Christie’s achieved record-breaking success with its Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence sale, establishing the highest total for any auction of Indian art and Mughal objects and the second-highest auction total for a private jewellery collection.
The event, which was held in New York and featured a selection of jewels curated from the Al Thani Collection, achieved US$109,271,875, with 93 per cent sold by lot and 92 per cent sold by value.
Cartier’s icy Belle Époque devant-de-corsage was the event’s top lot, selling for US$10,603,500 to a private collector in the room.
Other notable pieces include ‘The Mirror of Paradise,’ a rectangular-cut 52.58-carat, D colour, internally flawless diamond ring, which achieved US$6,517,500; an antique imperial spinel, pearl, and emerald necklace, which realized more than US$3 million; and the Golconda Diamond Rivière Necklace from the collection of the Nizams of Hyderabad, which sold for US$2,415,000.
The auction also saw the highest price ever achieved for an Indian jade object with the sale of a jade once belonging to Shah Jahan, which went for US$3,375,000.
The marathon 12-hour event attracted sale registrants from 45 countries across five continents.
“We are very honoured to have been entrusted with this magnificent and diverse selection of jewels, art, and objects from the larger Al Thani Collection,” says Guillaume Cerutti, CEO of Christie’s. “The strong results today, after 12 hours of non-stop bidding, in front of a packed room and with phone and online bidders from all over the world, reflect the exceptional quality of this special collection and position it among the most storied private collections ever featured at auction.”
To view full results, click here.
