£200 French wine jug is really a £3m Islamic masterpiece
October 8, 2008 · Filed Under Islamic Egypt
A medieval ewer valued at £200 after being mistaken for a French claret jug fetched more than £3m yesterday after it was identified as a rare Islamic work.
The 1,000-year-old crystal ewer from the Fatimid royal treasury in Egypt, decorated with cheetahs and link chains, is one of only seven such vessels known to have survived. Dating back to the late 10th or early 11th centuries, it was carved from flawless rock crystal, which is as hard as toughened steel.
Leading Islamic art collections, including the Aga Khan Museum in Canada and the Museum of Islamic art in Doha, Qatar, were believed to have placed bids, although the winning buyer is not known.
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