Arts of the Islamic World and India, including Fine Rugs and Carpets

A copper openwork candlestick, Persia, Timurid, 15th century

Auction Closed

April 26, 01:36 PM GMT

Estimate

20,000 - 30,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

the base of waisted form, open-worked with a band of large thuluth inscriptions against a ground of concentric scrolls, shoulder and mouth en suite, cylindrical neck with engraved motifs, a band of keyfret motifs around the shoulder

32.4cm. height

25.5cm. max. diam.

Please note that the candlestick is copper and not bronze as stated in the printed catalogue. Please note that there may be restrictions on the import of property of Iranian origin into the USA and some or all member countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council. Any buyers planning to import property of Iranian origin into any of these countries should satisfy themselves of the relevant import regime. Sotheby's will not assist buyers with the shipment of such items into the USA or the GCC. In addition, FedEx and US courier services will no longer carry Iranian-origin goods to any location. Any shipment services would need to be provided by a Fine Art shipping company.

Ex-private collection, Canada, pre-1985

Inscriptions

‘izz li-mawlana al-sultan al-malik al-‘alim al-‘adil al-‘a antara [sic] [‘azza ansarahu], 'Glory to our Lord, the Sultan, al-Malik, the Learned, the Just, may[God] fortify his victories'

This imposing candlestick belongs to a small corpus of similar Timurid openwork candlesticks including one in the David Collection, Copenhagen, (inv.no.26/1994, Copenhagen 2001, p.326, no.524), a comparable piece formerly in the Charles Gillot Collection, sold at Christie's, 13 April 2010, lot 78, and another sold in these rooms, 7 October 2015, lot 314. A further example of a slightly earlier date (twelfth/thirteenth century) is in the Keir Collection (Fehervari 1976, p.85 and pl.34a, no.100).