20th May, 2026 11:00
Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026
14
AN ILLUMINATED HAJJ CERTIFICATE, HYDERABAD, INDIA, 19TH CENTURY
in opaque colour and gold, with a design of a tughra-style insignia flanked by a lion and a unicorn affronte, within an architectural setting with two domed towers, the arched doorway with cartouches of calligraphy, folio 50 x 38cm., framed
Inscriptions:
The tughra design: “Nawwab Muhammad Mu’in al-Din Khan Bahadur”
The text is a Persian benedictory and encomiastic poem, presumably in praise of Muhammad Mu’in al-Din Khan.
Lower cartouches:
pish karda-i sayyid muhammad kamil sha'ban sana 1324
“Presented by Sayyid Muhammad Kamil, Sha’ban year 1324 [1906 AD]”
This may refer to Moin-Ud-Daula-Bahadur, who was an Indian nobleman and one of the Paigah nobililty, one of the three great Paigahs of the Hyderabad state. Though they rasied their own army, they were loyal to the Asaf Jahi dynasty. His father has acted as co-regent and Prime Minister of Hyderabad. Moin himself became a member of the executive council to the Nizam and maintained this loyalty, as well as an enormous estate and vast wealth, throughout his life.
Sold for £550
in opaque colour and gold, with a design of a tughra-style insignia flanked by a lion and a unicorn affronte, within an architectural setting with two domed towers, the arched doorway with cartouches of calligraphy, folio 50 x 38cm., framed
Inscriptions:
The tughra design: “Nawwab Muhammad Mu’in al-Din Khan Bahadur”
The text is a Persian benedictory and encomiastic poem, presumably in praise of Muhammad Mu’in al-Din Khan.
Lower cartouches:
pish karda-i sayyid muhammad kamil sha'ban sana 1324
“Presented by Sayyid Muhammad Kamil, Sha’ban year 1324 [1906 AD]”
This may refer to Moin-Ud-Daula-Bahadur, who was an Indian nobleman and one of the Paigah nobililty, one of the three great Paigahs of the Hyderabad state. Though they rasied their own army, they were loyal to the Asaf Jahi dynasty. His father has acted as co-regent and Prime Minister of Hyderabad. Moin himself became a member of the executive council to the Nizam and maintained this loyalty, as well as an enormous estate and vast wealth, throughout his life.
Auction: Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026, 20th May, 2026
The sale includes the collection of Robert Skelton OBE, curator of Indian Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It comprises some exquisite 18th and 19th century Indian paintings and drawings as well as a fine group of modern Indian paintings with works by Shiavax Chavda (1914 - 1990), Francis Newton Souza (1924 - 2002), K Laxma Goud (B. 1940) and Jayashree Chakravarty (B. 1956). Tiles, Indian bronzes, thewa boxes, a silver gilt ewer, a ‘Koftgari’ pen box and a Mughal carved black jade dagger are also among the lots in this collection.
Also in the same sale is 10th -12th century Persian pottery, a monumental pair of 19th century doors, Persian and Syrian ceramics including tiles, also Iznic tiles from Ottoman Anatolia. Other lots include Indian bronze figures, small furniture, textiles and rugs.
Auction Location: London, UK
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 17th May: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
CONTACT
indianandislamic@olympiaauctions.com + 44 (0)20 7806 5545
