T his October we are delighted to host our inaugural Made in the Emirates exhibition at Sotheby’s Dubai (4-7 October). The showcase brings together a curated selection of jewels by local designers alongside works by emerging artists based in the UAE.
We decided it was high time to dedicate an exhibition to the exceptional art and craftsmanship we have long seen coming from the Emirates. Made in the Emirates will run alongside our exhibition of highlights from Sotheby’s upcoming global auctions, including Jewellery, Watches, Indian and Islamic Art, Middle Eastern Contemporary Art, and a private selling exhibition of Fabergé. We are looking forward to bringing together regional art and jewellery against a backdrop of historical influences and contemporary design.
On the Jewellery side, we will be bringing a bespoke selection of pieces from our Magnificent Jewels auctions in New York and Geneva. These include an exceptional 62.65-carat D-colour pear-shaped diamond and coloured gemstones alongside historical designs by the major jewellery maisons such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co and Bulgari. Such pieces continue to inspire and engage today’s jewellery designers, and this is the ideal backdrop for Made in the Emirates.
Sophie Stevens
Jewellery Specialist
Dubai
Sophie Stevens joined Sotheby’s as Jewellery Specialist for MENA in 2019 and travels throughout the region advising clients on buying and selling jewellery through Sotheby’s international auctions. She is also a frequent contributor for press in the Middle East and is a regular watches and jewellery writer for Harper’s Bazaar Arabia.
Dubai Travelling Exhibition
From 4 – 7 October, Sotheby’s Dubai is delighted to present a travelling exhibition of highlight works from upcoming auctions as well as a selection of Fabergé pieces available for private sale. The property on view in the galleries will include selected key works from the following categories:
Made in the Emirates
Also taking place from 4-7 October, our inaugural Made in the Emirates exhibition will bring together a curated selection of jewels by local designers alongside works by emerging artists based in the UAE.
The last decade has seen a significant shift in the UAE’s focus on fine jewellery manufacturing and support for the regional art scene, and we wanted to introduce such works to Sotheby’s collectors through an international platform.
The Art of Fabergé: a Private Selling Exhibition
Among the treasures travelling to Dubai are over twenty rare works by the prestigious House of Fabergé. The firm is one of the greatest court jewellers in European history, and its reputation for exceptional craftsmanship earnt favour from the Russian imperial family, British royal family, and many other monarchs throughout Europe.
Renowned above all for its opulent Imperial Easter Eggs, Fabergé also created an extensive range of rare jewels and objects of vertu. Representative of Fabergé’s varied output, this dazzling selection offered by Sotheby’s will include colourful enamels, important gilded objects of vertu, candlesticks, photograph frames and egg-pendants. Alongside these will be exquisite jewelled enamel French gold boxes by Cartier. This selling exhibition presents a wonderful opportunity to acquire pieces by Fabergé’s most celebrated workmasters.
I Write in Colour: Dr Najat Makki
Through our October programming, Sotheby’s is thrilled to continue celebrating the local art scene with the support of Aisha Alabbar Gallery, by presenting a solo exhibition of Emirati contemporary art pioneer Dr Najat Makki.
Dr Makki is best known for her curiosity for colour and dreamlike, abstracted depictions of the natural landscape in the UAE.
I Write in Colour: Dr Najat Makki will be exhibited in our DIFC gallery space from October 19th – November 4th.
Spotlight on Our Upcoming Sales of Islamic and Indian Art
Sotheby’s history of selling art from the Islamic World and India dates back to the 18th century. With London as the undisputed centre of the Islamic art market, Sotheby’s has played the leading role through its dedicated auctions and has handled the most prestigious single-owner collections to come to the market. Our international team is based in London and includes four highly experienced specialists who work in collaboration with Sotheby’s experts in New York, Paris, the Middle East and India.
Following the recent auction successes of 2020-21, with combined sales totalling over £20 million, we are pleased to announce our autumn season auctions which take place on Wednesday 27th October. The Arts of the Islamic World & India sale celebrates the achievements of artists and craftsmen from the Islamic world over 1000 years, offering to the market a broad array of high quality works of art, Qur’ans, Indian and Persian paintings, arms and armour and rugs and carpets.
Watch the video to discover one of the top lots from the Arts of the Islamic World & India sale.
Alongside this sale, We will be staging the first ever auction dedicated solely to Company School Painting, the work of Indian master artists who were commissioned by European patrons in the 18th and 19th centuries: In an Indian Garden: The Carlton Rochell Collection of Company School Paintings. Ranging in their subject matter from individual animal and human studies to complex architectural panoramas, together the remarkable corpus of paintings encapsulates on paper the rich fauna, flora and architecture of the Subcontinent.
Watch the video to discover our single-owner sale dedicated to Indian Company School Paintings.
Events Programme
We will be hosting a programme of events around the exhibition, including two panel discussions and a children’s workshop, please find the information below.
Conversations on Jewellery and Art - Wednesday 6 October
6 - 7pm – Sophie Stevens, Sotheby’s Jewellery Specialist and Tania Heikal Tayara, Jewellery blogger, moderating a panel discussion with UAE-based jewellers on the future of design.
7:30 – 8:30pm – Mai Eldib, Sotheby’s Director and Middle East Specialist and Daniel Rey, independent curator, moderating a panel discussion with UAE-based artists on art and space.
Children’s Art Workshop - Friday 8 October
11am – 12:30pm – The interactive workshop will be led by Yasmin Sinai and is aimed at children aged 5-7 years old.
Please reach out to yasmeen.gailani@sothebys.com should you wish to attend any of these events.
Valuations and Private Sales Services
We continue to offer a wide range of services, including Private Sale opportunities, online valuations, and lending through Sotheby’s Financial Services. Given the increasing preference of many clients to engage with us in digital formats to discover, explore and bid on art and objects, we are confident we can deliver exceptional service and sales to our clients around the world.