Islam and India
Two to four cataloged auctions each year
Featuring objects from the Islamic and Indian worlds as well as Orientalist works, the Islamic and Indian art auctions attract numerous collectors and connoisseurs from around the world. Organized by Ader since 2011, these specialized auctions feature Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman manuscripts, calligraphy, paintings, ceramics, and furniture... A wide variety of lots date from the early days of Islam through the late 19th century and originate from North Africa, the Near and Middle East, Central Asia, and India. Museums closely follow the schedule of these leading auctions, and numerous French and international museums regularly acquire or exercise their right of first refusal on lots during these events, including the Arab World Institute and the Guimet Museum, as well as the David Collection in Copenhagen and the Aga Khan Museum in Canada.
A Word from the Expert
“Current trends in the Islamic and Indian art market—rich in rediscoveries and impressive auction results—show that there are still many treasures to be found, particularly in France. A 19th-century Indian miniature belonging to a French private collector who was unaware of its value thus sold for over €300,000 at a recent public auction, during which Indian collectors drove the bidding. The specialized auctions we organize allow international buyers and museums to stay informed about the latest finds we have authenticated. Among the finest pieces yet to be discovered are 14th-century Iranian Lajvardina ceramics, sought after for their extraordinary colors and the finesse of their craftsmanship. They sometimes appear at public auctions as shards or fragments, but intact pieces remain particularly rare, and all are now housed in the world’s leading museums.”
Contacts
Magdalena Marzec
magda.marzec@ader-paris.fr
Quentin Severelli
quentin.severelli@ader-paris.fr
3 Rue Favart, 75002 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 53 40 77 10
Upcoming Sales
Past Sales
Successful Auctions
Tabak dish with saz leaf decoration, Ottoman Turkey, Iznik, circa 1570-80 Siliceous ceramic with painted decoration on slip under transparent glaze of a large wavy saz leaf surrounded by blooming roses, hyacinths, prunus stems and a tulip. On the rim bordered with delicate diadem motifs, stylized decoration of waves enhanced with green and red and blue scaled rocks. On the back, alternating rosettes and pairs of tulips. Diameter : 28,6 cm Some chips and cracks, two holes of suspension and restoration to the heel. Provenance: - Spink, 2001. - Former Adda collection. An Ottoman Iznik Fritware Dish Tabak, Turkey, c. 1570-80 Private collection from Paris from 1975 to 2000 - first part (lots 120 to 173).
Result
70,400 EUR
Très rare firman enluminé du sultan Aq Qoyunlu Uzun Hasan, Empire Turcoman, Tabriz, 1453-1478 Le firman décoré de quatre très belles et grandes compositions calligraphiques à l’or et encre bleue en écriture thuluth, entremêlée d’inscriptions bleues en coufique et en naskh, l’une d’entre elles arrangée en ambigramme, les interstices de certaines lettres décorés de palmettes réservées sur fond noir, l’entête suivi du chiffre (tughra) du sultan se lisant : Abu al-Nasr Hasan Bahadur Sözümiz à l’encre noire et or, le texte en écriture ta’liq à l’or en 17 lignes remontant vers la gauche, comportant des citations religieuses, copié sur cinq grandes feuilles d’un beau papier crème attachées les unes aux autres, légèrement raccourci de chaque côté, des marges en papier orange rajoutées sur le pourtour, il manque la partie basse du document. Larg. : 28,5cm, avec restauration : 32 cm ; L. : 328 cm État : incomplet, consolidé sur les bords par un papier orange. Petites déchirures en bas et papier froissé par endroit. Feuille restaurée et recollée à la hauteur de la formule religieuse de la signature. Quelques taches brunes. Plusieurs petites restaurations sur le fond. Les inscriptions monumentales sont des invocations religieuses, certaines tirées du Coran (sourate 