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 |
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Books & Autographs
Wednesday 25 MarchKoller, 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 14,000-20,000Koller, 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. -
![<b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Botany.- [Robin (Jean)]. <i>Histoire des Plantes, nouv...](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a2a2dbe-8edf-4091-9a08-800f7aba747e.jpg "<b>Forum, Mar. 25:</b> Botany.- [Robin (Jean)]. <i>Histoire des Plantes, nouvellement trouvées en l'Isle Virgine…,</i>, 1620; with Geoffrey Linocier <i>L'Histoire des plantes,</i> second edition, 1619-20. £3,000 - £4,000.")
Forum Auctions
Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
25 March 2026Forum, 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 2026Forum, 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 2026Forum, 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.