Photography credit: Milo Brown
Introducing Take 5 by Aliénor Cros and her five highlights from the upcoming sale of Antiquities, Islamic and Indian Arts auction, taking place on Friday 25 October.
Aliénor Cros is an interior designer and consultant for both historic and contemporary interiors. She is currently working on a folly in the English countryside inspired by Whistler's Peacock Room, a project that combines both her passion for historic interiors and her love of colour. Aliénor is on a mission to champion craftsmanship, and will soon be launching a space that will allow her to platform a new generation of master makers in order to inspire the next.
@alienorcros | ShaCros Shop | The World of Interiors - Jump Into Acton
Lot 247: An hexagonal painted and gilt wood ceiling, Ottoman Turkey, 17th century or later
This exceptional painted and gilt wood ceiling bosse is likely from the 17th Century. Although it is the hexagonal shape together with the tessellated geometric pattern that caught my eye when browsing the collection online, in person it is the scale that has blown me away. This beautiful piece of history would be the perfect starting point for a whole-room design. One would have it as the centerpiece, as it would originally have been, either with a simple wooden ceiling around it painted in black and red, or with stained hexagonal wood panels, carved with less detail so they don't steal the show.
Mohammed Racim's calligraphic panel is another standout item from this sale. The Quranic invocation on a light blue background is the perfect focus point to the colourful, detailed borders all around it. The three vibrant shades of blue are perfectly framed and structured by the selective use of gold and red accents. I particularly loved noticing the artist's signature at the bottom of the piece - in Arabic on the right, and in European script on the left.
This wonderful study collection - already backed onto fabric to allow for close inspection together with minimisation of handling - showcases early 17th Century to 18th Century Persian textiles. In my mind this would be the perfect acquisition for a textile designer looking for their next source of inspiration. There are myriad colour combinations and patterns to study. They represent a range of uses too - some have silver or gold thread and would have been used for court attires, whilst others are more simple cotton borders that would have been used on soft furnishings.
Lot 80: A section of a Byzantine carved basanite lintel, Circa 8th century A.D.
Basanite is a material that makes for both strength and simplicity in this marvellous Byzantine carved lintel from the 8th Century. It enhances the elegant decorative frieze and Latin inscription below, allowing one to properly marvel at the delicate details. This piece is another testament, if one were ever needed, to the late Philip-Hewat Jaboor's impeccable taste and scholarship.
Lot 338: An Hispano-Moresque style lustre pottery vase, Ulisse Cantagalli, Italy, 19th century
Possibly my favourite piece from the sale, this 19th Century lustreware vase was made by Italian maker Cantagalli in the Hispano-Moresque style. The shimmery red and striking overall shape somehow don't distract from the complex patterns painted onto it. The crowning glory of this vase are surely the proud lions sitting on each side, like the handles of an amphora, though in this instance more stylish than practical.
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