All Islamic Art Historians working on large set of material data will tell you the same, spending hours going through auction catalogues to find the forgotten gem is part of the job. Writing my doctoral dissertation of Indian and Persian flower paintings produced between the 16th and the 18th centuries, I dissected countless of catalogues … More Auction Catalogues and Reattribution: a Difficult Exercise
Unprecedented times, unprecedented auctions. The covid-19 pandemic has forced major houses to either move their auctions online or push back to a later date, a choice made by Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams and Dreweatts. Spring Islamic week was held from the 9th to the 25th June and despite the many restrictions, the results reflect the continuous support from collectors. … More A Delayed Islamic Week full of Questions: overview of June 2020 results
This is with some disbelief that I wish you all a very happy new year 2019. Disbelief that 2018 is already passed and that we are already turning the page. What a year it has been! … More Happy New Year 2019!
It is always difficult to predict the fluctuations of the art market, as tendencies can vary over a few months. In the case of the Islamic arts market, the excercise is even more difficult due to its diversified nature: all medium, a chronology of 14 centuries, more than half the world with no less than a douzen dedicated auctions a year. … More The Autumn continues in Paris
This Autumn Islamic week is over, and what a week it has been! The selection of Bonham’s, Sotheby’s and Christie’s included some breathtaking treasures but also some interesting novelties that I have been really happy to follow. … More Autum 2018 London Islamic week: results overview
This fall, I found that Bonham’s, Sotheby’s and Christie’s selections are full of surprise. They confirm tendencies that were already visible in the spring auctions but also seem to announce new trends; let’s jump in! … More Time to speculate: London Islamic Week, October 2018
Islamic Arts history is an important and still underated branch of arts history, and a lot of misconceptions are still floating around, especially in the West, about what it is, what it intails and how we can talk about it. … More Why does Islamic Arts History matter?
