Press Release
March 2017
Melica Khansari | [email protected] | Toby Skeggs | [email protected] | +44 (0) 207 293 6000
g
Arts of the Islamic World
Sotheby’s London, 26 April 2017
- Rare Rediscovered Ottoman Textiles from an Important Private Collection - Indian Miniatures from the Collection of Tom Maschler –
- The Earliest Dated Astrolabe from Muslim Spain –
- An Imperial Mughal Spinel -
Sotheby’s London, March 2017 – With a focus on artistic production under Islamic patronage,
Sotheby’s Arts of the Islamic World auction in London on 26 April covers more than a thousand years
of artwork spanning multiple continents – led by works from prestigious collections.
THE ARGINE BENAKI SALVAGO COLLECTION
Unseen for decades and appearing at auction for the first time, the spectacular selection of museumquality Ottoman textiles comprises important velvets, brocades and silks. Characterised by iconic
Ottoman designs, these works are decorated with çintamani patterns and entwined with tulips,
hyacinths, roses and carnations – the motifs associated with the Ottoman Empire. These rare,
museum-quality works epitomise the richness and diversity of Ottoman taste from the 16th century
onwards, as influenced by Venetian textile production during the same period. Whilst the pieces
attest to the taste of these Imperial Ottoman ateliers, they are also testament to the skill and
inventiveness of their craftsmen. Such luxurious textiles also played a key role in Ottoman society as
indicators of rank and status.
These twenty lots come from the celebrated collection of Argine Benaki Salvago, grande dame of
Alexandrian society in the 1930s. Alexandria at the turn of the century was a cosmopolitan hub – a
centre for art, commerce and creativity, as evoked in the writings of E.M. Forster, Lawrence Durrell
and Constantine Cavafy. Against a backdrop of private wealth, urbane cosmopolitanism and
international sophistication, a number of prestigious collections of art were formed. One of the most
renowned collecting families of the 19th century, Argine’s husband Michael and her brother Antony
Benaki both lent generously to the Exposition d’art Musulman in Alexandra in 1925 – one of the
seminal early exhibitions of Islamic art. The family then founded the Benaki Museum in Athens in
1931, when Antony donated the lion’s share of their collection to the Greek state. The legacy of this
great collecting dynasty was thus enshrined in a public institution to be appreciated in perpetuity.
A large and exceptional Ottoman voided silk velvet and metalthread panel (çatma), with çintamani and tiger-stripe design,
Turkey, late 16th/early 17th century (est. £200,000-300,000)
A favourite element of the Ottoman design repertoire from the
early fifteenth century is the çintamani – a pattern of a triangle
of three spots and a pair of wavy bands meaning ‘auspicious
jewel’. The unknown age and source of this evocative pattern
may predate Ottoman rule by over a thousand years, found on
Bursa produced velvets which are traditionally thought to be
amongst the oldest Ottoman silk fabrics. The motif can be
traced back to the Buddhist period in China, where it had a
different association with sanctity. Here the might have been
associated with tiger-stripes and leopard spots. Leopard pelts
were the clothing of heroes in Persian tradition, and thus
çintamani became associated with rulership, strength and power
as well as purity. The decorative motif was used by the Ottoman
court artists in all the decorative arts, in compositions that varied
with almost every period from the fifteenth century onward.
An Ottoman voided silk velvet and metal-thread panel (çatma),
Bursa or Istanbul, early 17th century (est. £40,000-60,000)
These large çatma panels, typically with a narrow geometric
inner frame and an endless repeating design, are thought to
have been used either as wall hangings, curtains or as covers for
divan. This panel is in the ‘quatre-fleurs style’ named for the four
most commonly used flowers: the tulip, hyacinth, rose and the
carnation. The carnation was one of the most beloved floral
motifs of the Ottomans and by the end of the sixteenth century
it had developed into the fan-shaped palmette motif.
The silk weaving ateliers of Bursa and Istanbul were carefully
monitored by the Ottoman Court, the
number of looms and the usage of
precious metals was strictly controlled
and workshops producing anything but the highest quality of textiles were
forcibly closed down. With a limited number of ornaments and a restricted
range of colour the Ottoman textile designers were able to achieve
impressive versatility using barely perceptible changes and by constantly
modifying composition and using alternative combinations of motifs.
