Arts of the Islamic World & India

A heavy sabre from the Talpur armoury, India, 18th century

Restricted SpeciesUK: Greenford Park Warehouse

Estimate

20,000 - 30,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

the curved blade with false edge and chiselled half-palmette at the forte, gold inlaid with four inscriptions and a magic square, the European gilt bronze hilt carved with vegetal motifs and set with ivory plaques, the leather-covered wooden scabbard with steel mounts overlaid with gold in dense, evenly-spaced floral motifs, two suspension loops, one with old paper label in English

103cm.

This lot contains elephant ivory, which is an endangered species. Sotheby’s recommends that buyers check with their own government regarding any importation requirements prior to placing a bid, as lots containing endangered species may be subject to import restrictions in certain countries or necessitate licenses and certificates for export from some and import into others. The possession of an export license or certificate does not guarantee obtaining its counterpart elsewhere. Buyers must ascertain and adhere to all applicable regulatory requirements regarding the import and export of such items before bidding, securing all necessary licenses and certificates at their expense. The inability to export or import these items, or their seizure by a government agency, does not justify delaying payment or cancelling a sale.

Philippe Missillier Collection no.172C

inscriptions

nasr min allah wa fath qarib, 'Help from Allah and a Speedy Victory' (Qur’an, surah LXI (al-Saff, part of verse 13)

andraki ya ‘ali ‘alayhi al-salam, 'O Ali, peace be upon him, rescue me!'

'Sarkar Mir Murad ‘Ali Khan Talpur'

'Sarkar Mir Muhammad Nasir Khan Talpur'

Another blade inscribed with the names of Mir Murad ‘Ali Khan Talpur and Mir Muhammad Nasir Khan Talpur is now in the Mehrangarh Museum, Jodhpur (inv. no.ARM/76/6, Robert Elgood, Rajput Arms and Armour: The Rathores & Their Armoury at Jodhpur Fort, New Delhi, Niyogi Books, 2017, pp.452-4). Both members of the Talpur family were prolific collectors of arms and armour who frequently inscribed their names on sword blades and firearms they acquired from elsewhere.

Mir Murad ‘Ali Khan (d.1834) and his son Mir Muhammad Nasir Khan (d.1845) were ruling Talpurs of the Hyderabad branch of the family. After 1841 Mir Muhammad Nasir Khan became the senior Mir within the government (Thomas Postans, Personal Observations on Sindh, 1843, p.193). A mace inscribed with the name of Mir Karam ‘Ali Khan (d.1828) was formerly in the Philippe Missillier Collection and was sold in these rooms, 29 April 2025, lot 7.

An extremely rare illustrated manuscript of the Ka'banameh (A history of the Ka'ba) by Abdulrahman Gubari (d.1566), signed by Ahmad [...] al-Khatib, Kaposvár, Hungary, dated Dhu'l-Hijjah 1080 AH/April-May 1670 AD

Estimate: 120,000 - 180,000 GBP

Ibn Battuta (d.1377), Tuhfat an-Nuzzar fi ghara'ib al-amsar wa 'aja'ib asfar, a volume from The Travels, North Africa, 17th century

Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000 GBP

A large illuminated Qur'an, Persia, Shiraz, Safavid, 16th century

Estimate: 120,000 - 180,000 GBP

Abu Mansur Mawhub ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Khadr al-Jawaliqi (d.1144 AD), Kitab takmilat islah ma taghlat fihi al-'amma, on Arabic grammar, Near East, circa 1300 AD

Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000 GBP

Ibn al-Shatir (d.1375), Nihayat al-su’al fi tashih al-usul, on astronomy, Egypt or Syria, Mamluk, 14th century

Estimate: 150,000 - 250,000 GBP

Abu Muhammad Makki ibn Abi Talib al-Qaysi al-Qayrawani al-Andalusi al-Qurtubi, al-kashf 'an wujuh al-qira'at al-sab' wa 'ilaliha wa hijajiha ('Unveiling the Aspects of the Seven Recitations'), Near East, circa 1100 AD

Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000 GBP

A manuscript on fortune-telling including Ikhtiyarat al-ayyam (A treatise on hemerology, from the sayings of Ja'far al-Sadiq and the Prophet Daniel), commissioned for Catholic Maronite Khawaja Yusuf ibn Khawaja Antoine Andrea, copied by Gabriel son of Michael Asfour, probably Northern Lebanon, 1 Tammuz (July) 1778 AD

Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000 GBP

An early Kufic Qur'an leaf, North Africa or Near East, late Umayyad or early Abbasid, circa 700-750 AD

Estimate: 120,000 - 200,000 GBP

The Pandnameh (Book of Advice) of Luqman, copied by Mahmud ibn Ishaq, Central Asia, Bukhara, Safavid, dated 941 AH/1534-35 AD

Estimate: 15,000 - 25,000 GBP

An impressive Samanid calligraphic bowl, Tashkent, 9th or early 10th century

Estimate: 60,000 - 80,000 GBP