READERS might recall my focus last month on how an object’s value can be mightily enhanced by an impeccable and desirable (not necessarily the same thing) provenance. Well, like a dog with a particularly juicy bone, I am straight back to the subject after an amazing sale. On 23 May, at Bonhams’ Islamic and Indian Art auction, the ‘Bedchamber Sword’ of Tipu Sultan of Mysore (1751-99) – the Tiger of Mysore, famously quoted as saying that it is “better to live one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep” – fetched £12m. This is a world record for an Indian and Islamic item sold at auction, let alone a truly extraordinary price for a sword.
First off, this sword is an exceptional item made by the top Mughal (Indian) swordsmiths using the finest materials: blade of best steel (of course – this was primarily a killing weapon) and hilt decorated with gold. However, its provenance elevates
