorated with underglaze cobalt blue stripes.

20 cm. height Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

Lot 166 ___________________________________

A KASHAN POTTERY BOWL PERSIA, 12TH-13TH CENTURY

Of shallow form, painted in cobalt and black in a cream ground, with intersecting radiating bands, six with inscriptions alternating with six of scrolling foliage, small water weed motifs and foliate spandrels between.

10 cm. height, 22 cm. diam.

Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

179

Lot 167 __________________________________________________________________________________

AN ABBASID CALLIGRAPHIC POTTERY BOWL MESOPOTAMIA, 9TH CENTURY Of rounded form with everted lip on short foot, the cream ground decorated in cobalt-blue, and green with four lines of inscription in the well.

24.5 cm diam.

Estimate € 8000 - € 10.000

180

Lot 168 ________________________________________

A SAFAVID BLUE, BLACK AND WHITE EWER, PERSIA, 18TH CENTURY

Of globular form rising to a thin neck with a wide rim, decorated in underglaze blue with large flowerheads surrounded by leafy palmettes, with an upper band of smaller flowerheads with scrolls, the neck with flower motifs, the rim with leafy scrolls and the interior with four-dot patterns, with a curvilinear handle and spout, decorated with pseudo-Chinese characters, signed on the reverse.

19.5 cm. height Estimate € 5000 - € 8000

Lot 169 ________________________________________

A BRONZE CANDLESTICK, ANATOLIA 12TH-13TH CENTURY Of truncated waisted conical form with a large splayed foot and a tall, ridged, cylindrical neck rising to a tapered candle holder.

23 cm. height, 19 cm. width Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

181

Lot 170 ____________________________________________

AN OTTOMAN SILVER GILT HUQQA PIPE TURKEY, 19TH CENTURY

The elongated tiered stem winced with gilt floral motifs, with tughras and proof marks, the globular base inlaid with silver geometric patterns arranged in vertical bands. Variously stamped with tughras, a five-pointed star 80 on arabic the tughras have been read as those of Abd al-Majid 1255-77AH/1839-61 AD 115 cm. height PROVENANCE Sotheby’s, London, 11 October 1996, lot 131 Estimate € 15.000 - € 20.000

182

Lot 171 ____________________________________________________________________________________

AN IZNIK POLYCHROME TILE, TURKEY, CIRCA 1575

Of square form, decorated with underglaze cobalt blue, turquoise, green and relief red, outlined in black with a large feathery saz leaf overlapping and intersected by a sprig of prunus blossom, the corners with composite lotus heads and red-ground cartouches filled with tulips and carnations.

27 by 27 cm.

PROVENANCE Private collection, USA Estimate € 20.000 - € 30.000

183

Lot 172 ____________________________________________________________________________________

AN IZNIK POLYCHROME TILE, TURKEY, CIRCA 1570

Of square form painted in underglaze cobalt blue, veridian green, turquoise and relief red, outlined in black with tulips, saz and composite lotus and saz palmettes issuing from scrolling tendrils.

25.5 by 25.5 cm Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

184

Lot 173 ____________________________________________________________________________________

AN IZNIK POTTERY TILE, OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1580

The white ground with a central red, green and blue rosette issuing six swirling branches each with a similar smaller rosette, set within a cusped red and white circular frame, the linked green spandrels with reserved white, red and blue arabesque panels, slight chipping to edges.

25 by 25 cm.

Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

185

Lot 174 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A LARGE TIMURID CUERDA-SECA STAR TILE, PERSIA, 15TH CENTURY

Octagonal star with a turquoise border and decorated in ‘cuerda seca’ with a rosette in ochre, green, brown, white and turquoise, surrounded by blue.

30 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE Related examples, each of stellar form with blue, turquoise, white, manganese and traces of gilding with a design combining stellar and naturalistic forms are in a number of Museum collections including the David Collection, Copenhagen, inv. no. 27/1967, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, inv. no.

C.747-1909, the British Museum, London, inv. no. G.486, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. no. 17.143.1.

Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

186

Lot 175 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A RARE TIMURID HARDSTONE TOMB FRAGMENT, CENTRAL ASIA CIRCA 1450-1500

Black basalt, of square form, the sides and edges carved with chinoiserie arabesques, the central panel with a pseudo-Kufic design.