4, Al-Nisa, Les Femmes, verset 59 ; sourate 18, Al-Kahf, La Caverne, verset 2 et 3) et des hadiths du Prophète (relaté par Muhammad Bin Ishaq al-Sanghani, numéro 87). Ce rouleau enluminé est un document particulièrement important de l’époque de la dynastie des Aq Qoyunlu. Il s’agit d’un décret royal (firman ou farman) émis par le Sultan Uzun Hasan (Hasan le Grand, né 1423) qui a régné de 1457 à 1478 sur le clan des Aq Qoyunlu ou « Moutons Blancs ». Cette dynastie, issue d’Anatolie de l’Est, a jusqu’au début du XVIe siècle contrôlé l’Arménie, la Mésopotamie et une grande partie de l’Iran à la suite des Timourides. Son apogée est atteinte pendant le règne d’Uzun Hasan, après ses victoires cont
Result
337,500 EUR
Vase à décor floral, Turquie ottomane, Iznik, vers 1575 Vase à large col cylindrique tronqué, panse bulbeuse et petit pied circulaire évasé, en céramique siliceuse à décor floral polychrome sur fond d’engobe blanc, sous glaçure transparente, monture en alliage cuivreux à la base et au col. Sous un anneau renflé orné d’une frise de fleurs en bouton sur fond bleu et souligné d’une frise de lambrequins polylobés à décor de deux brins d’herbe sur fond bleu moucheté, se déploie sur la panse un décor de tiges florales courbes alternant des prunus, des jacinthes, des tulipes, des roses épanouies ou en bouton, des fleurs composites ou encore des œillets. Le champ floral est fermé à la base par une suite de cercles concentriques noirs entre lesquels court une frise de fins chevrons noirs courbés. Fragmentaire, le vase a été enchâssé dans une monture en alliage cuivreux remplaçant le col et renforçant le pied. Le col cylindrique évasé dans la partie supérieure présente un décor finement ciselé de tiges florales d’espèces similaires à celles de la panse sur fond guilloché. Sous la lèvre, court une frise de palmettes bifides tandis que la base de la monture reprend la frise de lambrequins peinte sur céramique, créant une symétrie par rapport à l’anneau renflé. Hauteur : 30 cm ; Diamètre de la base : 13,8 cm état : éclat sous la panse, quelques tâches de bleu, anneau sur la monture suggérant l’ancienne présence d’un couvercle. Provenance : collection française depuis la fin du XIXe siècle. Une pièce de la période d’apogée d’Iznik Le décor floral naturaliste couvrant notre objet est caractéristique de la production des ateliers impériaux d’Iznik dans les années 1570-80. Les espèces florales précisément identifiables trahissent le très grand talent d’observation de la nature des ornemanistes des naqqashkhaneh sultaniens. La blancheur de l’engobe sous-jacent, la finesse du trait d’exécution, l’utilisation du rouge écl
Result
121,600 EUR
15th Qur'anic Juz, Ottoman Turkey, probably Anatolia, early 15th century Manuscript on paper with five lines of text per page in Arabic in muhaqqaq calligraphy with alternating blue and gold inks. The manuscript is introduced by a double-page illuminated frontispiece in unwâns with finely inscribed squared cartouches in red ink under a dense illuminated decoration of spiral vegetal scrolls in medallions and lambrequins in the margin. The text includes Sura XVII al-Isra' and Sura XVIII al-Khaf up to verse 74. Separation of verses by gold illuminated rosettes and gilt marginal discs. Bound in red morocco with stamped decoration of a multi-lobed medallion enhanced with gold. 34,7 x 26,5 cm Last words added later in black ink, later marginal annotations, stains, wetness (important on the binding), restorations. The large size of the manuscript, its simple and airy layout, and the fine Muhaqqaq calligraphy of the text still evoke the late Mamluk Qur'ans. The gold illumination with fine spiral scrolls and palmettes seems to announce the Golden Horn and rumi styles that abounded in early sixteenth-century Ottoman art. Two similar Qur'an sections were sold at Sotheby's London on October 19, 2016, lot 108 and April 26, 2017, lot 12. An Ottoman Qur'an Juz' (XV), Turkey, probably Anatolia, early 15th century Private collection from Paris from 1975 to 2000 - first part (lots 120 to 173).
