An exceptional collection of Islamic arms and armour – spanning the three great empires: Safavid, Ottoman & Mughal – is going to be offered in a standalone auction in London by Sotheby’s at the end of April.
The unique collection – spanning more than 100 lots that, together, represent over 500 years of history – is the result of one man’s steadfast study and acquisition.
The collection charts the technological evolution of weapons from the equestrian age of chivalry, through the gunpowder revolution, up to the modern age, showcasing a continued sophistication of craftsmanship throughout. The decorative themes of vegetal and geometric ornament, fused with a powerful emphasis on the written word, are revealed as a unifying thread throughout the collection, with shared motifs found in a range of weaponry across the full spectrum of chronologies and geographies.
Particularly noteworthy is the breadth of the collection, which includes rare Mamluk and Aqqoyunlu pieces alongside exceptional examples from the three great empires, Safavid, Ottoman and Mughal, punctuated by some truly outstanding works of art that are among the finest of their genre, including Turkenbeute from the Siege of Vienna, and the personal swords of two major historical figures: the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, and the French army officer, Claude Martin.
The collection was assembled by scholar-collector Philippe Gilles René Missillier (1949-2022). Over a period of half a century, Missillier set out to master his subject: visiting every museum, attending every auction, acquiring every catalogue and reference work, immersing himself so totally in the field that he came to embody his subject even contributing to the scholarship around it. In 1988, the lion’s share of his collection was exhibited in Paris in an exhibition titled Splendour des Armes Orientales – the largest exhibition of its kind in the 20th and 21st century. It is now being seen for the first time since.
On April 29, Sotheby’s London will bring the collection to auction for the first time in a dedicated sale, followed by the biannual Arts of the Islamic World & India sale on April 30. Prior to the auctions, highlights will be exhibited to the public in Sotheby’s Dubai gallery in the DIFC, open from April 7-11.
Auction Highlights from the Philippe Missillier Collection at Sotheby’s London on April 29.
The World-Capturer Sword of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan – with the blade dating back to 17th century North India (estimate: approximately USD774,960-1,033,280)
The star of the auction is one of a very small group of personal swords belonging to Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, whose reign from 1629-58 marked a period of untold Mughal architecture and cultural achievements.
Following the 16th-century Mughal tradition, the sword is named, and carries the inscription, World-Capturer, in an affirmation of Shah Jahan’s skills as a military commander. The sword is recorded in the accounts of Venetian traveller Niccolao Manucci, who documented the personal swords of Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb, who must have inherited it from his father.
The sword entered a number of prestigious collections in the 19th and 20th centuries, including Charles John Canning, 1st Ear Canning, Governor-General and 1st Viceroy of India and most recently, George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood.
An exceptional Sabre presented to Claude Martin by Nawab Asaf Al-Dawla of Awadh, India – late 18th century (estimate: approximately USD387,480-645,800)
This magnificent sword presents a fascinating insight into the Lucknow court, its taste, and the French Major-General who fought for the British, Claude Martin.
From humble beginnings in France, Claude Martin went to become one of the richest men in India during the 18th century, and discovered a passion for collecting fine antique arms and armour. This blade was most likely presented to Claude Martin by Asaf-ud-Daula (the Nawab ruler), and the inscription and hilt added by Claude Martin to document his promotion to Major-General.
The very finely carved and gem- set hilt is representative of the heights the lapidary arts reached in 18th century Awadh.
An Aqqoyunlu Turban Helmet from the Saint Irene Arsenal, Eastern Anatolia or Northwest Persia, late 15th century (estimate: approximately USD193,740-258,320)
This helmet is one of a remarkable group of ‘turban’ helmets attributed to the Aqqoyunlu state (centred on Diyarbakir and Tabriz).
Like the majority of surviving Aqqoyunlu helmets, it is stamped above the right eye with the Saint Irene arsenal mark. This arsenal, situated within the Topkapi Palace, was an old church converted for the Ottoman troops stationed at the palace.
In addition to holding arms and armour in active use, at least as early as the fifteenth century the arsenal became a store for the arms, armour, and military trophies captured by the Ottoman Sultans on their military campaigns.
A Rare Ottoman Wicker Shield (Kalkan), Turkey, 17th Century (estimate: approximately USD77,496-103,328)
Wicker shields were used across the Islamic world, woven with intricate geometric designs, with a protective metal fitted at the centre.