32 by 29 by 6 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE For comparable examples, see Thomas W. Lentz and Glenn D. Lowry, Timur and the Princely Vision, Los Angeles, 1989, fig. 70 p. 209.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000 Estimate € - €E

187

Lot 176 ________________________________________________

A PERSIAN FLAG WITH ARBIC INSCRIPTION LATE 18TH-EARLY 19TH CENTURY

A triangular flag covered in intricate lines of script. On a natural beige silk background, the fine calligraphy has been hand written to create a solid block of text. H. 220 cm.

Of the ownership of Baqir Khan Qajar, son of Agha Haji Hussein Khan Taj Lajan and Ziba Khanom. The bearer of the flag is Sheikh Ali Khan, most probably a high ranking dignitary at the royal court.The former owner of the flag is Baqir Khan Qajar, son of the late Agha Haji Hussein Khan Taj Lajan and Ziba Khanom. The text consists in general of citations of the Quran which refer to an angry and punishing god. The text asks for his help and support against the disbelievers. Mohammad and his followers (Ali, Fatima, Al-Hassan, Al-Hussein etc.) are the intercessors. The bearer of the flag is Sheikh Ali Khan, most probably a high ranking dignitary at the royal court.The lower part of the flag is divided in tables, mentioning some of the 99 names of Allah. Some of the names are accompanied by Indian digits. Other tables consist of Quran verses which adjure the elimination of the enemies. The tables are framed by prayers. One of them contains words which are neither Arabic nor Persian possibly a codification.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

188

Lot 177 ___________________________________________________________________________________

AN OTTOMAN TALISMANIC SHIRT, 18TH CENTURY

A shirt (jama) covered with text written in naskh, thuluth and Kufic scripts, in assorted colors, arranged in numerous panels, roundels, cartouches, cypress tree forms.

The inscriptions include quotations from the Quran, invocations to Allah, attributes of Allah and prayers, names of Allah and verse from the Quran.They are written in Kufic, naskh and thuluth script in different sizes and shapes, patterns, mirrored form and reserved against text and in colors of black, red, blue, and gold.To the reverse different panels enclosing the names of Allah and different surahs of the Quran, Talismanic numbers and Quran verses, surround by gilt lotus, flowers and foliage.

Height: 101 cm.

Width: 123 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE This talismanic shirt was believed to be imbued with protective powers and may have been meant to be worn under armor in battle.

Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

189

Lot 178 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A GHAZNAVID MARBLE FUNERARY FRAGMENT, DATED 597 AH/1200 AD

Of rectangular shape. It is engraved in Arabic on both sides of the longitudinal coronation, as well as on the front sides.

A peculiar decorative element, made of a knot-like motif and a chevron, most likely a connotative sign, The coronation text is executed in naskhi script and contains verse: Al-Shahada ‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger’.

The shape of the top element and the pattern of the engraving on both sides can be compared with samples that can be traced back to the second half of the 11th century or to the early years of the next century. As the upper element of the tombs dating back to the second half of the 12th century until the early 13th century has a slightly trapezoidal shape and is often characterized by the presence of the statement of faith (the testimony) repeated on each side.

68.5 by 22 by 16 cm.

Estimate € 20.000 - € 25.000

190

Lot 179 __________________________________________________________________________________

A MONUMENTAL LATE MAMLUK, EARLY OTTOMAN, TINNED COPPER BRASS BASIN, EGYPT OR SYRIA, LATE 15TH-EARLY 16TH CENTURY

Of beaten sheet metal, deep rounded form, the body engraved with overlapping circular medallions containing stellar motifs alternating with oblong cartouches filled with strapwork, foliate details and naskh inscriptions, with later everted rim and foot with two drill holes and inscription.

31.7 cm. height, 55.4 cm. diam.

PROVENANCE Previously in the collection at Athelhampton House, Dorset, since the 1950s.

CATALOGUE NOTE Another deep rounded bowl from the late fifteenth century and attributed to the Master Muhammad, the cook from Aleppo, is in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (inv. no. DSC04621), and features similar inscribed tinned-copper designs and form.

Estimate € 4000 - € 6000

191

Lot 180 ________________________________________

A LARGE KHURASAN BRONZE LAMPSTAND, EASTERN PERSIA 12TH CENTURY In three parts, the tripod base supporting a stem, the circular tray inlaid with designs 56 cm. height Estimate € 5000 - € 7000

Lot 181 ______________________________________

A BRONZE FATIMID MIRROR HANDLE IN THE FORM OF A LION 11TH CENTURY A cast bronze lion presenting an alert pose with an upright head.

