British auction house “Christie’s” showcases treasures of ancient Islamic art

The prestigious British auction house, Christie’s, has announced the date for its special auction dedicated to the art of the Islamic world, set to take place at its headquarters in London on October 24th. The auction will feature artistic masterpieces that are over 1,000 years old.

Sarah Plumbly, head of the Islamic and Indian Art department at the auction house, said in a press statement that “the upcoming auction will present a curated selection of carpets, ceramics, manuscripts, textiles, and metalwork from across the Islamic world.”

Plumbly highlighted a collection of ancient Iraqi glass artifacts, describing them as “special” to her personally, for their rare glimpse into the decorative elements characteristic of early Islamic architecture, first observed in the sacred city of Samarra, Iraq, in the 9th century.

Among the standout pieces, according to Plumbly, is a rare silk carpet from the Safavid era in the early 17th century, valued between $1.3 million and $2.6 million, alongside a pair of Sasanian silver bottles crafted in pre-Islamic times, specifically in the 6th or 7th century AD.

Plumbly concluded her statement by noting that the auction includes numerous works dating from the early Islamic period in the 7th century up to the 19th century, with pieces collected from Spain in the west to China in the east.