Sloane Street Auctions to sell Farsi Islamic arms and armour in October sale

Sloane Street Auctions will offer highlights from the Mohammed Said Farsi collection of Islamic arms and armour on Oct. 22, with total expectations above £66,000. The sale adds another chapter to the legacy of the former Jeddah mayor, whose collecting and urban vision shaped modern Saudi cultural life.

Why it matters: - The sale brings to market rare Islamic arms and armour from the collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi, a major private collector tied to modern Jeddah. - The lots add to a collection that has already helped supply landmark auctions with Middle Eastern and Western art over the past two decades. - The auction launches during the annual Asian Art in London festival, giving the sale added visibility among specialist buyers.

What happened: - Sloane Street Auctions will sell highlights from the Farsi collection on Oct. 22. - The auction house expects the Islamic arms and armour group to total more than £66,000. - Dr Mohammed Said Farsi, who died in 2019, was Mayor of Jeddah from 1972 to 1986. - Farsi is known as the father of Saudi Arabia’s modern port city and also helped plan redevelopment in Mecca and Medina.

The details: - The top lot is a rare Mughal gold-damascened steel crutch dagger, or zafar takieh, dated 1138 (1725 AD), with an estimate of £6,000-8,000. - The dagger measures 21½ in long and has a pale jade crescent-form hilt carved with floral motifs and set with precious stones. - The scabbard is also set with precious stones, including natural rubies and emeralds, and features repoussé work, jade and lotus leaf carving, and inscriptions in Arabic and Turkish. - The lot was used as a ceremonial and functional court weapon, with a T-shaped handle and a concealed stiletto blade inside the shaft. - An 18th century Ottoman silver-inlaid miquelet rifle carries a £4,000-6,000 estimate. - The rifle is 40½ in long and has a wood stock decorated with natural and green-stained bone, brass and ebony geometric mosaics, and palmette and scrolling vegetal motifs. - An early 18th century Mughal jade-hilted sword is guided at £3,000-5,000. - The 27in sword includes extensive gold-damascened calligraphic text, a pale jade hilt with further inscription, a stone-set scabbard and a repoussé cartouche dated 1135 (1723). - A 19th century cuirass worn by the Bodyguard Regiment of the Royal Elite Guard to the Khedive of Egypt is estimated at £1,000-2,000. - A 19th century Qajar gold-overlaid steel demonic helmet, or kulah khud, has an estimate of £800-1,200. - The helmet has a domed form, raised nose, engraved and overlaid gold eyes, applied ears, a reticulated mouth and a narrow rim band with inscriptions. - Additional lots shown in the release include a dated Ottoman kilij, a turquoise glaze storage jar and an Indo-Persian ceremonial axe. - Live online bidding will be available on Sloane Street Auctions.

Between the lines: - Farsi’s collecting sits alongside a broader legacy of public patronage, including more than 400 sculptures installed across Jeddah. - The importance of the holdings was cemented by the 1998 book A Museum in a Book: The Farsi Art Collection – the Egyptian Works, which documented the collection in full. - The auction underscores steady demand for objects with strong provenance, especially pieces that combine artistic, historical and ceremonial significance.

What's next: - Bidding will run live online through the auction house website. - The sale is likely to test demand for Islamic arms and armour at a moment of heightened interest in specialist Asian and Middle Eastern material. - The family-backed dispersal may continue to surface other significant Farsi holdings in future auctions.