Christie’s to auction art of Islamic, Indian works
LONDON
Christie’s has announced the Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Oriental Rugs and Carpets, a live auction at Christie’s on April 27. The sale features striking examples of manuscripts, paintings, ceramics, metalwork, and carpets.
The highlight of the sale will be a group of bejeweled Mughal treasures that showcase the splendors of the Indian courts. Two further masterpieces include a vividly illustrated folio that captures the regal grandeur of a royal court scene, showcasing the pinnacle of Timurid artistic production, and a Qajar oil painting by the celebrated artist Muhammad Baqir.
In addition to these works, the auction boasts a majestic array of Persian and Indian manuscripts and paintings from private collections, as well as an impressive array of Persian manuscripts and paintings from a number of single owner private collections.
Another highlight is a Zand painting, arguably the best by the artist Muhammad Baqir who was one of the most celebrated artists active between 1740 and 1800.
Ottoman ceramics will also be presented in addition to a number of important examples of İznik pottery, the sale has a small collection of ceramics from Kütahya.
The highlight of this section will be a Lavender Ground İznik Pottery Jug from Ottoman Türkiye, a wonderful example of a rare and visually striking group of İznik pottery that was made for a short period around 1570, typified by the colored slip decoration covering the bodies of the vessels.
Sara Plumbly, head of department, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds said, “The April sale brings together an exciting and wide range of works of art from across the Islamic and Indian worlds. Of particular note is a number of private collections across a variety of fields - from Persian and Indian manuscripts and paintings to Ottoman ceramics. We are particularly excited to offer a very important group of Mughal jeweled objects as well as a number of Persian paintings from the 15th to the 19th centuries.”
The sale includes 96 highly decorative antique Oriental rugs and carpets, woven in cities, villages or nomadic encampments from all along the silk route.
The highlight of the sale will be an extremely rare Anatolian “Phoenix In Octagon” rug, woven in the late 15th and early 16th century in Central or Eastern Anatolia.
One of only 18 examples remaining from the Seljuk and early Ottoman period, this carpet is unique in that it is the only known carpet to survive bearing the mythical figure of the phoenix, which is depicted in early Renaissance paintings.
Louise Broadhurst, specialist and Christie’s international head of rugs and carpets said, “This sale has a wide variety of rugs and carpets that will appeal to the discerning collector. The theme of early eastern carpets that appear in the paintings of the early Renaissance and later Old Masters is a narrative that helps us contextualize these precious works of art, and appreciate them through the eyes of our predecessors. A large number of pieces in the sale are consigned from three significant collectors in the field, with an eye for color, design and individuality.”
The Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Oriental Rugs and Carpets view and exhibition will be open to the public from April 22 to 26 at Christie’s London.