8 cm. height, 8 cm. width Estimate € 1000 - € 2000

192

Lot 182 ______________________________________________________________________________

A MAGIC-MEDICINAL BRASS BOWL, IRAN, 17TH CENTURY

With inscribed tags attached with wire to the rim of a raised central circular disk, the interior and exterior densely inscribed with calligraphy.

21 cm. diam.

Estimate € 2500 -€ 3500 Lot 183 ____________________________________

A KHORASAN SILVER-INLAID BRONZE HEXAGONAL COVER CIRCA 1200

Decorated with silver floral motifs and arabesque decoration.

13 cm. diam.

Estimate € 800 - € 1000

193

Lot 184 ___________________________________________

A KHORASAN BRONZE EWER, IRAN 12TH-13TH CENTURY

The cylindrical slightly upward opening body rests on a round base the top is flat and the cylindrical neck has a collar at its lower part and on top is a high semi-opened spout.The body is decorated on one side with a round medallion and opposite by a three-lobed cartouche, both with floral designs. arabesque motifs in cartouches including a sphinx An epigraphic band with foliated Kufic runs around below the shoulder and a similar one on the flat top the neck decorated with a seated lion to either side.

36 cm. height.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

Lot 185 _______________________________________

AN UMAYYAD BRONZE EWER, MESOPOTAMIA, 8TH-9TH CENTURY Of piriform shape on a short foot with waisted neck and raised band to rim, simple handle.

24 cm. height Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

194

Lot 186 _________________________________________________________________________________

A LACQUERED AND BONE DECORATED WOOD SADDLE, UZBEKISTAN 19TH CENTURY

A polychrome-painted and lacquered wood saddle, of typical shape, the top painted in bright red, green, blue, black and white, circles, geometric fretwork bands to the edges, and abstract vegetal and geometric medallions in the centre, lined with thin bone slabs to the front and side edges, the pommel covered with brown leather.

32 cm. height, 52 cm. width Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

195

Lot 187 ________________________________________________

A RARE SELJUK WOVEN METAL THREAD BROCADE PANEL DEPICTING SPHINXES PERSIA, 11TH-12TH CENTURY

Rectangular, woven with two partial roundels containing sphinxes, the borders with zig-zag design interspersed by flower heads, the interstices with vegetal motifs, mounted.

104 by 24 cm.

CATALOGUE NOTE The fall of the Sassanian dynasty and the reorganisation of the country under Islam did not interrupt the textile industries of a Persia, and did not bring any sudden or dramatic change in the prevailing styles.

The Sasanian heritage of the present lot is clearly seen in the large-scale figural roundels. The depiction of the sphinx, a popular motif in Seljuk iconography, can be compared to that found on pottery and metalwork of the period. For a silk brocade depicting sphinxes, attributed by Phyllis Ackerman to East Persia, 10th a Century, see Arthur Upham Pope, A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric to the Present, Vol. VI, London and New York, 1939, p. 982.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

196

Lot 188 _________________________________________________________________________________

A SOGDIAN SILK SAMITE FRAGMENT, CENTRAL ASIA, 7TH-9TH CENTURY

A fragment of irregular form, woven in red, brown and cream silks depicting a fight between a lion and a horse within a roundel above a band of brown Kufic script. 74 by 41 cm CATALOGUE NOTE For a full discussion on luxury-silk weaving under the Sogdians in Central Asia, see: Watt, J., and A., Wardwell, When Silk was Gold: Central Asian and Chinese Textiles, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 26th October 1997 – 4th January 1998, pp. 21-37.

Estimate € 20.000 - € 30.000

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Lot 189 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A SOGDIAN TEXTILE, DEPICTING TWO CONFRONTING LIONS, WITH INSCRIPTION, CENTRAL ASIA, 8TH-9TH CENTURY The piece depicts two lions in close confrontation with one another. The central motif shows them in close proximity, squaring up to one another. Their necks are elongated giving them greater stature and impressiveness. Their manes are full and long, and their tails raised in action. The lions are positioned within a semi-circular border which focuses the eye upon them. This is further flanked by two smaller lions facing outwards. The border is comprised of two different patterns: the upper row has inter-locking triangular shapes, whilst the sides are made of diamonds with inner weaving.

145 by 94 cm PROVENANCE Private San Francisco collection, Jim Connell, 1970’s.

Estimate € 6000 - € 8000

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Lot 190 ___________________________________________________________________________________

A SOGDIAN WOVEN SILK FRAGMENT, CENTRAL ASIA, 8TH-9TH CENTURY

Weft faced compound twill, woven with a red roundel containing a stylized bird with jewelry in its mouth, pennants trailing from its head, within a green and yellow cusped lotus surround, ragged edges and holed, conserved within plastic, mounted in glass.

