Indian art works to find at Christie\’s auction

Later this month, Christie\’s will have a live auction of artwork from the Islamic and Indian cultures, including oriental rugs and carpets, at its London auction house. Christie\’s Arts of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, including Oriental rugs and carpets, celebrates a wide diversity of artistic traditions and provides a variety of collecting options, including rare and museum-quality manuscripts, paintings, works of art, and carpets.

A 17th-century Mughal pashmina \’Flower and Lattice\’ carpet, most likely produced as a royal commission for Emperor Shah Jahan and never previously seen at auction, is the highlight of the sale. A remarkable collection of paintings, including works by artists of the Mughal, Rajput, and Pahari schools, continues the courtly Indian theme. Other Indian works include a diamond-set and enamelled silver pandan, given as a gift from the Nizam of Hyderabad to Maharaja Ranjit Singh and a folio from the St. Petersburg Muraqqa\’ which depicts a hunting party.

A number of well-preserved early Iranian pieces and some Iznik pottery, coupled with a huge variety of Persian and Arabic texts, make up the sale\’s ceramics section, which is relatively impressive. The sale honours weavings from across the Iranian provinces, from the beautiful town weavings of Tabriz in the north to the nomadic tribal weavings of the Qashqa\’i in the south, with a concentration on the oasis town weavings of Eastern Turkestan and early Chinese carpets from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

“The sale showcases the international resonance which the Islamic world has had on the art market and which continues to attract buyers from all corners of the globe due to the outstanding craftsmanship, quality and provenance of these extraordinary works of art” said a spoke person while talking to Livemint.

The \’Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, including Oriental Rugs and Carpets\’ auction includes works of art ranging from the 9th to the 19th centuries in manuscripts, paintings, ceramics, metalwork, and carpets. The auction also features curated private collections with provenance from a wide range of cultures. The Turkish section is led by a group of Iznik pottery from The Victor Adda Collection – a collector based in Alexandria in the early 20th century. The section also has manuscripts, and arms and armour including an Ottoman tombak ceremonial shield, estimated between £80,000-1,20,000.

The sale also features a group of 17th-century Safavid paintings, including a re-discovered work by the artist Reza ‘Abbasi of a White-eared Bulbul which is estimated between £1,00,000-1,50,000.

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