A rare Mughal carpet said to have its origins in Srinagar and dating approximately around 300 years has been sold for over 4.7 million pounds, double its pre- sale estimate at a Christie's auction here.
The pashmina-wool carpet, one of the only Millefleur (thousand flower) carpets from Mughal India and once owned by American industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt II, features an intense scarlet field filled by a golden latticework design made up of interlocking 12-point stars.
"The Millefleur "star-lattice" carpet dating to late 17th or early 18th century Mughal India has been sold for 4,786,500 pounds (USD 7,687,119) in the Oriental Rugs and Carpets sale at Christie's London more than doubling its pre-sale estimate of 1.5 - 2 million pounds," auctioneers said in a statement.
The carpet hung in the Vanderbilt's palatial mansion in New York City and remained in his family for over a century was auctioned on October 8.
Previously, in 1989 the 12.9 feet by 13.6 feet carpet created a world record when it was sold at a German auction house for USD 718,700. It was auctioned again by Christie's in 1995 for a record prize of USD 9,92,500.