26 by 20 cm.

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

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HOW TO BUY AT ORIENTAL ART AUCTIONS BIDDING There are several ways to bid at Oriental Art Auctions: BID LIVE ONLINE Many clients prefer bidding live online. It’s easy to register with us online and you can watch the auction as it happens and place bids from the comfort of your computer. You can easily register on our website.

After being approved you receive an email. Now you can subscribe for the auctions on our website and make bids or auto bids.

Clients who wish to bid on line through our website during auction should register 24 hours in advance of a sale.

IN THE ROOM Simply register at the sale room, or on auction days at the registration and cash desk. You may need to provide identification. Once you have registered you will be handed a bidding number to use in the saleroom. When the bidding begins on your lot raise your number to bid. When the bidding stops the auctioneer will bring down the gavel and read out your number if you have won the lot.

BY ABSENTEE BID If you are unable to attend the auction we can bid on your behalf. You can leave an absentee bid completing an absentee bid form and either hand it to a member of staff or email it to info@orientalartauctions.com. Please note that our bid department may contact you for further details.

Either way, the amount you enter on the form should be your maximum limit excluding buyer’s premium and applicable VAT. We will bid up to that limit for you, and remember you may end up paying less than your limit, depending on other bidding on the day.

All absentee bids must be received 24 hours in advance of the auction.

BY TELEPHONE If you would like to bid by telephone, a member of staff will call you from the saleroom on the auction day, just before your lot(s) come up, and will then relay to you the events in the room, and bid on your behalf live at the auction when instructed to do so.

If you would like to bid by telephone please contact our team prior to the auction with your details of the lots you are interested in and your full name, mailing address, telephone number(s) and email.

Once our team have processed your bid request you will receive an email confirmation.

All telephone bids must be received 24 hours in advance of the auction.

Please note that Oriental Art Auctions cannot be held responsible for being unable to contact you by telephone. We advise you to remain in an area where mobile communication has good reception.

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VIEWING VIEWING IN PERSON All items may be viewed for inspection in person at the sale room. Viewing dates will be published well in advance on the website. You can always make an appointment for viewing outside the viewing days.

VIEWING ONLINE Our auctions are available to view online. We make very high resolution images available online so you can check the item well online.

For further information on a lot you may be able to view a condition report online (see below) or contact info@orientalartauctions. com

ESTIMATES All lots carry an estimated price range, which indicates our opinion of value. If there is a reserve on the lot then it cannot be sold below that price. Reserves are never higher than the bottom estimate.

CONDITION REPORTS We highly recommend that potential bidders gather as much information as possible regarding a lot before placing a bid. Oriental Art Auctions provide as much possible information regarding condition and detailed photographs of each object online. If, however, you are unable to view a lot in person you may request a condition report and/or additional images of a lot by email info@orientalartauctions.com We kindly request that you submit your wish for additional information as early as possible.

CATALOGUE ALTERATIONS Lot descriptions and estimates are prepared in advance of the auction and may be subject to change.

Any alterations will be published on the alteration sheet and be mentioned by the auctioneer before bidding of the items in question begin.

UNDERSTANDING BUYER’S PREMIUM AND THE FINAL PRICE YOU WILL PAY All purchases are subject to a buyer’s premium of 28% including VAT per lot. When you successfully bid on any lot, the price you pay will be the hammer price (the value you bid at the auction), plus the buyer’s premium.

The premium is subject to VAT at the standard rate, with the exception of lots marked in the catalogue with a hash (#) where VAT applies to both hammer price and buyer’s premium.

Credit card payments are subject to a 4% surcharge on the final total.

You may present these documents in person at our saleroom or, if registering for a telephone, internet or absentee bid, by email.We may, at our discretion, ask you to provide a bank reference and/or deposit as a condition of allowing you to bid.

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PAYMENT Congratulations on your successful bidding, the next stage is payment.

There are number of ways to pay to make it as easy as possible for you. We accept cash, credit or debit card or bank transfer.

All items must be paid for before they can be collected.

BANK TRANSFER Please find details in any email invoice we issue or upon request from our accounts department.

CASH Cash payments can be made at the accounts desk during or after an auction. Please note that due to money laundering regulations we cannot accept cash payments above € 15.000

CREDIT OR BANK CARDS Payment can be made by credit or bank card. Please note we can accept Visa or MasterCard only, and there will be 4% surcharge

COLLECTION AND SHIPPING If you attend an auction in person and are successful in your bid, you are free to collect and remove your item there and then once payment has been cleared.

