An auction at Christie's in London will bring together 240 pieces from the Indian and Islamic worlds, each of them a memento from a fascinating time in regional history.
The range of art includes manuscripts, paintings, ceramics, metalwork and carpets dating from the 9th to the 19th centuries. The auction will be held on Thursday at Christie's on King Street.
Among the most expensive items in the collection is also one of the most mysterious — a finial from the fabled gold throne of Tipu Sultan that has an estimated price of between £300,000 and £500,000 ($374,413 and $624,022).
Although the throne of the 18th-century Indian Muslim ruler no longer exists, there are illustrations suggesting what it may have looked like. One is a portrait of Tipu Sultan dating to 1800 by Italian painter Anna Tonelli. It shows the ruler sitting cross-legged in the shade of an umbrella on the flat, octagonal throne — a platform raised above the ground by a 12-legged tiger, the roaring head of which is carved at the fore. The tiger’s menacing posture protects the sultan.
“Tiger stripes were [Tipu’s] royal insignia,” Sara Plumbly, director and head of the Islamic and Indian Art department at Christie’s King Street, says. “They would decorate all the courtly objects and weapons. You’d find tigers and their patterns employed in the architecture of palaces and mosques.
The throne is also decorated with a series of tiger-headed finials.
“We don’t actually have a precise idea of what the throne looked like, but eight of these finials decorated the top,” Plumbly says. “They were all taken after Tipu Sultan was defeated by the British and sadly the throne was taken apart.”
A few pieces survive today, including the finial which is lot 84 of the auction — they are the last remnants of the throne. It is difficult to appreciate the craftsmanship and lustre of the throne through Tonelli’s portrait. The crisp photographs of the finial in Christie’s catalogue depicts the decorative piece in due splendor, suggesting the lavishness that had made Tipu’s throne the stuff of legend.
The finial is meticulously crafted — it is covered with inlaid gold and set with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. It now stands on a marble stand with gilt metal fittings.
The first two lots of the sale are also striking. They are pages from an album of compilated calligraphy works. While the pages share borders and illuminations, they present unique artworks, with each piece signed by its respective artist. The works date back to the late 15th and early 16th centuries, with each estimated between £30,000 and £40,000.
“They’re both the opening pages of what would have been a royal album,” Plumbly says. “Albums were the way that the Fatimid, Mughal and Ottoman courts preserved their collection. They would gather the works that they were their favourite in a book. The works didn’t have to speak to each other, but would come together by the borders. “
The works in the lot are examples by two of the most important Safavid artists, Sultan Ali Mashhadi and Shah Mahmud Nishapuri. The calligraphy presents Quranic verses, specifically Surat Al Fatiha. However, they wildly vary in style and employ calligraphy not traditionally used while transcribing the Quran.
Lot 25, meanwhile, depicts the story of King Solomon and Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba. Historians correlate Sheba with present-day Yemen and Ethiopia, where the kingdom of Saba reigned.
In Abrahamic accounts, the South Arabian queen visited Solomon’s court with gold, jewels and spices. She had heard of Solomon’s wisdom and wanted to test it herself. There are several accounts of how that meeting transpired. In the Quran, the encounter between the two royals ends with the heliolater queen coming to believe in God.
The 15th-century Timurid folio, estimated between £150,000 and £200,000, illustrates the meeting. The court is gathered on either side, whereas the Solomon and Bilqis are seated in the plush centre. The sky above them is made brilliant with gold leaf. Storks, songbirds, peacocks and flora decorate the background.
“This is one of the highlights of the sale,” Plumbly says. “It’s a Timurid painting. You don’t see a lot of full page Timurid paintings. You do see smaller examples, illustrative manuscripts, but to have a full page that is as colourful and well preserved as this is extremely rare.
“On top of that the subject is incredible,” she adds. “We see Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. It was a popular subject, retold by many cultures across the centuries. In Islamic culture, he is a king and a prophet. He is said to have converted the Queen of Sheba. The intensity of the palette is wonderful. The lines are so painterly and minute.”
While several artworks in the lot are estimated in the six figures, there are also plenty of less expensive options. These include illustrations that date back to Safavid Iran in the 15th century. Lot 28, estimated between £10,000 and £15,000, features three illustrations from Shahnameh, the epic poem written by Ferdowsi. Lot 29, on the other hand, features illustrations from Nizami’s Khamsa.
“These are Safavid paintings that one could acquire at a reasonable figure,” Plumbly says. “They’re both very vibrantly coloured, beautifully painted. Both of these lots, they are illustrations from books. Those books over time were split, very badly at times. The paintings ended up in different collections.”
Of the 240 lots, 100 feature carpets and rugs with origins ranging from India and the Caucasus to Persia and Anatolia.
The auction also features a strong selection of arms and armour, including bejeweled daggers and khanjars with Mughal designs, and meticulously enameled hilts from 19th-century India.
“There are so many aspects to the sale,” Plumbly says. “We have medieval objects. We have Indian paintings, Iznik pottery. We have a section of Ottoman works, from lot 120 to around 156. There are many group examples of pottery, textiles.
“We also have lots 155 and 166, which are associated with holy shrines. Lot 155 is a group of textiles that were woven to cover some of the most important places in Medina. Lot 166 is a fragment of a kiswah from Mecca.”
To view the entire collection of the Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds auction, visit www.christies.com
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The five pillars of Islam
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
PRISCILLA
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Saturday, July 8
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court (4pm)
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Timea Bacsinszky (19)
Ernests Gulbis v Novak Djokovic (2)
Mischa Zverev (27) v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 (4pm)
Milos Raonic (6) v Albert Ramos-Vinolas (25)
Anett Kontaveit v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Jared Donaldson
Court 2 (2.30pm)
Sorana Cirstea v Garbine Muguruza (14)
To finish: Sam Querrey (24) leads Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-5
Angelique Kerber (1) v Shelby Rogers
Sebastian Ofner v Alexander Zverev (10)
Court 3 (2.30pm)
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Dudi Sela
Alison Riske v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
David Ferrer v Tomas Berdych (11)
Court 12 (2.30pm)
Polona Hercog v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Gael Monfils (15) v Adrian Mannarino
Court 18 (2.30pm)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Lesia Tsurenko
Petra Martic v Zarina Diyas
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
