Arts of the Islamic World & India

An ivory horse-head hilted dagger, India, Rajasthan, 18th century

Restricted Species

Estimate

15,000 - 25,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

the recurved double-edged steel blade chiseled with scenes of a tiger hunt, with reinforced tip, ivory hilt in the form of a horse's head with vegetal carvings at the forte

39 cm.

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.

with Howard Ricketts by 1986

Gateway to India, Brighton & Hove Museums, 1986

H. Ricketts and P. Missillier, Splendeur des Armes Orientales, Paris: Acte-Expo, 1988, p.89, no.142

David A. Sulzberger, Islamic Military Heritage: Nine Centuries of Islamic Arms and Armour, Riyadh, 1991, p.49, no.274

Elephant ivory is a relatively rare material on Indian dagger hilts, possibly due to its ubiquity in comparison to the rarer walrus ivory and the latter material's supposed apotropaic qualities. As a result, they are often associated with European patrons, as on the East India Company commission of a series of luxurious swords now substantially in the Wallace Collection (inv. nos.OA1400, OA1401, OA1406, OA1771 and OA1772). A comparable horse-head hilted dagger executed in walrus ivory is in Mehrangarh Museum, Jodhpur (inv. no.ARM/76/748; Elgood 2017, pp.730-1).

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

A large royal Mughal planispheric brass astrolabe, signed by Diya' al-Din Muhammad al-Lahuri, India, dated 1059 AH/1649 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

Two Timurid cut-mosaic tiles, Central Asia or Persia, 14th/15th century

Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000 GBP

A Safavid or Ottoman steel chanfron, Persia or Turkey, first half 16th Century

Estimate: 80,000 - 120,000 GBP

A pair of repoussé gold bracelets, Syria, 11th-12th century

Estimate: 25,000 - 35,000 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

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

Estimate: 120,000 - 180,000 GBP

An illuminated leaf from a Gulistan of Sa’di, the borders attributed to Sultan Muhammad, Persia, Tabriz, Safavid, circa 1525-40

Estimate: 20,000 - 30,000 GBP

Methods of hunting, India, Mughal, second half 17th century

Estimate: 50,000 - 80,000 GBP