The most famous examples were used by Ottoman soldiers during the campaigns of the 16th and 17th centuries.
A Mughal Jade-Hilted Dagger in the form of a Horse, India – 18th century (estimate: approximately USD64,580-90,412)
The collection features a charming array of daggers with finely carved hilts of animal forms, including camels, antelopes and horses.
The craftsmen have transformed the hardstones into elegant and highly naturalistic animals, that nonetheless retain their essential function as a hilt.
Auction Highlight from Arts of the Islamic World & India at Sotheby’s London on April 30.
Seven Company School paintings of birds commissioned by Major-General Claude Martin (1735-1800)
The auction offers exceptional Company School drawings from an album commissioned by Major-General Claude Martin, whose sword features in the Arms and Armour sale.
Whilst in Lucknow, Martin became a key patron, responsible for importing 17,000 sheets of European watercolour paper into India and employing a team of Mughal trained artists to paint a series of natural history illustrations that included birds, plants and reptiles. The magnificent bird paintings from the series represent some of the earliest natural history paintings commissioned in India.
Highlights from the group include a sarus crane, a grey heron and a white stork, depicted in meticulous detail, towering over a miniaturised landscape (illustrated above, estimate: approximately USD64,580-103,328 each).
An important early 13th century Astrolabe formerly owned by Napoleon Bonaparte’s Chief Surgeon (estimate: approximately USD129,160-193,740)
This early example of an astrolabe – an instrument used to make astronomical measurements – bears a date that corresponds to 1218-19 AD. It is of exceptional quality, finely engraved in Andalusian Kufic, and bears testament to Morocco as a centre of production for remarkable scientific instruments in the early 13th century onwards.
The quality of the object is matched by the prestige of its former owner. It entered the collection of Dominique Jean, Baron Larrey (1766-1842), a prominent French surgeon who rose to fame during the age of the Napoleonic Wars and became Napoleon Bonaparte’s chief surgeon of the Grande Armée.
A Gold and Silver-inlaid Bronze Candlestick, East Anatolia or Jazira, 13th century (estimate: approximately USD387,480-645,800)
This beautiful candlestick belongs to the tradition of luxury inlaid court objects of the 13th century, famed for the mastery of the metalwork technique and the complicated designs, here showcasing figurative scenes of a polo player, a falconer and an archer on horseback.
A finely illuminated Qur’an, copied by Jalal ibn Muhammad Bakalinjar al-Daylami, Shiraz, Persia, Safavid – first half, 16th century (estimate: approximately USD322,900-387,480)
The auction offers a selection of Qur’ans that document the earliest Islamic period to the apogee of luxury Qur’an production in the 16th century. Illustrated here is a magnificent 16th-century Safavid Qur’an treasured for its intricate and inventive illumination.
Alongside this is:
- A Hijazi leaf dating to the second half of the seventh century (estimate: approximately USD322,900-452,060), of tremendous religious significance as a relic of the earliest period in Islam and the textual transmission of the Qur’an. It represents an important milestone in the development of Arabic as a written language and the evolution of Arabic scripts.
- A line from the Baysunghur Qur’an, circa 1400 (estimate: approximately USD387,480-645,800), whose monumental scale is unmatched by any other medieval Qur’an manuscript.
An impressive complete Mamluk Qur’an bearing the name of Sultan Qaytbay, and copied by an important scribe in the royal Mamluk courts in the late 15th and early 16th century (estimate: approximately USD387,480-645,800).
A collection of more than fifty Indian miniature paintings from the collection of Eva and Konrad Seitz
Assembled over fifty years, the late Dr. Konrad Seitz’s love for Indian miniatures was first initiated when he went to Delhi as a young diplomat in 1968 and flourished during his time as the German Ambassador to India from 1987-1990. Together with his wife Eva, the couple became one of the pioneers in the field, generously donating, exhibiting and publishing their collection.
The paintings in the auction include examples from the Mughal, Deccani, Rajput courts and date from the late 16th through to the 19th century. Highlights include Mughal paintings attributed to Balchand, Hashim and Hunhar and Pahari paintings from the court of Raja Sansar Chand as well paintings inspired by sacred texts, poetry and music.
Illustrated here is The young Raja Sansar Chand out riding with companions from 1777 (estimate: approximately USD32,290-45,206).
For more information, please visit www.sothebys.com.