Result
96,000 EUR
Petit Coran de voyage, Al-Andalus ou Afrique du Nord, XIIe-XIIIe siècle ou Proche Orient abbasside, Xe siècle Vingt-sept lignes de texte par page sur parchemin, en arabe, à l’encre noire, en écriture abbasside cursive. Points diacritiques indiqués à l’encre rouge, titres de sourate enluminés à l’or et prolongés d’un médaillon en amande, cercles dorés marquant la séparation entre les versets, quelques médaillons marginaux à l’or et en polychromie, en amandes ou en cercles contenant parfois les numéros de sections. Frontispice en double page constitué de deux compositions géométriques tapissantes à l’or et en polychromie. Une note manuscrite postérieurement sur la première page indique en français : « Le Coran – donné à Mgr Amanthon par un officier de l’armée d’[Afrique] qui l’avait trouvé sur un prisonnier arabe. Donné ensuite par M. Fiot qui le tenait de Mgr Amanthon ». Reliure du XIXe siècle à rabat en cuir brun à décor estampé de fleuron polylobé encadré d’une bordure de croisillons. Dim. reliure : 8,9 x 6,8 cm État : frontispice illisible, enluminures très encrassées, perforations, restaurations et consolidations avec parchemin moderne, deux pages plus tardives, d'une autre main. Monseigneur Amanthon fut un homme d’église actif dans différentes régions du monde islamique. Ordonné prêtre en 1847, il réorganisa la communauté des Frères Prêcheurs de Constantinople en 1852 avant d’être placé à la tête des missions dominicaines du Levant puis d’être nommé évêque d’Ispahan en 1857, mission qu’il réalisa depuis la ville de Mossoul. A small Qur’an, Al-Andalus or North Africa, 12th-13th century or Abbassid Near East, 10th century
Result
37,120 EUR
Engraved brass kashkûl alms bowl, Safavid Iran, late 16th century (published) Individual naviform drinking bowl in cast brass, the stern featuring a chimera figure in the round, its head turned towards its hindquarters and fitted with a suspension ring holding a double chain with braided links, linking it to the bow decorated with an openwork ring. Underneath, a pouring spout in another alloy replaced later, probably in the Qâjâr period. Under the lip, a calligraphic frieze in Persian muhaqqaq engraved on an amati background in a grid pattern: a Shiite invocation calling down God's grace on the Fourteen Most Pure. Also, inscriptions under the hull in two floriated cartouches extending from the stern and bow, celebrating 'Alî. Another suspension ring on one side of the hull, below the frieze of inscriptions. Length: 33.5 cm A few scratches and small dents, small traces of oxidation, small crack at the edge of one lip, traces of soldering on the spout. This brass kashkûl, a true naviform drinking cup, completes a rare series of pieces from the Safavid period. The gold-colored material, the elegant vessel shape with a lip underlined by an epigraphic band featuring beautiful Muhaqqaq calligraphy on an amati background, and the presence of a fantastic figure in the round at one end, are all features common to these few pieces attributed to the 16th century. Our object can be compared with a kashkûl from the Hâshem Khosrovânî collection in Geneva, also engraved with Shiite invocations and prayers to 'Alî, but finished with two dragon heads rather than a winged lion. These two dragon heads were also chosen from a piece signed by the Türk ve Islam Eserleru Müzesi of Istanbul, reproduced in the article by A. S. Melikian-Chirvani (pl. I - VI), which also features beautiful inscriptions under its lip, this time of a Koranic and poetic nature. According to the art historian, the singularity of our piece comes from the presence of a pouring spout, absent from all other known brass models. Although this is a later accessory, as indicated by the soldering, a spout does seem to have been originally provided on this individual drinking cup. PUBLICATION: MELIKIAN-CHIRVANI, Assadullah Souren, "Le Kashkûl safavide, vaisseau à vin de l'initiation mystique" in CALMARD, Jean (dir.), Études Safavides (Extrait), pp. 188-191, pl. VIII-X, figs. 13-16, Bibliothèque iranienne 39, Institut Français de Recherche en Iran, Paris - Téhéran, 1993. A Safavid Brass Begging Bowl, Kashkûl, Iran, late 16th Century (published)
Result
32,000 EUR
