WEST BANK (Dispatches) – A museum in the occupied territories has postponed its planned auction of dozens of rare Islamic antiquities, including centuries-old carpets, armaments and ceramics from across the Middle East after word of the sale sparked outrage.
The LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art in al-Quds had planned to put 190 pieces on the block at British auction house Sotheby’s on Tuesday and to auction off more than 60 antique watches and timepieces later this week. The rare data-x-items were expected to fetch millions of dollars.
However, in a statement released, the museum said it was putting the auction on hold after a ‘positive dialogue’ with the Zionist regime’s culture ministry after the outrage it caused.
The works on offer include early Holy Quran leaves, Ottoman textiles, pottery from across the Islamic lands, a 15th-century helmet designed to be worn over a turban, a 12th-century bowl depicting a Persian prince, silver-inlaid metalwork, and Islamic arms and armor, according to Sotheby’s website.
The museum houses thousands of Islamic artifacts dating from the 7th to the 19th centuries. It also has a collection of antique watches.
The museum has been closed for much of the year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the auction has reportedly been in the works for two years.
Nava Kessler, the chair of the Israeli Association of Museums, said it is unethical and unheard of for a museum to sell data-x-items to private collectors.
"It’s a very bad thing,” Kessler told The Associated Press news agency. "I was so ashamed.”