Christie’s, the world’s leading art business and auction house, will have on display an impeccable array of rare jewels and watches worth $30 million at its forthcoming series of sales in Dubai on April 29.

The two-day event will be staged at Jumeriah Emirates Towers Hotel with the support of Credit Suisse.

An exclusive selection of museum-quality art by renowned Arab, Iranian and Western artists in the International Modern & Contemporary Art sale will be up for grabs, said a Christie's official.

The sales follow the success of the house’s autumn auction held in October 2007, which collectively netted Dh55,915,111 ($15,235,725) worth of art and jewels, thus setting 62 new world records.

A specially-curated section of 30 works by celebrated Western artists spanning several periods will be a main feature of the modern art sale, including the works of Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana and Anish Kapoor, said a top official.

“Our latest series of sales brings together the highest quality pieces currently available to collectors, both in terms of contemporary art and jewellery,' Michael Jeha, managing director of Christie’s Middle East.

 “As Credit Suisse expands its commitment to the meeting point between art, innovation, and the financial sector, our continued support of Christie’s sales in Dubai is a vivid representation of that confluence,” said Raj Sehgal, acting branch manager of Credit Suisse Dubai.

This season’s International Modern & Contemporary Art sale will range from the works of Syria’s Fateh Moudarres titled ‘Wedding in The Kalamoom Mountains,’ to an elaborately intricate acrylic, crystal, glitter, pigment and vitrail oil on canvas titled ‘I Love You Until Eternity’ by Iranian artist Farhad Moshiri. 

A selection of works by Lebanese painter Paul Guiragossian is also expected to command $200,000 – 250,000. A recent work by UAE’s Abdul Kader Al Rais, Bishra, is a large and powerful calligraphic triptych painting and is expected to outperform its pre-sale estimate of $150,000 – 250,000.

“We have experienced tremendous growth in the Middle East art scene since entering the market in 2005. The shift in perception is undeniable as the superior quality of art emerging from this region continues to develop in a manner that has significantly impacted regional and international collectors alike,” said Jussi Pylkännen, president of Christie’s Middle East.

“Exceptional quality and rarity define this third sale of jewels and watches,” said David Warren, director of Jewellery, Middle East.

Particular importance will fall on pearls in this jewellery sale season. The 31 lots of gem quality pearls, featured in the sale are significant owing to their exceptional size,  fine shapes, beautiful lustre and unusual color range, including grey, black, brown, yellowish orange, purplish grey and greenish grey.

Along with two of the largest pearls ever recorded, this sale also includes one of the most important pearl necklaces to have been auctioned. The special pearl section is estimated to make $5 million.

Generating considerable pre-sale interest is the extraordinary natural pearl necklace presented as a gift to legendary Arab icon, Umm Kulthum, by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late ruler of the UAE, being sold by family descendents as a star lot and expected to fetch $80,000-120,000

As well as the two superb sales, Christie’s is also proud to be exhibiting over $10 million of important international auction highlights, to be sold throughout the world in the coming season, in Dubai this week.-TradeArabia News Service