With its appealing title of "Iron and Fire", this sale is offering a collection of Islamic arms gathered together by an enthusiast over 20 years: 112 lots to be exact, now being dispersed by the Tessier & Sarrou auction house at Drouot. According to expert Alexis Renard, a collection of this calibre has not been seen on the French market for a long time. It is notable for the extraordinary variety on offer, and the sometimes unusual pieces, like a strange-looking zoomorphic helmet (Kulah-Khud) damascened in gold, with a top shaped like a peacock's head. This 14th century Iranian work is estimated at around €5,000. Connoisseurs will surely linger on a Nimcha bearing the name of Tipu Sahib, the Sultan of Mysore as of 1782, nicknamed the Tiger of Mysore because of his fascination with the animal. The blade, probably from the Caucasus (16th or 17th century), is inlaid with gold: a technique reserved for prestige weapons…
(source: Gazette Drouot International / May 2014)