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In a landmark moment for art history, a 14th-century Sarghitmish mosque lamp from Egypt has shattered records, fetching an extraordinary $6.56 million at Bonhams’ Islamic and Indian Art Sale on November 12, 2024. The sale attracted intense competition both in the room and via phone bidders, solidifying the lamp’s status as the most expensive glass object ever sold at auction. Initially estimated at $785,000 to $1.3 million, the lamp’s final price far exceeded expectations.
This opulent artifact was consigned by a descendant of Nubar Pasha, Egypt’s first Prime Minister. For over a century, the heirloom had been regarded as a decorative object, even serving as a vase for dried flowers—a stark contrast to its true historic significance.
“A Magnificent Work of Art”
Nima Sagharchi, Bonhams’ Group Head of Middle Eastern, Islamic, and South Asian Art, celebrated the outcome: “We are absolutely delighted with this result. The Sarghitmish lamp is a magnificent work of art and craftsmanship. Not only is this lamp extremely rare, but it also boasts an impressive exhibition history, having been showcased in some of Paris’ most important museums.”
The auction’s success was bolstered by the lamp’s storied provenance. Oliver White, Bonhams’ Head of Islamic and Indian Art, elaborated on the lamp’s remarkable lineage: “From the mid-1800s, the lamp belonged to the prominent French collector Charles Schefer, and in 1906 it became part of the collection of Armenian aristocrat Boghos Nubar Pasha, the son of Egypt’s first Prime Minister. The rarity of the object, together with this impressive provenance, make it one of the most important pieces of Islamic glassware ever to come to market.”
A Masterpiece of Medieval Glassware
Mosque lamps from the Mamluk era are celebrated as some of the most technically refined examples of medieval glassware in the world. Crafted using a unique combination of gilding and enameling, these pieces were produced in the 13th and 14th centuries, predominantly for illumination in mosques—a practice regarded as an act of religious devotion. This specific lamp was commissioned by Emir Sarghitmish, a powerful Mamluk chief under the rule of Sultan al-Nasir Hasan.
Embellished with Sarghitmish’s name, titles, and emblem—a red buqja on a white field symbolizing his status as Master of the Robes—the lamp likely graced the Madrasa of Sarghitmish in Cairo, which still stands in the city’s medieval quarter. Yacoub Artin Pasha, a scholar in 1907, extolled the lamp’s beauty, noting, “In its entirety, this lamp is on a par with the most beautiful enamelled glass lamps I have seen and studied.”
The Power of Light and Devotion
The lamp’s Qur’anic inscriptions underscore its dual role as a religious and political symbol. Inscribed with verses from Surah al-Nur (The Light), these lamps served as tangible representations of divine illumination. The text, “God is the Light of the heavens and the earth, the likeness of His Light is as a niche wherein is a lamp,” conveys deep spiritual significance, while the repeated appearance of Sarghitmish’s name and rank showcases the patron’s piety and influence. Such displays were common among the elite, who used mosque lamps as a canvas for projecting status and religious commitment.
Professor Robert Hillenbrand, writing for Bonhams Magazine, illustrated the practical and aesthetic function of these artifacts: “In the dim penumbra of such buildings, these lamps were a practical necessity; they enclosed wicks suspended in glass oil containers and created pools of mobile yellow light amid the darkness.”
A Legacy Displayed
The Sarghitmish lamp is not just a relic but a testament to the grandeur of Mamluk art. It has featured in notable exhibitions, including at the Musée Guimet (1869), the Palais du Trocadéro (1878), and the Louvre’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs (1903). The lamp has also been extensively documented in at least ten major publications, making it one of the most studied pieces of its kind.
The auction of this medieval masterpiece marks a historic moment, cementing the Sarghitmish lamp’s legacy as a peerless example of Islamic art and an icon of cultural and historical significance.
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