Top 20 of the Most Expensive Islamic Art Pieces – part 2 (blog)

Welcome back for the part 2 of this Top 20, in which we will explore the 12 most expensive pieces of Islamic art ever sold. Yes, 12, despite Part 1 already covering numbers 20 to 11. When initially drafting the list, I forgot to number one of the entries, and I then found another piece … More Top 20 of the Most Expensive Islamic Art Pieces – part 2 (blog)

Top 20 of the Most Expensive Islamic Art Pieces – part 1 (blog)

With Summer fast approaching, I thought it would be the perfect time for some light reading to enjoy wherever you’re vacationing, and nothing get lighter than a list of top historical artefacts sold for outrageous amounts. Three caveats before starting: As mentioned, the reader will quickly notice the dates of the record auctions: most of … More Top 20 of the Most Expensive Islamic Art Pieces – part 1 (blog)

Auction Catalogues and Reattribution: a Difficult Exercise

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

A Delayed Islamic Week full of Questions: overview of June 2020 results

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