Islamic and Indian Art: New
Perspectives on Enhancement
Il Ponte Casa d’Aste inaugurates its Islamic and Indian Art Department with the goal of creating a bridge between the most cosmopolitan private collections and an increasingly global and diversified art market.
Through targeted promotional strategies and maximized results, the aim is to combine Millon Auction Group’s experience in the field with the Italian expertise in the valorization of rare and specialized collections.
International expertise serving the Italian market
At the initiative of Lucien Arcache, since 2009 Millon Auction Group has consolidated its leading role in the European market for Islamic and Indian arts. Since 2016, sales have been led by Anne-Sophie Joncoux-Pilorget, who has brought renewed dynamism and continuity to a project born to showcase the richness and diversity of these cultures.
Each auction is like a mosaic of artworks — refined artifacts, rare sacred texts, and a wide variety of related artistic expressions that together reflect millennia-old traditions. Among its most significant achievements stands the sale of a princely 12th-century Qur’an for €160,000, a testament to the department’s ability to recognize masterpieces of exceptional value and successfully position them on the international market.
Over the years, it has attracted the attention of prestigious collectors and institutions — from the Louvre in Paris and the Louvre Abu Dhabi to the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Aga Khan Foundation — consolidating a unique and privileged network of relationships. Today, this wealth of expertise and connections arrives in Italy, ready to generate new opportunities for sellers and buyers alike.
From the heart of Italian collections to the global market
Italy harbors collections built over decades of travel, inheritance, and genuine passion for cultures of every time and place — as demonstrated by some of the most recent results: a Persian Kirman carpet from 1919/20 (€25,000), an Ottoman prayer rug from the late 19th century (€10,000), a ceremonial silver censer (€5,000), and a prayer book signed by Mehmet Sadeq Bekazizadeh, dated 1201 (€3,750).
These results show that, even in Italy, catalogues and auctions dedicated to Islamic and Indian art can unlock the potential of these works, highlighting their uniqueness and attracting enthusiasts and collectors from around the world.
