For Immediate Release Tuesday, 13 September 2011

Press Contact: Hannah Schmidt +44 (0) 207 389 2964 [email protected] Alize Morand +44 (0) 207 389 2537 [email protected]

CHRISTIE’S CELEBRATE THE MAGNIFICENCE OF ART FROM THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS

Oriental and European Rugs & Carpets: Tuesday 4 October at 10.30am and 2.30pm Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds: Thursday 6 October 2011 at 10.00am and 2.30pm Art & Textiles of The Islamic & Indian Worlds Including Works From The Collection of The Late Simon Digby: Friday, 7 October 2011 at 10am & 2.30pm

London - Christie’s Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds sale, on Thursday 6 October, celebrates the magnificence of works of art dating from the 7th century through to the 20th century - from Europe in the west to South East Asia in the east. The auction comprises a strong array of metalwork; beautiful works on paper in the form of manuscripts, Qur’ans, calligraphy and Indian and Persian album pages; Persian and Iznik pottery with excellent provenance from small private collections; textiles featuring a group of 13th and 14th century embroideries from and examples of glass, rock crystal and ivory. Featuring over 450 lots, the breadth and depth of this dynamic sale will excite the vibrant market for this category which saw international bidding last spring from across the Middle East to Tokyo and California. The auction is expected to realise in excess of £10 million.

The sale is led by a highly important recently discovered and previously unknown 8th century Umayyad sculpture of a deer in bronze with copper inlay, from Iran (estimate: £2,000,000- 3,000,000), illustrated top right. Of notable proportions, measuring 13⅝ in. (34.7cm.) high x 1115/16 in. (30.3cm.) long, it is a very early example of Islamic art which pre-dates all bronze animals previously sold in Islamic Art auctions. Offered from a private Arab collection the closest comparable is a deer in the Hermitage museum. The other most significant piece of metalwork is a late 11th century/ early 12th century silver vessel from western Iran which was made for Najm al-Dawla Khumar Tegin, Amir al-Hajj who supervised the pilgrimage to Mecca from Baghdad. A remarkable survival, this extraordinary engraved and nielloed silver bowl traces a historic journey (estimate: £700,000- 1,000,000).

Further highlights include: This carved Mamluk ivory panel which bears the title of Baybars II, al-Jashnagir, who ruled for just one year between 1309 and 1310, between the second two reigns of the longest serving Mamluk sultan, Nasir al- Din Muhammad. A rare record of this sultan’s brief reign it exemplifies the masterful engraving of which the Mamluks were capable (estimate: £200,000-300,000).

The Zand painting A Lady at Leisure, circa 1770-80 (estimate: £400,000-600,000) illustrated page 1 top left, is a masterpiece by Muhammad Sadiq who was more responsible than any other for the characteristic style of the 19th century. One of the artist’s very rare oils, this fine work is offered having been bought from a noble collection eight years ago.

To date, 2011 has demonstrated the strong and consistent demand for Ottoman Turkish works. The cover lot is a delightful Iznik pottery tankard, illustrated page 1, depicting gambolling animals. From a private collection and passed by descent, this very rare form is taken from metalwork. It is a near pair with the example in the Louvre, Paris. For more information on Turkish works please click here.

Over 85 Indian works feature in the sale, with a particularly wide array of jewel-like miniatures and metalwork. The section is led by a previously unknown superb Indian miniature which was recently discovered in an attic. The Meeting of Maharja Mudhoji Bhosle sen , Rajah of Nagpur and Ishwari sen Bahadur, Rajah of Mandi, in the Company School style of the early 19th century, exhibits fantastic portraiture, with each person individually identified in the panel below (estimate: £50,000-70,000)

For full information on the sale as a whole please click on the link below to view the e-catalogue: http://www.christies.com/eCatalogues/index.aspx?id=ADBB5C1C66E599AF8525777E005427D7

Art & Textiles of The Islamic & Indian Worlds Including Works from The Collection of The Late Simon Digby, Friday, 7 October 2011 at 10am & 2.30pm - A landmark auction for the category at Christie’s South Kensington, this is the most valuable sale to date. Featuring over 600 lots it is expected to realise in excess of £1.2 million. For more information please click here.

Oriental & European Rugs & Carpets, Tuesday 4 October at 10.30am and 2.30pm London – The resurgence in demand for rugs and carpets noted in 2010 continued this spring with strong prices for Persian and classical (pre-1800) carpets. The upcoming auction features over 300 lots, led by one of the earliest Mamluk carpets to have survived (estimate: £800,000-1,200,000). Dating to Egypt in the second half of the 15th century, this exquisite rug has an unusually broad and beautiful colour spectrum and is in very good condition. The sale also contains the earliest Persian carpet ever published (estimate: £50,000-70,000). This is the largest and most valuable auction in the category at Christie’s, the sale as a whole is expected to achieve in excess of £3 million. For full information on the sale please click on the link below to view the e- catalogue: http://www.christies.com/eCatalogues/index.aspx?id=D8546599538922418525777E00543941

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