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War hits Dubai art but London sales press on

Source: telegraph.co.uk

TL;DR

Middle East conflict postponed Art Dubai fair due to Iranian attacks on the city and airport.
London's Islamic art auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's proceed with totals down 40% and 23% from last year.
Diverse collectors and strong Indian art demand keep the London market resilient despite Dubai disruption.

The story at a glance

The Middle East conflict has hit Dubai's art scene hard by postponing the 20th Art Dubai fair from April 17-19 to mid-May after Iranian drone and missile attacks. London auction houses Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonhams are pushing ahead with Islamic and Middle Eastern art sales at the end of April and into May-June, though with lower estimates and logistical hurdles. This is being reported now as the sales approach amid ongoing war impacts on travel and transport.

Key points

Art Dubai, with 120 galleries from 35 countries, was fully paid up but rescheduled to let participants still sell if travel feels safe.
Christie's April 30 sale totals £6m estimate (down 40% from £7.7m last year), boosted by £1.5m Cowles Indian paintings and a 13th-14th century Mamluk glass bowl from Toledo Museum at £1.2m.
Sotheby's April 29 sale has over 150 lots worth £6.8m estimate (down 23.4% from £8.6m), featuring the largest brass astrolabe ever auctioned at £1.5m and historic Iznik pottery collections.
Lots like 88 Persian rugs (including a £500,000 Mughal carpet), arms, armour, Korans and Iznik tiles highlight the sales' appeal.
No London auction cancellations yet, but experts cite rising travel costs and unreliable transport for post-sale delivery to Middle East buyers.
Indian art surges with records like Cyrus Poonawalla's $17.9m Raja Ravi Varma painting; Orientalist works also strong, e.g. Osman Hamdi Bey's £3.6m sale to Doha's Museum of Islamic Art.

Details and context

The conflict's main art hit so far is Art Dubai's postponement, as Dubai airport handles the world's busiest international traffic. Auctions drew consignments before war escalated, so they're locked in, but previews in Dubai were scrapped.

London hosts the key Islamic art sales twice yearly, covering artefacts from the Middle East, India, Persia, Caucasus and beyond. Logistical snags dominate worries over outright cancellations.

Diversity helps: Islamic sales blend many regions and cultures, with cross-border buying by collectors like Dubai-based Taimur Hassan or wealthy Iranians abroad.

Key quotes

Nima Sagharchi of Bonhams: “The Islamic sales cover so many regions and cultures (including a lot of non-Islamic material) from the Indian subcontinent to Turkey that they are in fact many different regional and historical markets wrapped up as one, so if one market subsides another can rise. Similarly, collectors are no longer purely local. The Lebanese don’t just buy Lebanese art; they are crossing borders.”

Why it matters

The war tests the Gulf's rising art hub status against London's established Islamic market dominance. Buyers and sellers face higher costs and delays, but resilient demand from Indian and international collectors limits damage for now. Watch upcoming London sales for actual results and any further Dubai rescheduling, as travel safety and transport reliability remain key uncertainties.