LONDON—An 800-year-old Koran sold for £1.14 million ($2.34 million) at Christie’s in London yesterday, fetching more than three times its high estimate and setting a world auction record for a Koran and for an Islamic manuscript, reports Bloomberg.
The manuscript is written entirely in gold, with margin notes in silver, and dates to 1203 A.D. It is believed to be from Mesopotamia and bears the signature Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn 'Umar. It was estimated to sell for £250,000 to £350,000.
A Kufic Koran from the early 10th century also exceeded expectations at the auction, selling for £916,500, or about twice its estimates of £400,000 to £600,000. A total of £5.95 million worth of Islamic and Indian art was on sale at the auction; 204 of 329 lots sold, or 91 percent of the value.
From: ARTINFO.COM
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