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Sothebys: Arts of the Islamic World and India

Auction Reports

Auction Name Arts of the Islamic World and India Total Sales (GBP) 6,702,933.00
Auction Date April 30, 2025 - April 30, 2025 Low Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP) 2,532,300.00
Sale Number #L25220 High Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP) 3,795,200.00
Total Lots 110
Sold Lots 95.0 Low Estimate of All Lots (GBP) 3,322,300.00
% of Lots Sold 86.36% High Estimate of All Lots (GBP) 4,878,200.00
Unsold Lots 15 Total Sales as a % of High Est. 137.41%

Top twenty-five by sale price

Lot Number Author Name Book Title Year Published Estimate Actual Price
607

A prince visiting an ascetic,

early 17th century GBP 80,000.00 - 120,000.00 GBP 571,500.00
566

A Sufi Spiritual Concert, attributed to Hunhar,

circa 1650-60 GBP 80,000.00 - 120,000.00 GBP 406,400.00
520

A line from the 'Baysunghur Qur'an', attributed to 'Umar al-Aqta,

circa 1400 GBP 300,000.00 - 500,000.00 GBP 381,000.00
546

A large illuminated Mamluk Qur'an, copied by Muhammad Abu al-Fadl ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab al-A'raj,

882 AH/1477-78 AD GBP 300,000.00 - 500,000.00 GBP 381,000.00
616

Raghunath Pathania, a holy man, attributed to Nainsukh,

circa 1760 GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00 GBP 355,600.00
532

An early bound Qur'an section in Kufic script, North Africa or Near East,

circa 700-750 AD GBP 250,000.00 - 300,000.00 GBP 317,500.00
544

Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa ('Epistles of the Brethren of Purity'),

14th century GBP 60,000.00 - 80,000.00 GBP 279,400.00
605 Abu'l Fazl ibn Mubarak

Abu'l Fazl ibn Mubarak (d.1602 AD), Ain-i Akbari ('The Administration of Akbar'),

late 17th/early 18th century GBP 30,000.00 - 50,000.00 GBP 254,000.00
627

A scroll painting depicting the Battle of Pollilur,

circa 1850 GBP 5,000.00 - 7,000.00 GBP 241,300.00
632

A white stork (coconia ciconia) in a flat river landscape,

circa 1780 GBP 50,000.00 - 80,000.00 GBP 241,300.00
633

A sarus crane (grus antigone) standing in a flat river landscape

circa 1780 GBP 50,000.00 - 80,000.00 GBP 228,600.00
603

An illuminated firman of Dara Shikoh (r.1616-59),

1068 AH/1657 AD GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00 GBP 177,800.00
579

An illustration to a ragamala series: Bangal Ragini,

circa 1765 GBP 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 GBP 165,100.00
623

A portrait of a Sikh shawl trader, by Bishan Singh,

circa 1867 GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00 GBP 139,700.00
635

A domestic male fowl,

circa 1780 GBP 10,000.00 - 15,000.00 GBP 127,000.00
597

An illustration from a Shivapurana series: Sati casts herself into the fire to avenge the insult to her husband Shiva,

circa 1820 GBP 30,000.00 - 40,000.00 GBP 114,300.00
634

A domestic female fowl,

circa 1780 GBP 15,000.00 - 20,000.00 GBP 107,950.00
636

A grey heron (Ardea Cinerea),

circa 1780 GBP 30,000.00 - 50,000.00 GBP 107,950.00
637

An oriental darter (anhinga melanogaster),

circa 1780 GBP 30,000.00 - 50,000.00 GBP 107,950.00
503

A small illuminated Qur'an, Near East, Abbasid,

late 12th/early 13th century GBP 80,000.00 - 120,000.00 GBP 101,600.00
576

A Princess Rewards Musical Performers, attributed to Muhammad Afzal,

circa 1735 GBP 25,000.00 - 35,000.00 GBP 101,600.00
631

A Eurasian Goshawk (Astur gentilis),

circa 1780 GBP 50,000.00 - 80,000.00 GBP 101,600.00
565

Afzal Khan 'Allami, attributed to Balchand,

circa 1638 GBP 50,000.00 - 70,000.00 GBP 95,250.00
502 Abu Nasr Isma'il ibn Hammad al-Jawhari

