“With this piece,” says Sheikha Lulu Al Sabah, “they misunderstood that my limit was KD17,500 (Dh223,000) and it was originally KD30,000 (Dh382,500). And they put it down.” She flips on through her catalogue, passing from a Roya Akhavan kaleidoscope painting to a 1978 Mohammad Rawas bikini girl. “This is a very important piece,” she adds. “This is the last time he worked in this style... This is in his private collection. It took a lot of negotiation for me to get this piece.” And if anyone’s in a position to negotiate, it’s the Sheikha.