Rare Persian folio could set new auction record for an Islamic work on paper

The folio for sale at Sotheby's comes from The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, the largest illustrated manuscript of the 'Shahnameh', or 'Book Of Kings', ever made. Photo: AFP

Few illustrated manuscripts are as coveted as the one featuring in an upcoming Sotheby's sale this October.

The lot in question is a folio from The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, an illuminated manuscript of a 10th century Persian poem.

It could fetch between £4mil (RM21mil) and £6mil (RM31mil). The folio being auctioned comes from The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, one of the "finest illustrated manuscripts in existence," according to Sotheby's.

It depicts Rustam, a legendary hero of ancient Persia, recovering his beloved horse Rakhsh. The folio is attributed to Mirza Ali, one of the best artists of his generation, and son of Sultan Muhammad, who was himself a great name in 16th century Persian painting.

The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp is the largest illustrated manuscript of the Shahnameh, or Book Of Kings, ever made.

It was commissioned by Emperor Shah Ismail, the founder of the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736). Upon his death, his son, Shah Tahmasp, continued to oversee its completion. It took two decades, and some of the best artists of the time, to complete this illuminated manuscript.

For Benedict Carter, head of department for Islamic and Indian art at Sotheby’s, this document is "a perfect encapsulation of artistic skill, patronage and beauty - universally acknowledged as one of the supreme illustrated manuscripts of any period or culture and ranking among the greatest works of art in the world," he said in a statement.

The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp had previously belonged to the banker and philanthropist Edmond de Rothschild, until he parted with it in 1907. Folios from this manuscript have since joined the collections of museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art in London and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran.

This particular folio will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s on Oct 26 as part of the "Arts of the Islamic World and India" sale in London.

Its rarity, however, could lead this lot to set a new record for an Islamic work on paper.

The current titleholder is another extract from The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, which sold for £7.4mil (RM38mil) at Sotheby's in 2011. It is currently housed in the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada. - AFP