FEATURES ARCHIVE

From Europe to India, Interiors sales can feature a vast array of furniture encompassing the breadth of the continent, offering diverse stylistic choices to suit every taste and décor.

For interior inspiration, look no further than the rich and ancient artistic traditions of the Islamic and Indian worlds – from sensual miniatures of Hindu deities, to beautiful pottery jugs from Morocco embellished with vibrant colours and intricate patterns, our sales offer an array of treasures with endless decorative potential.

Golden Age
This highly decorative 19th century Syrian mosque lamp harks back to the golden age of Islamic glassmaking, and is specifically modelled on 14th century prototypes of the Egyptian Mamluk dynasty.

The medieval way of craft making enjoyed a revival in the 19th century and the current lot is a lovely example of the revival style. The Quranic verse written in calligraphy around the neck is called The Light and is commonly inscribed on mosque lamps. It draws a metaphor between the light of the glass lamp and God, Light of the Heavens and the Earth.

Old World Grandeur
An interest in the culture of the Orient – the Middle East and north Africa – attracted upper class European travellers to these lands in the second half of the 19th century. Local craftsmen were in turn happy to supply these travellers with furniture to take home; the resulting furniture style combined traditional Middle Eastern motifs and materials with fashionable European forms.

This type of bijouterie table, made to display medals, mementoes and jewellery, had only emerged in Europe in the 1860s and would have been an ideal object to make in this avant garde and exotic Moorish style.

This carved wood window screen is made after the marble openwork windows of an Indian mosque built in the 16th century which were famous for their fantastically intricate floral decoration.

Hindu Figures
These two delicate ivory figures of the Hindu goddess Saraswati were made for the European market, catering for western tastes. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, music and the arts. This exquisite miniature of Siva and Parvati is part of a larger group of over 15 miniatures, all of which are full of decorative appeal.