“A 15th-century Arabic book on alchemy – how can you not want to read through that?”
Roxana Kashani from Bloomsbury Auctions is talking about one of her favourite lots at a sale of Middle Eastern books in London this week – and she’s slightly worried that curiosity might get the better of anyone who meets the estimated sale price of £1,800 (Dh10,500).
“It’s a tricky one,” she says. “It’s fragile, and it does need to be respected and looked after. But’s it’s also a terrible shame if it ends up behind a glass cabinet. It should be held and read … but with caution.”
Kashani’s sense of excitement about the first foray by Bloomsbury Auctions Book Department into a sale devoted to Middle Eastern works is infectious. Half Iranian, she has lived in Dubai and understands better than most the importance of the collection – which takes in everything from a handsomely decorated Quran to an important guide to 17th-century Arabic grammar – to this part of the world.
“I know the UAE,” she says. “Anything which is of cultural benefit is really endorsed, so we believe there’s a huge potential market for this sort of material.” So rather than just sell individual manuscripts as and when they came to market, Kashani was keen to hold back the more important works so a collection could be formed and a more high-profile sale arranged. What’s interesting is that, just like the Middle Eastern Contemporary Art sale by the auctionroom.com in London last month, the buyers aren’t only collectors in the United Kingdom.
“Yes, this work does sell to British people with no working knowledge of Arabic or Farsi, who just love the aesthetics of the calligraphy or the illustrations in the manuscripts,” explains says Kashani. “We also have interest from international institutions and private collectors from the Middle East these days. And that’s good, not least because in this collection I was very keen that we didn’t just sell the ‘pretty’ manuscripts – one covers inheritance laws. I definitely wanted it to have a wider Middle Eastern flavour.”
But of course Kashani can’t help but return to the better-looking manuscripts – which is not surprising when a quick browse through the catalogue reveals sumptuously decorated lacquer boards of elegant 18th-century me.
One lot is a beautifully decorated single sheet extract from an early 15th-century Quran – other items in the auction may have more pages but there’s something about this manuscript that intrigues Kashani.
“It’s in a script where one-third of each letter slopes, she says. “The technique is called thuluth [meaning one third] and even though I’ve been working in this area for years, I knew nothing about it.
“I found that fascinating, and it’s amazing to look at all the different types of calligraphy and script.
“And the 19th-century illustrated version of the Divan, by the Iranian poet Hafez, has some truly beautiful miniatures in it. Maybe I would say this because I’m Iranian, but I really love that one – and like most of the collection it’s in quite good condition, given its age and the paper they used.” Hafez is a notable inclusion for one good reason – whereas the names of some of the authors of these admittedly important manuscripts are known only to scholars, he remains a hugely important writer. Only last week, the BBC ran a story about the author, who can be found “in every Iranian home”.
“That’s why I think this auction isn’t just about dusty manuscripts, it’s a real nod to the continuing respect in the Middle East for poetry and poets,” says Kashani. “So what I hope from the auction – beyond selling everything, of course – is that people start to see that this work is valuable. Because then, inevitably, it’ll come out from the shelves of people’s houses – and we’ll get to see a lot more of it.”
The Middle Eastern Manuscripts sale is part of Bloomsbury Auctions Important Books and Works on Paper auction on November 13. Visit www.dreweatts.com for more information
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