If you are not able to collect in person, Oriental Art Auctions provide in-house packing and shipping possibilities as well as providing quotes for external shippers.

Please contact info@orientalartauctions.com and we will provide you with the various possibilities.

EXPORT OF GOODS As you may be aware several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, such as rhino horn, ivory, coral and tortoiseshell. If you are interested in bidding on a lot containing these materials and you wish to export please make sure you are familiar with all relevant customs regulations prior to bidding.

It is the buyer’s sole responsibility to obtain any relevant export or import license.

Please be aware that lots marked with the symbol Y may be subject to CITES regulations when exporting outside the EU. CONDITIONS OF SALE For further information on buying at Oriental Art Auctions please see our Conditions of Sale.

Notice to all bidders As we wish to avoid unpaid bids in our auctions, please note the followingpoints before bidding.

Bidders who have Chinese nationality must register using their name as stated on their Chinese resident’s identity card and Chinese passport, as a condition of participating in any auction. This rule is stipulated to prevent identity theft. If a bidder has entered a bid using a false identity, the company reserves the right to cancel any existing or future bid made by that bidder.

Please carefully inspect and investigate the age and quality of original lots by yourself or have them inspected by your agents, in order to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding between the company and bidders.

The company has received legal advice from Chinese law firms, to the effect that anybidders who violate relevant rules or provide fake identity, phone numbers or proof of address, shall bear all liabilityand relevant costs, including lawyers’ fees, litigation fees, arbitration fees, notarial fees, translation fees, travel fees and communication fees. In some circumstances, the company or the seller may apply to prevent the bidder from entering the country where the company is based or prevent them from departing from China.

Bidders are required to followt hese rules and the company’s terms and conditions.

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VALUATIONS We are happy to value any items brought in to the saleroom. Should you have a number of items, please contact us and ask for an onsite valuation.

CONSIGNING YOUR ITEMS FOR AUCTION Once you have decided to sell your items at Oriental Art Auctions, you will receive a receipt detailing in short the items and any applicable reserves and conditions. The items will then be inspected again and processed in our system. Well in advance of the sale, you will receive a detailed receipt with descriptions via email and/or post.

THE RESERVE PRICE You will receive an advised estimate of each item offered for sale, and we advise that the items are sold the auctioneer’s discretion. This discretionary value would equal a selling price of 10% below the low estimate. Alternatively a fixed reserve price below which we will not sell can be agreed upon when consigning your items. A reserve can never exceed the lower estimate.

BEFORE THE AUCTION You will receive notification of the lot numbers of your property usually about two weeks before the sale. You are of course welcome to come to the view or attend the auction if you wish.

SETTLEMENT Sale results are sent out within 48 hours of the auction and settlement is usually made six weeks after the sale, subject to normal business conditions. We can only pay out if the buyer paid for the items.

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TERMS & CONDITIONS OF CONSIGNMENT - THE CONSIGNMENT OF GOODS BETWEEN CONSIGNOR AND ORIENTAL ART AUCTIONS The present document comprises the Terms & Conditions of Consignment between you and Oriental Art Auctions and is applicable to the present and to each subsequent consignment terminating upon expiry at the end of the calendar year or upon the issue of a new version made available to you. Please read this document carefully, in view of the fact that rights and obligations arise as a result of this Agreement.

1. APPLICABILITY 1.1 The present Agreement containing the General Terms & Conditions of Business is applicable to all parts of the relationship between Oriental Art Auctions B.V., hereinafter referred to as ‘Oriental Art Auctions” and the Consignor/Seller, hereinafter referred to as “the Consignor”, which include a particular purchase, sale, intermediary services, appraisals, evaluations, estimates, cataloguing, and custody, unless expressly agreed otherwise.

1.2 Any departure from the present General Conditions ls only possible if and insofar as expressly agreed in writing by Oriental Art Auctions.

2. COMMISSION CONTRACT 2.1 The Consignor hereby instructs Oriental Art Auctions to examine, appraise and sell at auction the movable property brought in

by Consignor and taken delivery of by a representative of Oriental Art Auctions (hereinafter also referred to as: ‘the Items’).

