A remarkable Mughal painting by the 16th-century Indian artist Basawan, A Family of Cheetahs in a Rocky Landscape, has made history at Christie’s London, selling for £10.2 million ($13.6m). The sale sets a new record for any classical Indian or Islamic artwork. The piece came from the collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, whose 95-lot sale brought in a staggering £45.8 million ($61m) the highest total ever achieved for South Asian art at auction.
Prince Sadruddin, a former UN High Commissioner for Refugees and an avid collector, built his extraordinary collection between the 1960s and 1990s. During that time, artworks from India, Persia, and the wider Islamic world were re-entering the market, allowing him to acquire pieces of exceptional quality. The auction featured paintings spanning three centuries of Indian art from Mughal masterpieces to lively portraits from the British colonial era.
Among the highlights were eight works from the Fraser Album (1815), showing Afghan traders, Pashtun tribesmen, and elegant courtesans, which together sold for £6.2 million ($8.2m). Another standout piece, a 1550s portrait of Shah Abu’l Ma’ali by Persian artist Dust Muhammad, fetched £2.7 million ($3.6m).
Experts say the booming interest in Indian art is being driven by a new generation of Indian collectors, who often start with modern works and then explore their historical roots. This sale also highlights how Indian and Persian artistic traditions merged under Emperor Akbar’s rule, giving rise to a unique Mughal visual style.
While Indo-Persian paintings soared in value, purely Iranian works even by famous masters like Reza Abbasi sold for much less, showing that the market still leans heavily toward Indian court art. Still, with museums and collectors now bridging these worlds, the appetite for South Asian art has never been stronger.
