The auction of Art of Imperial India held in Southeby’s London earlier this week has attracted bidding from around the globe, achieving total sales of £1,837,925 (Rs 18.25 crore).
Over 90 exquisite objects spanning broad artistic traditions of Imperial India were kept on the sale, encompassing almost 500 years of art produced in the region. These include paintings, objects, textiles, weaponry and other luxurious works of art from the courts of the Indian subcontinent.
The star lot in the sale was a rare 18th century North Indian enamelled and bejewelled gold pandan box sold to a bidder for £662,500 (Rs 6.58 crore), more than double its pre-sale high estimate (£200,000-300,000).
A group of eleven works relating to Tipu Sultan were also highly-sought after, selling for a combined amount of £389,425 (Rs 3.86 crore). Tipu’s sword was bought for £98,500 (Rs 97.85 lakh) by a bidder on the phone.
Benedict Carter, Director, Head of Auction-Sales, West Asia, in a statement said: “Yesterday’s auction captured the attention of collectors from around the world. Bidders from the west coast of America to South-East Asia gathered at Sotheby’s to compete for the exquisite Indian works of art, with museum-quality pieces attracting bids from institutions and private collectors alike.”
“Interest in Indian works of art has been growing in recent years and the strong prices achieved at yesterday’s auction bear testament to the strength of this market and the increasing demand for desirable works relating to the Indian world,” he added.