A 14thC or maybe 15thC Persian mirror shone out at Golding Young & Mawer’s June Asian Fine Art Sale.
Consigned to the auction by a Lincolnshire Wolds collector, the mirror was thought to have originated from the Ilkhanid or Timurid dynasty; finely decorated with old inlaid Persian calligraphy and a central arabesque and floral design. The front flat steel surface would have been highly polished for use as a hand mirror.
The inscription often features a poem, which loosely translates as “With a pure heart (like a mirror) you can realise the image of God.”
Bidding started at £5,000 and quickly got up to five figures ending with a final bid of £22,000.
Other notable results from the auction included £4,800 for a pair of impressive Chinese Canton porcelain vases, each standing 88cm high.
A pair of Chinese blue and white porcelain circular plaques more than trebled their pre-auction estimate, selling for £850.
£550 was bid for a 19thC Chinese porcelain spill vase.
In the metalware section, a Chinese brass circular two handled censer exceeded expectations as the hammer fell at £900.
The furniture section saw a pair of late 19thC carved hardwood and double topped iron stands sell for just under top estimate at £550.
Full results for the 470 lot auction can be found at www.goldingyoung.com.