2.2 Oriental Art Auctions are hereby authorized by the Consignor to sell the Items via Oriental Art Auctions under the auction conditions to be set by Oriental Art Auctions, irrespective of whether said authorisation regards all or, alternatively merely a few pieces. Consignor and Oriental Art Auctions may mutually agree upon setting a minimum price (reserve) for each consigned Item.

2.3 Taking delivery of Items, however, does not obligate Oriental Art Auctions to sell or to offer said items for sale at auction. ln the event that Oriental Art Auctions is not willing to enter the Items into auction, the Consignor will be informed by Oriental Art Auctions within four weeks subsequent to any such decision.

3. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ON THE PART OF THE CONSIGNOR 3.1 The Consignor shall provide proof of identity at the request of Oriental Art Auctions.

3.2 The Consignor warrants that in his/her capacity as true owner or by means of proper authorisation he is authorised to offer the Items for sale at auction and hereby indemnifies and holds Oriental Art Auctions harmless against any and all claims from a third party in relation thereto.

3.3 The Consignor at the request of Oriental Art Auctions is obliged to provide Oriental Art Auctions with information on and substantiated proof of provenance and origin of the Items. The Consignor is liable for any loss/damage in case of information which is inaccurate or misleading and/or in case of any other circumstances attributable to the Consignor and hereby indemnifies and holds Oriental Art Auctions harmless against any and all claims from a third party in relation thereto.

3.4 The Consignor duly declares that sale at auction of the Items is not obstructed by any national or international statutory provisions.

3.5 The Consignor is not allowed to bid on any Items brought in by him unless otherwise agreed in writing with Oriental Art Auctions.

3.6 The rights and obligations by virtue of the present General Terms and Conditions belong exclusively to the Consignor and cannot be transferred by Consignor to a third party.

4. THE RIGHTS OF ORIENTAL ART AUCTIONS 4.1 The inclusion of Items in an auction sale or the exclusion thereof, similarly any (oral) announcement in respect of an Item in the Sale Catalogue or in a brochure, is at the sole discretion of the Oriental Art Auctions, who reserve the right to consult or rely on any expert without accepting any responsibility in connection therewith.

4.2 Oriental Art Auctions reserve the right to determine in which of their sales an Item shall be put up for auction.

4.3 In the event that Oriental Art Auctions are instructed to clear the complete contents of a dwelling or warehouse, they reserve the right to exclude Items from said clearance and also to remove or dispose of any such Items which in their opinion are not suitable for auction or if possible, to convert said Items into cash by other means.

4.4 Consignor duly declares that Oriental Art Auctions are authorized to photograph, illustrate or otherwise make visual representations of all the Items offered for sale and to copy or cause said Items to be copied in any way whatsoever, both prior and subsequent to the sale, and shall observe any statutory regulations applicable thereto. Oriental Art Auctions retain the copyright in all such visual representations for use at their discretion.

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5. WITHDRAWAL ON THE PART OF CONSIGNOR 5.1 Once an Item has been entered into an auction, it can only be withdrawn by the Consignor following payment of 30% of the agreed reserve, or of a lesser amount if in the opinion of Oriental Art Auctions this is reasonable, or in the absence of a reserve price, payment of 30% or of a lesser amount of the expected proceeds at auction as estimated by Oriental Art Auctions plus all incurred costs, if any.

5.2 In the event that the Consignor is not satisfied with the estimate as set out in 5.1, he/she can request a re/estimation at his/ her own expense, to be performed by three experts who are approved Registered Brokers/ or Registered Broker-Assessors and whose area of specialisation is that of the Item or alternatively, to be performed by certified appraisers or brokers, one of whom to be appointed by Oriental Art Auctions, one of whom by the Consignor, and the third to be nominated jointly by the two already appointed. Should the re-estimation result in a different value, said different value shall be binding upon Oriental Art Auctions and applicable to the Consignor in accordance with the applicability of the present Clause.

6. COMMISSION In case of sale of the Items at auction, the commission payable to Oriental Art Auctions amounts to a percentage of the price achieved at the sale agreed prior to the sale.

7. OBLIGATION TO TAKE BACK ON THE PART OF ORIENTAL ART AUCTIONS 7.1 The Consignor acknowledges that he/she is familiar and agrees with the General Conditions of Oriental Art Auctions, applicable to Oriental Art Auctions and Buyer in respect of a purchase at auction of movable property, of his willingness to do the following: ‘Unless certain items in the catalogue are expressly excluded - except for a number of cases mentioned in the General Conditions of Sale applicable to the purchase of movable property at auction - Oriental Art Auctions may be willing to set aside the sale of a Lot at auction and to refund an amount corresponding to the original Purchase Price and auction costs, in the event that the Seller within a period of three weeks subsequent to the sale has established to the satisfaction of Oriental Art Auctions that the Lot sold at auction has such serious hidden faults or that the description given is shown to be so erroneous, that had the Buyer been aware of said faults or had there been an accurate description at the fall of the hammer, said Buyer would have decided not to proceed with the purchase or would have made the purchase only at a considerably lower price:.

