GCC’s first homegrown saleroom opens for business with inaugural Islamic and Orientalist Art auction

Photo: Hommage a Oum Kalthoum, 2004 by Fernandez Arman (American/French, 1928-2005). Edition of 8,4 artist editions. Height 87 cm / Courtesy AlBahie Auction House

Qatar’s and the GCC’s first homegrown art and antiquities saleroom opens its books today with an inaugural Islamic and Orientalist Art auction.

Located in Doha’s Katara Cultural Village, AlBahie Auction House was established by Ashraf Abu Issa, the chairman of diversified conglomerate Abu Issa Holding, in partnership with Sheikh Abdulrahman Hamad Al Thani, a member of the Qatar royal family.

International auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s have been running sales in Dubai and Doha for the last decade but AlBahie is the first homegrown Qatari, and GCC, auction house for art and antiquities.

AlBahie will focus on Islamic, Middle Eastern and Orientalist work, including modern and contemporary art from the region, fine furniture, jewelry and watches, decorative arts, and Orientalist carpets and rugs.

“It’s important to have an auction house because there should be natural market indicators in the region for [the value of] art. People will become familiar with prices, will become familiar with collecting practices,” Corinne Lefebvre, AlBahie’s Director, told Salaam Gateway in a phone interview.

Photo: An Ottoman cabinet with gold, silver, mother-of-pearl, and ivory inlay surmounted by a replica of a mosque / Courtesy AlBahie Auction House

MID-MARKET TARGET

There is clearly a demand from collectors in the region. In 2013, Sotheby’s raked in $15.2 million in total sales for a contemporary art auction in Dubai, a record high for such a sale in the Middle East.

AlBahie’s inaugural auction that opens today, on Islamic and Orientalist Art, is expected to bring in a far more modest sum in total sales – an estimated $1 million at the low end, according to Lefebvre.

The auction house is targeting the mid-market and collectors who are just starting to get on the collection ladder. “[Pieces] are reasonably priced for collectors of all levels,” explained Lefebvre.

The most expensive item that will go under the hammer today is a 19^th century Ottoman cabinet estimated between $130,000 and $180,000.

On the other end of the price scale, a late 19^th century damascened brass tray starts at $200 and a collection of 20 titles on the Middle East and the history of the Arabs starts at $500.

On the buy side, the house is expecting a good turnout, “There are a lot of registrations so far for in-person, there’s telephone bidding, there is online registration and people can leave absentee bids. So we have a bit of a mix of everything and we are expecting a good turnout for the live auction,” said Lefebvre.

With online and telephone bidding available, Lefebvre expects registered bidders from around the world, including from Canada, Dubai, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, and local bidders in person during the auction.

Photo: Praying in the Desert by Rudolf Ernst (Austrian, 1854-1932). Oil on panel, 33 X 23.5 cm / Courtesy AlBahie Auction House

REGIONAL ART CAPITAL

Qatar has very clearly stated its intentions to become the region’s art hub. The Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) was set up in 2005 to promote the country’s credentials for art, heritage and creativity.

Fronted by chairperson Sheikha Mayassa Al Thani, QMA has eight museums and galleries under its remit, including the I.M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, which was unveiled in 2008. The Authority wields an estimated annual acquisitions budget of $1 billion.

“If there are many museums and galleries then there’s also room for auction houses in any large city that is an art capital of the world, which Qatar is positioning itself as, in terms of Islamic art and many other artforms, too,” said Lefebvre.

PIPELINE

The house’s next sale at the end of May will turn to Oriental carpets and rugs. Lefebvre expects 100 lots, down from the 240 on sale for the inaugural auction.

AlBahie will hold exhibitions in the summer and auctions are lined up for jewelry and watches in September, Islamic and Orientalist Art again in October, and Modern and Contemporary Art in November.

“We have to completely change the theme [for] every auction because it takes so much time to get consignments,” said Lefebvre.

Consignments come from around the world. “A lot of it is word of mouth…We’ve done advertising for the last year so collectors have known about us, and told each other about us. So that’s how we started this first auction and now that we’re open a lot of people are contacting us,” said Lefebvre.

As a first homegrown auction house, AlBahie feels the pressure to do well. “There are a lot of eyes and press on us,” said Lefebvre.

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