Conversation between a young woman and an ascetic, folio probably from the Dvâdasa Bhâva (The Twelve Existences) manuscript copied in Allahabad, North India, Mughal school, circa 1600-1605 Manuscript folio on paper with 4 lines of text in Persian nasta'liq in black ink, some names in red, blue and gold inks, the text framing an important illustration in gouache heightened with gold, depicting an ascetic dervish in conversation with a woman under a tree, his cane and beaker beside him. In the foreground, a body of water populated by wading birds and a fish emerging amidst water lilies, and behind the protagonists several landscape shots unfold: hills animated by birds, another occupied by two notables with nimbed faces in conversation at the foot of a tree, a body of water with a boat and, in the distance, the outline of a city. The reverse of the folio is blank. Framed. Dim. folio: 24.2 x 13.2 cm; dim. painting: 16.9 x 11.5 cm Some polychromy and stains, a few repaints, folio shortened, deprived of its margin and most likely split and glued to cardboard. Provenance : Collection of Mr. Paul Esway, Director of Publications at Unesco. Then by descent. An Illustrated Leaf presumably from the Dvâdasa Bhâva ('Twelve Existences'), North India, Allahabad, c. 1600-05 Mughal painting at Prince Salîm's court in Allahabad at the turn of the 17th century This exceptional page is a rare example of book arts production at the court of Prince Salîm, future Emperor Jahangir, in Allahabad, North India, at the turn of the 17th century. Prince Salîm, son of Emperor Akbar, rebelled against his father in 1599 and moved to an independent city, Allahabad, until 1604. Poor relations with his father prevented him from benefiting from the services of artists working at court, but he knew how to surround himself with talented painters to fulfill his book art commissions. Rare works from the Prince's Kitabkhaneh include the famous Divan by Hassan Dihalvi, written in 1602 and illustrated with 14 paintings (Walters Art Gallery Baltimore, MS. W. 650), and a Persian translation of the Raj Kunwar, written in 1603 and illustrated with 51 paintings (Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, MS 37). In the case of our folio, there is a great deal of evidence pointing towards its attribution to a manuscript entitled the Dvâdasa Bhâva, copied around 1600-1605 and dispersed in its entirety on July 11, 1972 by Sotheby's (lot 45). The Dvâdasa Bhâva or Twelve Existences The Dvâdasa Bhâva or The Twelve Existences is a Persian translation of a Sanskrit text. This text, centered on a royal figure by the name of Vikramanka, is said to have been written for a prince named Mirkânak, who is mentioned several times in the narrative. Neither his identity nor that of the king is clearly defined. If the prince is not identifiable in Indian history, the king could be the Gupta king Chandragupta II (r. circa 380-415), who gave himself this title on coins minted in his name, or the western Chalukyan king Vikramaditya VI (r. 1076-1126), who is also so named. As for the subject of the narrative, the text seems to tell the story of a young woman aspiring to the life of an ascetic. The manuscript dispersed at Sotheby's, London, on July 11, 1972 and the fate of the folios The manuscript sold in London in 1972 appears to be the only version of this story known to date. At the time of its presentation at the sale, the manuscript was visibly incomplete, and the thirteen illustrated folios and an illuminated shamsah signed by Muhammad Sadiq were extracted from the text and presented separately. This valuable catalog information suggests the existence of other folios, and possibly of unlisted illustrated folios. It also immediately brings to mind a common commercial practice with valuable manuscripts, that of their dismemberment by their owners or merchants for commercial purposes. This was the fate of the Shâh-Nâme Demotte, named after the Parisian art dealer who, around 1910, took possession of the famous Book of the Kings of the Great Mongol, copied in Iran around 1330. The practice could take many forms, from the simple detachment of pages from their binding, to cutting, or even doubling the thickness of folios, thus dissociating the front from the back. WE INVITE YOU TO DISCOVER THE COMPLETE SHEET IN THE PDF CATALOG.
