A rare late 17th or early 18th century millefleur "star-lattice" carpet from Mughal india has seen outstanding bids, achieving a 135% increase on estimate in Christie's Oriental Rugs & Carpets sale in London yesterday (October 8).
 Millefleur, or ‘a thousand flowers’, is also seen in French and Flemish tapestries from the 15th and 16th centuries |
The carpet is one of just 12 known millefleur examples from the period, warranting its £4.7m ($7.6m) sale price. It was originally expected to make up to £2m.
The carpet is valued for its "impressive condition, along with [its] inherent beauty", which "ranks it as one of the most remarkable classical carpets existing today", according to Christie's.
Provenance also adds to its appeal, with the rug having spent over a century in the family of US industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1843-1899). It last sold in 1995, when it made $992,000 at Christie's New York. Prior to that, it achieved $719,000 in 1989.
The Mughal dynasty (1526-1857) is renowned for its carpet and textile making, with examples such as this reserved to furnish the palaces of the aristocracy.
A "sickle leaf" Persian rug made $33.7m at Sotheby's on June 5, achieving a new world auction record for a Persian rug.
The sale comes as part of Christie's Islamic Art Week, which will see a number of high-profile auctions held in London.
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