O n 10 November, Sotheby's London will host the Arts of the Islamic World & India Auction which features 168 objects and art which showcase artistic excellence from across a wide geography. The sale includes books and Qur'ans, textiles and paintings, pottery, woodcarvings and more.
Though the breadth of the sale is vast, each piece shares a connectedness to rich culture, holy devotion, and superb craftsmanship. We asked our specialists to select their highlights. Here are eight, below.
Illuminated Qur'an
This exceptional manuscript of juz’ 30 of the Qur’an is a rare and significant example of early Abbasid Qur’an production. Written in elegant Kufic script in dark brown ink on supple, finely prepared parchment, and richly embellished with elegant gold illumination, it comprises approximately three-quarters of the text of the 30th section of the Qur’an. Produced to a very high level of codicological, scribal and artistic refinement, it hints at a highly costly commission and a patron of great wealth and sophistication.
Silver Incense Burner
This remarkable and rare silver incense burner is attributable to al-Andalus in the eleventh century. It belongs to a relatively small corpus of...