An Ottoman silk satin and metal-thread brocade panel (kemha), Turkey,
circa 1600 (est. £30,000-50,000)
This unusual silk panel features a rare chartreuse green ground and the
carnations are boldly represented with a long stem, including roots and
stylised leaves. It offers a beautifully balanced composition in a vibrant and
dynamic palette.
AN IMPERIAL MUGHAL SPINEL
A highly-important imperial Mughal spinel, inscribed with
the names of Emperors Jahangir, Prince Khurram and
‘Alamgir (Aurangzeb), India, dated 1024 AH/1615 AD and
1070 AH/1659 AD (est. £60,000-80,000)
From the fabled treasury of the Mughal emperors to the
hands of a private collector in rural England, the storied
history of this precious stone documents the genealogy
of the imperial family at the height of their power and
prestige. A coveted gemstone, the 54.5 carat spinel is
inscribed with the names of three royal patrons and
embodies concepts of identity, legitimacy and authority.
Appearing at auction for the first time, it offers a rare
insight into the private lives and dynastic preoccupations
of India’s greatest ruling house.
The spinel is a rare example of a stone inscribed with
three royal titles. Many of the surviving gemstones are
attributed to the period of Emperor Jahangir, who was
said to have “had more jewels than all of the monarchs of
Europe put together”. A particularly rare example, this
highly important spinel is comparable to the renowned
Carew Spinel in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The journey of this object took an unusual turn while in
the collection of Mrs David Graham Pole whose daughter
was married to Hugh Ruttledge, the Deputy
Commissioner of Lucknow and Almora. It was lost during
a railroad journey and picked up by a railroad employee
near Leicester who, not realising its worth, gave it to his
twin children to play with. Fortunately, it was found
following an advertisement in the newspaper and is now
appearing at auction for the first time.
THE EARLIEST DATED ASTROLABE FROM AL-ANDALUS
An Umayyad brass astrolabe, signed by Muhammad ibn alSaffar, Spain, Cordoba, dated in Western Abjad 411 AH/1020
AD, with later Ottoman Turkish rete (est. £300,000-500,000)
This is the oldest known dated astrolabe from Muslim Spain,
made by the celebrated Andalusi astrolabist Muhammad ibn
al-Saffar. An important new witness to the vibrant scientific
tradition in the Islamic East, the astrolabe is of major historical
interest. It is amongst the earliest known Western scientific
instruments produced under the aegis of the Umayyad
dynasty in Spain.
Representing a celestial sphere as viewed on a flat scale, the
astrolabe has been used since the eighth century to calculate
solar and stellar altitudes, in navigation, and to precisely read time, particularly for the five daily
prayers as prescribed in Islam. The rarity of this astrolabe is highlighted by the fact that only three
others produced by this maker are known. Al-Saffar’s brother, astronomer Ahmad ibn al-Saffar, was
the first in Cordoba to write a treaty on the astrolabe.
INDIAN MINATURES FROM THE COLLECTION OF TOM MASCHLER
“Every one of the miniatures I bought, no matter its age, seemed to me extraordinary. The pictures
were uniformly perfect, painted in brushwork and exquisitely done… The range of colour was infinite
and they all, their age notwithstanding, seemed to me in perfect condition. The longer I stared at
them the more delighted I was.” – Tom Maschler, March 2017
Introduced to Indian miniatures by the artist and devoted collector Howard Hodgkin, renowned
literary publisher and author Tom Maschler bought his first miniature when he was only twenty-one.
This auction will offer twenty-two works of art from Maschler’s esteemed and diverse collection.
An elephant running amok, attributable to
Chokha, India, Devgarh, circa 1810-20,
gouache with gold on paper (est.
£15,000-20,000)
The selection is led by an energetic and
humorous scene of an elephant running
amok while its handlers, one of whom
has been lifted in the air, attempt to
bring it under control. It is close in style
to the work of the Devgarh artist Chokha,
son of Bagta, who was active in the first
quarter of the nineteenth century. Similar
works by Chokha that depict elephants
are held in museum collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum in Mumbai.
