LONDON.- Telling stories of emperors, poetry, love, faith, and daily life across India and the Islamic world, The Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection of Indian Painting and Calligraphy will be auctioned at Christie's headquarters, in London, on 28 April 2026. Seattle-based collectors, the Cowles assembled one of the most distinguished private collections of East Asian painting and calligraphy in the Western World formed over more than four decades of dedicated study and connoisseurship. Comprising eighty‑six lots, this portion of their collection stands as a testament to their passion and rigour, which has benefited many people to date through generous philanthropic gifts to public institutions. Estimates range from works offered without reserve up to £180,000, providing opportunities for new and existing buyers across price points.

Sara Plumbly, Christie's International Head of Islamic and Indian Art commented: “Guided by a commitment to artistic excellence and historical significance, Mary and Cheney Cowles' collecting has consistently emphasised works that unite literary, painterly and calligraphic traditions, be they Indian, Islamic, or East Asian in focus. The Cowles generously loaned thirty one works from their Islamic and Indian collection, all of which feature in this sale, to an exhibition, Image and Word, Indian Paintings, Drawings and Calligraphy (1350-1830), at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Canada in 1998. We are excited to welcome collectors, academics and enthusiasts to enjoy the pre-sale public exhibition of these museum quality works which is not to be missed.”

Indian Paintings

The majority of the works in the sale are beautiful Mughal paintings, dating from the 16th to the mid‑19th century. A star lot is Ascetics Encamped Outside a Walled Town, Haryana, circa 1816, from the celebrated Fraser Album - an extraordinary series of paintings that stand as one of the finest visual records of life in early 19th century India (estimate: £120,000-180,000, illustrated above). A portrait of Abdullah Qutb Shah (D.1672) Golconda, Deccan, India, circa 1660, has a pendant in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (estimate: £50,000-70,000, illustrated below). The Virgin Mary Standing in Prayer, 1600 (estimate: £30,000-50,000, illustrated below) is a rare Mughal example of a painting of the Virgin Mary standing in prayer, and almost identical to an example in the Chester Beatty Library. The Mughal incorporations of European motifs and techniques can be seen as expressions of their cultural cosmopolitanism and universal order.

Calligraphy

The Cowles' keen interest in Islamic calligraphy forms a core part of their collection. Leading the selection is a stunning example of nasta'liq calligraphy signed Abdullah al-Husayni, Mughal India, dated AH 1017/1608-9 AD which forms part of an album page with a painting on the reverse (estimate: £80,000-120,000, illustrated below). A kufic Qur'an Folio, almost certainly comes from a manuscript that was endowed to the Aghlabid Mosque of Kairouan by the Zirid Prince, al-Mu'izz ibn Badis, and is written in a powerful script and dates to 9th century Tunisia (estimate: £10,000-15,000). An illuminated Mughal 'Unwan, from India circa 1630-4, includes floral flourishes on the gold ground around the calligraphy that are typical of the Mughal court workshops from circa 1610-15 (estimate: £10,000-15,000).

The Collectors

Mary and Cheney Cowles are best known for the depth of their collection in Japanese painting, calligraphy, and works inspired by Japanese and Chinese poetry – numbering over 600 works and spanning the eighth century to the present. Their collection has been widely recognised for its intellectual coherence and exceptional quality. In a landmark act of philanthropy, the Cowles pledged more than 550 Japanese works of art to leading American institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, and the Portland Art Museum, ensuring broad public access and long term scholarly engagement. While celebrated for their achievements in Japanese art, Mary and Cheney Cowles' interest also extended to the arts of the wider Asian world, specifically Indian painting, drawing, and Islamic calligraphy as the significant works in this sale exemplify.

Christie's Leadership

Christie's is the long-standing market leader for Islamic and Indian Art, most recently breaking records for: South Asian Art auction, when the landmark auction of Exceptional Paintings from The Personal Collection of Prince & Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan totalled £45,760,485 / $60,952,966 / €52,212,713, October 2025; and for Classical Indian or Islamic painting, when A Family of Cheetahs in a Rocky Landscape, attributed to Basawan, Mughal India, circa 1575-80 realised over 14 times its pre-sale estimate, selling for £10,245,000 / $13,646,340 / €11,689,545.