The collection is expected to fetch more than $10 million in Sotheby’s London show in two parts; the Islamic collection in April and the Indian collection in May.
“This remarkable collection reflects the passion and taste of a true scholar-connoisseur; the special nature and quality of each object captures some aspect of the dedication and aesthetic sensibility of this gifted and renowned collector,” ArtDaily quoted Senior Director and Head of Sotheby’s Middle East Department Edward Gibbs as saying.
One of the most alluring pieces of the collection is an illustrated piece from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, which depicts the story of King Fereydoun transforming himself into a dragon to test the courage of his three sons.
The extract is from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, also known as the Houghton Shahnameh and is considered one of the most important ever to appear on the open market.
Shahnameh (The Book of Kings) is a classic among epic Persian poetry and recounts Iran’s mythical and historical past. It was written 1,001 years ago in Persian at a time when Arabic was the main scientific and literary language of Iran.
Stuart Cary Welch was a lecturer at Harvard from 1960 to 1995 and the curator of Islamic and Indian art at Harvard Art Museums for more than 40 years. He also wrote many books including the two-volume “The Houghton Shahnameh,” which he co-authored with Martin Dickson in 1981.