Inayat Khan holding a portrait of a European soldier, India, Mughal, early
17th century, gouache with gold on paper (est. £5,000-7,000)
This painting depicts the Mughal nobleman Inayat Khan, one of Emperor
Jahangir’s favourite couriers. Inayat Khan died in 1618 as a result of
addition to opium and wine, and an uncontrolled appetite. Jahangir
recorded his decline in the Jahangirnama and was so struck by the
emaciated state of Ianayat Khan when he saw him a few days before his
death that he ordered his artists to record a faithful likeness. A very
similar portrait appears on a page in the Kevorkian Album in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
ISLAMIC MANUSCRIPTS FRROM THE GHAZI COLLECTION
The sale will include the second part of the renowned
collection of the late Jafar Ghazi, which comprises twentytwo manuscripts and calligraphies. Each work was selected
by Ghazi as an example of the highest-quality calligraphy
from multiple Islamic courts over several continents. This
follows on from the outstanding results of Sotheby’s sale in
October 2016 of fifty manuscripts from the collection, which
doubled pre-sale estimates to bring £2 million (est.
£676,000-994,000). This April’s selection is once again
testament to Ghazi’s notable eye and love of Islamic
manuscripts.
PLUSIEURS NATIONS – THE ČESKÝ KRUMLOV SERIES OF COSTUME MINIATURES
Twelve costume miniatures, German School, early 18th century, gouache heightened with silver and
gold paint on vellum (est. £60,000-80,000)
This series of costume miniatures appear at auction from the picturesque Český Krumlov castle in the
Czech Republic, which contained a renowned family collection. During the lifetime of the highly
cultured Princess Maria Ernestine von Eggenberg and her husband Prince Johann Christian (16411710), the recently constructed theatre was used regularly for a range of entertainments – which led
to the acquisition of a large wardrobe of costumes. This love of the theatre may well have nurtured
the idea of a series of costume
miniatures, which during the princess’s
widowhood, when the theatre was dark,
could bring back memories of the
entertainments of her youth.
Given that the history of both the
Eggenberg and the Schwarzenberg
families had for so long been connected,
albeit in conflict, with the Ottoman
world, it is perhaps fitting that when
tensions between the Austrians and the
Turks began to recede after the Treaty
of Karlowitz in 1699, they should
embrace the emerging taste for
Turquerie and fascination with the
exotic. This is exemplified here in the
images of a Sultan and Sultana, three
Persians and a Chinese maiden –
characters that reappeared in the
extraordinary frescos that decorate the
Hall of Masks at the castle, painted in
1748.
FURTHER HIGHLIGHTS
A gem-set and enamelled
gold necklace, North
India, 19th century (est.
£30,000-40,000)
Commissioned
by
a
wealthy patron, this finely
executed necklace was
set with clear gemstones,
which were cut and foilbacked to bring out their
maximum brilliance as
was the custom in 19thcentury India. It is entirely
covered with fine polychrome enamel on the reverse and miniature seed pearl necklaces with a
hanging spinel.
An Ottoman gem-set brooch bearing the tughra of Sultan Abdülhamid II (r.1876-1909), Turkey, circa
1900 (est. £30,000-40,000)
This gem-set brooch was designed according to carefully chosen symbols of Ottoman power. The
piece is crowned by the tughra of Sultan Abdülhamid II, a calligraphic signature that as evidence of his
power and authority. The arrows on either side can be traced back to the period of Sultan Mahmud II
(r.1808-39), and were symbolic of his administrative reforms in government and Westernisation of
the Ottoman system. The red flag set with pink gemstones represents the Sultanate and the green
flag the Caliphate. Other emblems include weapons for the army and navy, books for justice and
scales for law.
An Ottoman jade and gem-set silver-gilt casket, Turkey and
China, 18th/19th century (est. £20,000-30,000)
This impressive casket belongs to a renowned group of
octagonal, jade and gem-set metal boxes produced in the
Ottoman world – characterised by an abundance of multicoloured gemstones that rendered it an object of luxury
rather than practicality. The carved jade lid of this box is
attributable to Qing-dynasty China, and is likely to have
been produced with the intent of export. The craftsman
has creatively filled the recessed spaces in the carved jade
lid with cabochon and flat-cut gemstones. Inlaying
hardstones such as jade was practised for centuries, but
became particularly popular in the Ottoman court from the end of the fifteenth century. At that time,
the jade-producing areas around Khotan came under control of the neighbouring Timurid dynasty
which controlled its diffusion. This vessel demonstrates the continued popularity for Far Eastern jade
objects retaining characteristically Chinese motifs worked into Ottoman settings.
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*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are net of any fees paid
to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.
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