7.2 The Consignor shall grant Oriental Art Auctions an irrevocable authorisation to set aside the sale in consideration for a refund of the Purchase Price and auctions costs. Oriental Art Auctions has sole discretion to determine whether the circumstances are applicable in any such case. By reason of the setting aside of the sale, the Item is considered to be unsold within the meaning of Clause 11 of the present contractual Terms & Conditions 8. PAYMENT TO CONSIGNOR 8.1 Oriental Art Auctions shall in the name of Oriental Art Auctions ensure payment to the Consignor of the proceeds from the sale less all fees and charges to be borne by the Consignor, such as transport costs, restoration costs, commission fees, vetting costs, insurance premiums, if applicable, and any other costs agreed in advance as well as VAT [BTW]. hereinafter referred to as: •[the] Compensation’, providing that Oriental Art Auctions has received from the Buyer the full Purchase Price, and providing that the Buyer has not asserted the obligation on the part of Oriental Art Auctions to set aside the sale within the meaning of Clause 7 of the present Agreement, which assertion is acknowledged by the auctioneer and provided that no cancellation of the sale has occurred within the meaning of Clause 9 of the present contractual Terms & Conditions.

8.2 Payment of The Compensation ls normally is effected within 30 days following a sale. unless a written notice as set out in Clause 7 of the present Conditions is received from the Buyer, or a setting aside of the sale within the meaning of Clause 9 of the present Agreement has occurred.

8.3 Invocation of the so-called margin scheme can only be made in the event that prior to the sale all the necessary conditions have been met, including inter alia the declaration of purchase for VAT purposes (inkoopverklaring): the above at the absolute discretion of Oriental Art Auctions.

9. CONSEQUENCES CANCELLATION BY BUYER In the case of “a setting aside’ as set out in Clause 7 of the present Terms & Conditions, or a cancellation of the Purchase agreement with the Buyer for any other reason, then Oriental Art Auctions reserves the right to claim back any Compensation already paid to the Consignor as well as any other loss/damage and costs incurred by Oriental Art Auctions as a consequence of said setting aside, including interest charges and judicial and extrajudicial costs.

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10. CONSEQUENCES OF SETTING ASIDE BY ORIENTAL ART AUCTIONS 10.1 The Consignor is familiar with the fact that Oriental Art Auctions, in the Conditions of Sale (being the General Terms & Conditions of Oriental Art Auctions and the Buyer in respect of a purchase at auction of movable property), reserves the right to set aside the Purchase agreement in the event that the Buyer shall exceed the term for payment.

10.2 The Consignor expressly acknowledges and agrees that Oriental Art Auctions have the right to recover any loss/damage and costs against the Buyer in case of the occurrence of a situation as set out in 10.1. Also the Consignor expressly acknowledges and agrees that Oriental Art Auctions have the right to claim specific performance when the Buyer has failed to comply with the period for payment, or alternatively, to proceed to set aside the sale, or alternatively, first to file a claim against the Buyer for specific performance which if unsuccessful, then to take steps to set aside the sale: the above at the discretion of Oriental Art Auctions.

11. UNSOLD ITEMS 11.1 Oriental Art Auctions are irrevocably authorized but never obligated to offer Items for sale at a later auction, hereinafter referred to as: “to resell”, or alternatively, to sell said Items within a period of ten days after a particular auction. Any such post-auction sale (“aftersale”) can only take place at a price that is at least the equivalent of the Purchase price less all costs to be borne by the Consignor to which the Consignor would have been entitled if the Item had sold for the reserve set at auction.

11.2 In the event of such an aftersale, the rights and obligations of the Consignor and Oriental Art Auctions by virtue of the present Agreement shall be equally binding and apply in full as if the Item had been sold at the particular auction.

11.3 Accordingly, the provisions set out in the present Agreement shall apply in full to any such resale or aftersale.

12. TRANSPORT/STORAGE INSURANCE ITEMS 12.1 All packaging materials in respect of the Items consigned to the auction sale may be removed or disposed of by Oriental Art Auctions unless expressly agreed otherwise by Oriental Art Auctions and the Consignor.

