Sothebys : Arts of the Islamic World at Sotheby's London

Sotheby's Arts of the Islamic World auction in London on 25 October covers more than a thousand years of artwork spanning three continents - covering the vast historical and geographical breadth of art produced under Islamic patronage and celebrating these diverse artistic traditions. Prominent amongst the works on offer are exceptionally rare pieces from the 16th and 17th centuries hailing from prestigious private collections. The exhibition opens in our New Bond Street galleries on 20 October, as part of Arts of the Middle East and India Week.

A DISTINGUISHED PERSIAN PRIVATE COLLECTION

Underpinned by major drawings and paintings from the Safavid and Qajar dynasties, this distinguished private collection presents 34 exceptional Persian artworks.

The collection is led by a portrait of a young nobleman and its pendant portrait of a young lady - extremely rare examples of large-scale seventeenth-century Safavid oil painting. Two of only fifteen such paintings known to exist, they are among the first large-scale Safavid oil paintings inspired by Europe.

By the seventeenth century, Isfahan was a melting pot of political, commercial and cultural influences which created a dynamic environment for the development of the arts. In

1598 the Persian emperor Shah Abbas moved to the city and set about creating a cosmopolitan capital to rival any other - a centre of political and military power, monumental architecture, culture and the arts, fashion and eclectic internationalism. There was a strong exchange of ideas between

Safavid Persia and Mughal India, as well as an increasing interest in the culture and art of Europe, aided by the constant stream of European envoys and delegations.

The introduction of the European aesthetic came about as European paintings were much sought after at the Safavid court and European artists came to work in Isfahan for Persian patrons. Very few extant free-hanging portraits of this style exist, and it is thought that they once decorated the houses of the wealthiest merchants and noblemen - a prestigious work of art with which to show off a fashionable appreciation of international cultural influences. It is also possible they were painted as marriage or betrothal portraits, in much the same way as had occurred in Europe for centuries.

The young nobleman is dressed in rich clothes and stands in a room with a balustrade and a window looking out to a distant landscape painted in a stylised European manner. The column is essentially Italian Mannerist in style, reminiscent of those designed by Bernini in Rome. The gentleman's female counterpart is also draped in richly embroidered textiles.

A highly-sought after artist, Isma'il Jalayir's style was unique, with his works marked by a charming and almost surreal contrast between the sitter in the foreground and the microscopic world of the background - which was inhabited by strange animals, birds, flowers, trees, fruit, human beings, buildings and abstract patterning. This combination of the real and the unreal, the microscopic detail and the broad sweep, creates an other-worldly, almost hallucinatory atmosphere.

The portrait is of Mirza Ali Asghar Khan, a politician and courtier who, during the 1870s and 1880s, became progressively more powerful until he controlled most of the government offices and was the Shah's closest advisor. In this work he is sitting on a European-style chair that is heavily carved and ornamented in a Persian manner, with the landscape behind him showing huntsmen on horseback and a plethora of exotic animals.

Jalayir's patronage by the all-powerful vizier Mirza Ali Asghar came about in an unusual way. It is said that the artist was a perfectionist and would take a long and thoughtful examination of his finished works. If they did not satisfy his high personal standards, he would destroy them. Upon hearing of this habit, Mirza Ali Asghar invited Jalayir to come and go freely to his residence, whilst at the same time asking his servants to watch him carefully and hide any completed works as soon as he began to examine them in a certain way.

It is extremely rare for a piece by the artist to appear at auction, as most of the known works are in the possession of museums including The Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Gulistan Palace Library in Tehran.

This portrait of a bearded shepherd leaning on his staff is an important example of the single-figure portraits painted by Mu'in Musavvir - one of the greatest and most prolific Persian artists of the seventeenth century. Musavvir took the art of single-page compositions to new heights and this is an example of a popular subject, with the inscription telling us that the painting was completed specifically for an album - a highly unusual piece of documentation.

THE COLLECTION OF SERGE BRUNST

The sale will present eighteen lots from the collection of Serge Brunst, one of the most renowned and respected interior designers in Beirut. Drawing inspiration from his own multicultural background, Brunst's interiors are aesthetically varied and range in style from the historic to the contemporary. With his signature eye for detail, Brunst has been entrusted with the renovation of many of the city's grand Ottoman houses. This selection of pieces recognises the luxurious aesthetic of the Ottoman Empire, including a number of highly- decorative tombak pieces. The group is also a reflection of Brunst's heritage, with many pieces either coming from his own family collection or purchased over the years in his hunt for beautiful treasures. To enter Brunst's world is to be transported to another era, a vision of historic Beirut under the Ottomans and its continued influence on taste today.

Previously unknown, this luxurious Ottoman textile is a rare example of a complete çatma panel in near-perfect condition, with even the narrow geometric inner frame visible. The large panel is decorated with the flowers closely associated with the Ottoman Court, designed in the quatre-fleurs style in honour of the four most commonly used flowers: the tulip, hyacinth, rose and the carnation

- dominated by the popular serrated fan-shaped carnation palmette motif. The silk weaving ateliers of Bursa and Istanbul were carefully monitored by the Ottoman court and the endless repeating floral arrangement demonstrates a complex imaginative quality that went alongside the richness of skill and craftsmanship.

A MAGNIFICANT ROYAL COAT EMBROIDERED WITH BASRA SEED PEARLS

This magnificent royal tunic, embroidered with thousands of Basra seed pearls, exemplifies the splendour and sophistication of the opulent courts of the Maharajas in the late nineteenth century. An example of power dressing in the nineteenth century, it would once have belonged to a young prince to wear on important ceremonial occasions. It also bears witness to an important ancient and thriving sea-trade which supplied bounteous quantities of natural pearls harvested in The Gulf to the princely families of South Asia. For over two thousand years, pearl fishing represented a steady source of income for people living in the southern Gulf region and by the seventeenth century, most of the pearls harvested here ended up in the treasuries of Indian maharajas. From the golden age of the pearl trade, it belongs to the same category of craftsmanship as the famed 'Pearl Carpet of Baroda', now in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha.

MEDIEVAL MEDICAL MANUSCRIPTS

The auction also offers three important medieval medical manuscripts of the utmost rarity, giving an insight into the scientific advances developed and practised during the Islamic Golden Age which was crucial in bringing ancient knowledge to medieval

Europe.

The Persian physician and psychologist 'Ali ibn al- 'Abbas al-Majusi was considered one of the three

greatest physicians of the Abbasid Caliphate, and this early manuscript of his important book was copied by Ibn al-Awani - the royal physician at the Abbasid court in Baghdad. Completed around 980 AD, The Complete Book of the Medical Art emphasises the need for a healthy relationship between doctors and patients, and the importance of medical ethics. It also provides details on a scientific methodology similar to modern biomedical research.