Result
30,720 EUR
Bowl decorated with parakeets, Ilkhanid Iran, probably Kashan, late 13th - early 14th century Hollow-bodied bowl on a small circular foot, in siliceous ceramic with metallic lustre decoration highlighted in cobalt blue, depicting two parakeets set in foliage on either side of a blossoming lotus flower surmounted by a third bird in flight. On the outside, striated bands alternate with lines of Persian cursive inscriptions and chevron friezes. Diameter: 21 cm Some restorations. This delightful bird-decorated bowl illustrates the brilliance of Ilkhanid potters and the delicate taste of their patrons. The technique of metallic lustre enhanced with cobalt blue is well mastered here. The hollow shape of the piece, the presence of a beautiful lotus flower in full bloom in the center, and the radiating decoration on the outer wall evoking chrysanthemum petals, reveal the Sino influences so prevalent in Mongolian art. The decoration of birds on a dense background of vegetal scrolls echoes the ceramic facing tiles lining the walls of the dynasty's monuments, where the theme abounds. In this way, our birds seem to give new life to the numerous birds with hammered heads on the tiles of the mausoleum of Shaykh 'Abd el-Samad of Natanz (1308), which may have included parakeets, but whose mutilation leaves the mystery unresolved. A pair of parakeets also adorn a star-shaped tile produced using the same technique and preserved in the collections of the Musée du Louvre (OA 3883). Although the species is rare on ceramic decorations preserved to this day, the bird and its congener the parrot, with its legendary loquacity, hold an important place in Persian literature. It is, for example, the storyteller of the famous Tutinama, written in Iran in the 14th century. An Ilkhanid Lusterware Bowl with Budgerigars Patterns, Iran, probably Kashan, late 13th-early 14th century Philippe Magloire Collection - Lots 132 to 207
Result
21,760 EUR
Two Representations of Indian Monument Gates, India, Company School, ca. 1820 Watercolors on watermarked paper W. Turner & Son depicting two Indian monuments of red sandstone with facades animated with iwans and crowned with chhatris. The first one represents the Darwaza-i Rauza, entrance door of the Taj Mahal in Agra (1632-48), the second one, the Buland Darwaza, entrance door of the Jama mosque in Fatehpur Sikri (1571). 42.6 x 57.5 cm and 43.4 x 57.5 cm A few tears and wetnesses at the edges, light foxing, stains and folds. These two monumental doors mark the entrance to two major monuments of classical Mughal architecture. The Darwaza-i Rauza ("Gate of the Garden" / "of Paradise") or Great Gate opens onto the gardens of the Taj Mahal burial complex built by order of Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58) in Agra in memory of his favorite Arjumand Banu Begam better known as Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631. The Buland Darwaza, ("Gate of Victory") is the main entrance to the Jama Mosque in Fatehpur Sikri, a city in northern India near Agra built in 1571 by Emperor Akbar as the new capital of the Mughal Empire. It is in homage to his victory over Gujarat that the Emperor named this great symbol of the building. These two monuments of classical Mughal architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries served as a source of inspiration for many painters in the early 19th century. The multiplication of these views in painting was linked to a strong European and mainly British demand for souvenirs of Indian monuments. It was often on paper imported from Great Britain as evidenced by the watermark W. Turner & Son watermark present on the supports of these two works, that these views were executed. The British Library in London holds other representations of these two doors such as the painting Add.Or.558 for the entrance door of the Taj Mahal and Add.Or.1785 for the Buland Darwaza. Two Paintings with Indian Monuments, India, Company School, c. 1820
Result
30,720 EUR
Muhammad Isma'il Isfahani (1814-1892) Mirror case decorated with historical scenes and crucifixion, Iran qâjâr, signed Isma'il and dated 1274 H/1857-58 Large rectangular box closed with a hinged flap, made of papier-mâché with painted and lacquered decoration on each side of a rocaille foliage medallion decorated with the representation of an army, western on one side, eastern on the other, each flanked by four floral compositions and framed by four figures of western women in medallions. The face of the panel is signed Isma'il and dated 1274, the reverse is decorated with a crucifixion scene and captioned several times in Arabic "Ana al-Haqq". 30 x 19.3 cm Chips, some retouching, reglazed set, missing glass. A Qajar signed and dated lacquer mirror case with historical scenes and a crucifixion, Iran, AH 1274/1857-58 M. Boroumand's lacquer collection. The main subject of the front and back of this mirror case is a depiction of two armies against the background of a seascape with a few sailing ships. On the face of the shutter, the cavalrymen are wearing white headgear and a uniform with a straight collar. Two couples in horse-drawn carriages complete the scene. On the back of the object, the army is oriental, dominated by soldiers wearing red fez, riding horses with finely wrought saddle cloths. In the center, the soldier dressed in a uniform with a richly embroidered gold breastplate, shoulders covered with a red cape and fez embellished with an aigrette could be identified as the Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I (r. 1839-1861). Only a few months after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1856, the artist probably wanted to represent on the two plates of his mirror case, the protagonists of the Crimean War which opposed the Russian Empire to the Ottoman Empire supported by a Western coalition. [...] - WE INVITE YOU TO DISCOVER THE COMPLETE FACT SHEETIN THE PDF CATALOG.
