This well-constructed celestial globe bears the hallmarks of instrument construction in late seventeenth-century Isfahan, which was renowned for the variety and technical sophistication of its output. The number of surviving Safavid globes is remarkably small, and of globes from Safavid Isfahan this is the only known example. Made with extreme accuracy yet elegantly engraved, the piece outlines the greater and lesser circles – the ecliptic, equator, tropic and polar circles.

FURTHER HIGHLIGHTS

A rare and important Ottoman silk and metal-thread brocade panel (Kemha), Turkey, early 17th century (est. £60,000-80,000, detail illustrated on p.1)

This superb Ottoman brocaded silk, in almost pristine condition and with a distinguished provenance, having once been in the collection of Edmund de Rothschild, showcases the very best of the magnificent workmanship and historic ceremonial significance of these sophisticated Ottoman courtly textiles. The design consists of a floral decoration in a pattern of roses, carnations and palmettes, which also formed the basis of inspiration for Iznik ceramics.

Valuable textiles made of luxury materials formed an essential part of Ottoman ceremonies, such as the accession of sultans, parades and receptions. They appeared in the forms of banners, costumes, curtains, wall-hangings and ground-coverings – which lent visual magnificence – and as ‘robes of

honour’ bestowed on foreign diplomats and court servants, serving to represent the Sultan’s generosity and power.

A Kashan lustre pottery vessel in the form of a seated female ruler, Persia, 12th/13th century (est. £10,000-15,000)

Figurines represented a significant part of production at Kashan in this period, with very wide-ranging subject matter. This fine example is sculpted as a seated, enthroned female figure, wearing an elaborately designed coat and long, plaited hair.

A Safavid blue and white pottery dish depicting a lion, Persia, 17th century (est. £8,000-12,000)

This striking dish depicts a stylised lion form walking within a lush vegetal landscape. Inspired by imported Chinese Ming period porcelain wares, the Safavid craftsmen have introduced a more patterned approach to the design, taking the Chinese naturalistic elements and transforming them into decorative patterns.

Formed over fifty years of dedication and passion, this exceptional collection of ninety-four manuscripts has at its heart the very best of calligraphy and illumination. With a remarkable range of religious and secular works, comprising examples from Turkey, India, Persia and the Arab World, it charts over a millennium of fine manuscript production. The refined eye and cosmopolitan taste of the collector – whose collection also encompasses works by Renoir, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Rodin and Man Ray among others – shines through.

The title for the collection was inspired by the architecturally striking Şakirin Mosque in Istanbul – the first mosque designed by a woman. The interior of the modern mosque is lined with verses from the Qur’an commissioned by contemporary calligraphers, which eloquently bears witness to the primacy of the written word in Islamic civilisation.

A monumental illuminated Safavid Qur’an, mid-16th century Persia (est. £200,000-300,000)

One of the finest Qur’ans to have been offered at auction in decades, this magnificent lavishly illuminated and colourful manuscript bears all the hallmarks of the most refined pieces of the Safavid period – and is indeed one of the largest Safavid

THE SHAKERINE COLLECTION Calligraphy in Qur’ans and Other Manuscripts

Qur’ans to have survived today. Thought to have been a royal patronage or noble commission, it was exhibited as part of the Exhibition of Persian Art at The Iranian Institute in New York in 1940, and then went on loan to Harvard University’s Fogg Museum of Art in Boston.