Taj al-lugha wa sihah al-arabiyya, ('The Crown of Language and the Correct Arabic'), volume 8, copied by Mansur ibn Jama',

577 AH/ 1181 AD GBP 30,000.00 - 50,000.00 GBP 88,900.00
530 Sa'id ibn Hibat Allah ibn al-Husayn

Sa'id ibn Hibat Allah ibn al-Husayn (d.1101 AD), Kitab al-Mughni fi'l-Tibb, copied by Muhammad ibn Radwan ibn Radi ibn Layth, Near East,

707 AH/1308 AD GBP 50,000.00 - 70,000.00 GBP 88,900.00
  • Books & Autographs
    Wednesday 25 March
    Koller, Mar. 25: KAFKA, FRANZ, SCHRIFTSTELLER. Eigenh. Brief mit Unterschrift. Prag, 20. Oktober [19]15. CHF 30,000-40,000.
    Koller, Mar. 25: EINSTEIN, ALBERT. Zwei eigenhändige Briefe an Ernst Gabor Straus, unterschrieben "A.E" bzw. "A. Einstein". [Princeton], [19]45. und [1950]. CHF 30,000-40,000.
    Koller, Mar. 25: HORTENSE DE BEAUHARNAIS, MUTTER VON NAPOLEON III. Album aus ihrem Besitz mit 69 Aquarellen und Pinselzeichnungen in Sepia oder Grau… CHF 14,000-18,000.
    Koller, Mar. 25: ZOOLOGIE - ORNITHOLOGIE - Seligmann, Johann Michael. Verzameling van uitlandsche en zeldzaame Vogelen. Teile 1-8 (von 9) in 2 Bänden. Mit 421 prächtig altkolorierten Kupfertafeln. CHF 14,000-20,000
    Koller, Mar. 25: BOTANIK - Berlèse, Lorenzo und Johann Jakob Jung. Iconographie du genre camellia... 3 Bände. Mit 300 Farbstichtafeln "a la poupée.” Paris, [1839-]1841-1843. CHF 12,000-18,000.
  • Forum Auctions
    Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
    25 March 2026
    Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Andrews (H.C.) Coloured Engravings of Heaths, 4 vol. in 2, first edition, [1710,--94]-1802-1809-[1830]. £10,000 - £15,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- Cramer (Pierre) and Caspar Stoll. De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen…,, 5 vol., Amsterdam & Utrecht, 1779-91. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Voyages.- Darwin (Charles) and others. Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle, 3 vol. in 4, including Appendix to vol.2, first edition, 1839. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- de Graaf (Willem Diederik Vincent). [Inlandsche Kapellen in beeld], 170 fine original watercolours, [Enkhuizen], [1800-40]. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
    25 March 2026
    Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Dresser (Henry Eeles). A History of the Birds of Europe, 9 vol., including supplement, first edition, by the author, 1871-96. £6,000 - £8,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Zoology.- Felines.- Elliot (Daniel Giraud). A Monograph of the Felidæ or Family of the Cats, first edition, for the Subscribers, by the Author, [1878]-1883. £25,000 - £30,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Frisch (Johann Leonard). Vorstellung der Vögel Deutschlandes, 2 vol., first edition, Berlin, Friedr. Wilhelm Birnsteil, [1736]-1763. £40,000 - £60,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 vol., first edition, by the author, 1862-1873. £30,000 - £40,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
    25 March 2026
    Forum, Mar. 25: Pomology.- France.- Poiteau (A.) Pomologie Française. Recueil des Plus Beaux Fruits cultivés en France, 4 vol., Paris, 1846. £30,000 - £40,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- [Robin (Jean)]. Histoire des Plantes, nouvellement trouvées en l'Isle Virgine…,, 1620; with Geoffrey Linocier L'Histoire des plantes, second edition, 1619-20. £3,000 - £4,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Japan.- Siebold (P.F. von). Nippon. Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan, 7 parts in 6 vol., first edition, Leyden, [1832]-1852. £35,000 - £45,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Valentijn (Francois). Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën..., 5 vol. in 8, first edition, Dordrecht [&] Amsterdam, 1724-26. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Australia.- Redouté (P.J.).- Ventenat (Étienne Pierre). Jardin de la Malmaison, 2 vol.,, Paris, 1803-04[-05]. £30,000 - £40,000.