Islamic art goes on sale at Christie's

400 pieces of extremely rare Islamic and Indian art went to auction through Christie's, London in October 2008. The auction fetched over £10 million but it also offered members of the public a chance to see items that are normally hidden away in private collections.

The main attraction was a thousand year old ewer carved from a single piece of rock crystal. It is one of only seven of its kind known in the world. But earlier in the year, it was mistaken for a cheap French claret pitcher and valued at a mere US$350. Later however, it was discovered that the slim-necked vessel was made for the court of the Cairo-based Fatimid dynasty, which ruled a large part of the Middle East and North Africa between the 10th and 12th Century. The ewer is worth almost US$5.3 million.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• ewer
• rock crystal
• auction
• art
• Christie's
• collectors
• rugs
• persian
• indian
• islamic
• wealthy
• Fatimid
• rare art
• mosque beams
• old Qurans

[aburashdan]

when children die for want of life saving medicine and clean water in vast swathes of africa, middle east or asia, these northern rich white trade in ancient glasses and coloured mirrors, when will we get a fair deal? if only i had a way to awaken saladin and knock off the macabre pillars and hollow hearts!