A LOOSE MURAQQA' ALBUM PAGE OF SHIKASTEH NASTA'LIQ CALLIGRAPHY Zand Iran, dated 1153 AH (1740 AD) Persian manuscript on paper, with several overlapping and interlinking lines of black ink shikasteh nasta'liq script interspersed amidst gold cloudbands and set against a stained, dark cream ground, the text arranged in a spiralling order, starting from the top left-hand-side and moving in a circular motion back to the top right-hand-side, dated in the middle 1153 AH, the calligraphic panel laid on a thicker sheet of cardboard with concentric black, gold, and dark brown rules, mounted, glazed and framed, the text panel 18.5cm x 10.5cm, 31.5cm x 22.7cm including the frame.

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.