ABU DHABI Around 300 artefacts such as the first UAE bank notes, an Egyptian silver plate bearing the signature of Jamal Abdul Nasser and a 5.01 carat Emerald cut diamond will go under the hammer at Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi this Saturday.
The exhibits will be on display at the hotel’s ballroom on Friday before being put up for sale by auction house Estuary the following evening.
Other collectibles up for grabs include a handwritten 19th century Quran from North Africa, pair of gilded Sevres porcelain vases from the Napolean era, 19th century Persian rifles made of damascene steel and inlaid with gold, antique French glass lamps in Islamic design and calligraphy, 18th century silk textiles with embroidered silver thread and a Bible written in ancient Syriac script.
Estuary CEO Ali Al Bayaty said, “We have done our best to display historical pieces that have great symbolic value. This is the perfect opportunity for art lovers and antique collectors to own some of these rare treasures.”
In addition to antiques, silverware, coins and artefacts, Estuary will also showcase paintings and works by prominent artists such as Iraqi artist and painter Naziha Salim (1927-2008), Rakan Dabdoub’s (1941) oil on canvas and an important contemporary bronze art by the late Iraqi sculptor and artist Mohammad Ghani Hikmat (1929–2011).
There is also an oriental carpet section which among other things features a 19th century wool on cotton Kerman Laver rug and a Turkish Hereke rug in Muhrabi design in blue and beige.
More information available on www.estuaryauctions.com