12.2 All the Items consigned to Oriental Art Auctions are insured for the value stated on the receipt, or alternatively for an appropriate value determined at the sole discretion of Oriental Art Auctions. against fire. theft, loss and damage provided that said Items are kept in the offices of Oriental Art Auctions or in other storage facilities chosen by Oriental Art Auctions. The Consignor is entitled to claim a receipt for the Items consigned to Oriental Art Auctions, which receipt indicates the value represented by the Items at the moment of consignment according to a preliminary estimate given by Oriental Art Auctions.

12.3 Oriental Art Auctions reserves the right to take measures for storing with a third party Items sent or brought to auction, and to charge the Consignor for any such costs in relation thereto.

12.4 Items which have been sent or brought in to Oriental Art Auctions and which have not been accepted for auction and which are not stored for [temporary] safekeeping, shall at the risk and expense of the Sender be returned to the Sender wholly at his own cost.

13. LIABILITY OF ORIENTAL ART AUCTIONS 13.1 Oriental Art Auctions accept no liability whatsoever for any damage to frames of paintings, or other works of ort, nor to any parts thereof such as glass coverings, passe-partouts, etc, except in case of damage caused wilfully or by gross negligence on the part of Oriental Art Auctions and/or his/her employees or representatives.

13.2 In no event shall Oriental Art Auctions be liable for any damage/loss caused by interruption to business, consequential damage/loss, damage/loss of property and/or indirect damage.

13.3 Furthermore, Oriental Art Auctions cannot be held liable for any accident or any form of personal injury suffered on or in the vicinity of the premises or surrounding areas in use for consignment, storing or viewing, for holding auctions or in use for picking up the goods sold, except in case of damage caused wilfully or by gross negligence on the part of Oriental Art Auctions and/or his/ her employees or representatives and/or except insofar as such accident/personal injury is covered by the insurance of Oriental Art Auctions.

13.4 Entering the premises or surrounding areas is entirely at your own risk.

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14, OTHER RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ON THE PART OF THE CONSIGNOR/NATURAL PERSON (NOT ACTING IN THE COURSE OF HIS/HER TRADE/PROFESSION)/LONG DISTANCE SERVICES 14.1 In the event that an agreement is entered into between Oriental Art Auctions and the Consignor/natural person who is not acting in the course of his/her trade or profession, under which, up to and including the conclusion of the Agreement, use can only be made of one or more techniques for long-distance communication within the context of the auction system for long distance services maintained by Oriental Art Auctions. in case of the above, the following shall apply.

14.2 During the duration of 7 working days to be calculated from the day upon which the Agreement is concluded, the Consignor/ natural person is entitled to cancel the Agreement free of charge and without giving reasons. Under certain circumstances the period can be extended to three months subsequent to the conclusion of the agreement. Any such termination must occur in writing (per e-mail or written letter).

14.3 The Consignor/natural person cannot assert the abovementioned right. in the event that with his/her consent Oriental Art Auctions has commenced performance of the Agreement prior to the expiry of the term mentioned above.

14.4 In deviation from the provisions set out in Article 7:46101 the Dutch Civil Code pertaining to an occurrence of default, the statutory provisions set out in Articles 6:81-83 01 the Dutch Civil Code shall apply instead.

15. MISCELLANEOUS 15.1 Nullification, annulment or the non-bindingness of one of the provisions set out in the present Agreement containing General Conditions 01 Business shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions. In the event that one or more provisions is null and void, annulled or nonbinding, Consigner and Oriental Art Auctions shall agree one or more provisions to replace the above which are valid and which correspond as far as possible in content and purport to the provisions that are null and void, annulled or nonbinding.

15.2 Objects which, even without prior knowledge of the owner, are deemed to be cultural heritage, and objects which are made with materials which do not have the necessary CITES certificate, (Ivory, Coral, Rhinoceros horn etc.) are excluded from our Auctions. This also counts for objects which may be considered plundered artworks by the authorities. Possible confiscations and legal consequences are the sole responsibility and expense of the consignor.

15.3 The present Conditions of Business are governed exclusively by the Laws of the Netherlands.

15.4 All disputes pertaining to, arising from or in connection with any agreement entered into between Oriental Art Auctions and the Consignor or in connection with the formation of any such agreement shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent court in Zwolle, except for the right of Oriental Art Auctions to choose to have the dispute adjudicated by the competent court located in the district of the Consignor.

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