Christie's auction house to sell Islamic art collection in London

Christie's auction house in central London is hosting a sale on November 12 featuring over 230 pieces of Islamic art and artifacts from the Indian subcontinent.

The collection spans more than a thousand years of artistic production, including manuscripts, paintings, ceramics, metalwork, and textiles. The items represent cultures from Spain and North Africa to India and Central Asia. The auction includes rare architectural elements, such as a 14th-century lamp fragment from the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo, Egypt.

Sarah Blumbly, an Islamic art expert at the house, notes that the piece dates back to the Mamluk era between 1347 and 1361. It features blue calligraphy from the Quran and specific inscriptions related to Sultan Hassan. Another rare item is a 13th-century wooden panel likely made in Syria during the Ayyubid era. Experts believe the piece was once part of a larger structure, such as a pulpit.

The sale also features a large collection of approximately 80 historical carpets and rugs. Louise Broderhurst, head of the carpet department, describes specific 20th-century rugs from Kerman, Iran, as a visual dialogue between East and West. These rugs combine Persian weaving traditions with the European "mille-fleur" style, depicting scenes inspired by the painter Watteau. The auction also includes jewelry, such as a 19th-century gold necklace from southern India inspired by Hindu deity ornaments.