A significant private collection of Islamic arms and armoury will be showcased by Sotheby's Dubai next week.
The collection of more than 100 items belonged to the late scholar Philippe Gilles Rene Missillier, who spent 50 years amassing rare and important pieces that span 500 years of Islamic culture.
Sotheby's Dubai has announced that visitors will be able to see some of the collection between April 7 and 11 ahead of an auction in London on April 29.
The collection represents the traditions of many Islamic dynasties, from Indonesia to Spain. Each piece was selected by Missillier for its artistic and cultural significance. Tracking the evolution of weaponry from battles on horseback to the invention of gunpowder and through to a more modern era, the armour, swords, daggers and helmets are decorated with Arabic motifs.
The highlight of the collection is a sword once owned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who famously built the Taj Mahal in India. The Shah's reign between 1629 and 1658 is regarded as a period of remarkable culture, when Persian and Indian sensibilities merged with to create a new artistic, visual and architectural language. Mughal tradition dictated that swords be named and this one is inscribed with the name World Capturer in a nod to Shah Jahan's skill as a military leader. Sotheby's has been listed it for sale at between £600,000 and £800,000 (Dh2,850,000 and Dh3,800,000).
Also dating from the Mughal era is a dagger from the 18th century that has a jade hilt carved into a horse. It has an estimates sale price of £50,000 to £70,000.
Other carved daggers in the collection have been fashioned into camels and antelopes, showing the expertise of artisans who were designing weaponry. Elsewhere there are rare Mamluk pieces from the sultanate that ruled across Egypt, the Levant and Hejaz in the 13th to 16th centuries, as well as items from the Safavid, Ottoman and Aq Qoyunlu empires.
The collection includes an exceptionally rare 17th century shield from the Ottoman Empire. Made of wicker, it has an intricate design, with a protective metal dome in the centre. Wicker was widely used across the Islamic world for shields due to its abundance and light weight, however relatively few have survived. This shield has an estimated value of between £60,000 and £80,000.
The Aq Qoyunlu empire, meanwhile, created the Turban Helmet, from Eastern Anatolia or Northwest Persia in the late 15th century. A masterpiece of functionality and beauty, it carries an estimated sale price of between £150,000 and £200,000.
Also included in the sale is the personal sword of the French army officer and polymath Claude Martin. Born in France, Martin travelled to India as a teenager and eventually joined the British East India Company's Bengal Army, rising to the rank of major general. After settling in Lucknow, Martin helped design parts of the city. He was a collector, connoisseur, banker and hot air balloonist. He is represented in the Sotheby's sale by his sabre, which was gifted to him in the late 18th century. It carries an estimate of £300,000 to £500,000.
Many pieces from Missillier's collection were part of the Splendour des Armes Orientales exhibition in Paris in 1988. The auction will be the first time much of the collection has been seen in public for more than 40 years.