Result
19,840 EUR
Cupbearer, Safavid Iran, Isfahan, mid-17th centuryGold and stain on an album page depicting a cupbearer with a bottle and a cup, wearing a bright orange robe tied with a thick sash and covered with a green mantle. Above him are two cartouches illuminated in gold and polychrome and inscribed with verses in Turkish in black ink, in nasta'liq calligraphy. Miniature mounted in a margin with floral scrolls illuminated in gold on a lapis blue background. Miniature size: 15.8 x 8.3 cm; page size: 27.5 x 17.3 cmBends , light stains, residue of illuminated floral motifs on reverse . An elegant youth with a wine flask, Safavid Iran, Isfahan, mid-17th century
Result
46,080 EUR
Rare glass pen box, Iran, Syria or Fatimid Egypt, 10th-11th centuryClear colourless glass, blown and moulded, the wheel-cut decoration made of concentric circles, ovals and baguettes, fragments of the original metal frame remain. Length: 11,8 cm Important wrinkles , small chips around the fixing holes . Provenance: Former collection of René Huyghe (1906-1997), former curator of the Louvre Museum . This type of glass case is very rare, especially in this intact condition. It is part of a small group of pieces, probably pencil boxes, which would have come from Egypt or Iran. An example in the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, shows similar decoration of simple geometric shapes cut with a wheel (AKM652). It is attributed to Iran or West Asia and is dated to the 10th or 11th century. The Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin holds a box (I.2199) made of transparent colourless glass without iridescence, attributed to 11th-century Fatimid Egypt, while another pen box is believed to be in the Treasury of the Duomo of Capua in Italy. An extremely rare and intact clear wheel-cut glass penbox, Iran, Syria or Fatimid Egypt, 10th-11th century
Result
53,760 EUR
BEAU COFFRET EN IVOIRE SCULPTÉ, SRI LANKA, VERS 1650 Coffret rectangulaire à tiroir et couvercle bombé reposant sur quatre petits pieds. Le tiroir est maintenu fermé par une petite clavette en forme de boule en ivoire également et les côtés sont munis de petites poignées. Décor tapissant finement ciselé de rinceaux fleuris habités de félins, perroquets et personnages féminins dénudés, narilata-vela. Sur le devant ainsi que sur le couvercle, compositions symétriques et géométriques formées de narilata-vela couronnées ou à la chevelure ramassée en chignon dans des positions acrobatiques. Sur le couvercle, de part et d'autre des personnages, décor de rondeaux formés d'un cordon perlé, orné de sirènes kinnaras et oiseaux fantastiques. Les ferrures placées à l'intérieur sont en argent gravé de palmes et maintenues par des écrous étoilés. Dim.: 18 x 9 x 15 cm Provenance: Maison Spink, Londres, avril 1987 (certificat daté photocopié). Ce coffret, profondément et finement sculpté, présente un décor hollando-sri lankais élaboré au XVIIe siècle. En effet, les enroulements complexes des rinceaux et les personnages typiquement sri lankais sont associés à des fleurs dont la forme a été popularisée en Inde par les Hollandais, et qui peut notamment être vue sur du mobilier, des textiles et des objets en argent produits par la Compagnie des Indes Orientales hollandaise (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie). Sa forme est également d'influence européenne. Une boîte ronde présentant un décor de même type est conservée au Victoria and Albert Museum, inv. 13 - 1896, cf. Amin Jaffer, Luxury Goods from Indian, The art of the Indian Cabinet Maker, Londres, 2002, n°19, p. 52-53
Result
82,000 EUR