F N SOUZA : WORKS FROM THE COLLECTION OF BARBARA ZINKANT, MUMBAI LIVE (17 DECEMBER 2022)

MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY
SOUTH ASIAN ART AND COLLECTIBLES

13 ‒ 14 OCTOBER 2021 • ONLINE

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CONTENTS

4 SALES AND ENQUIRIES
6 THE AUCTION CATALOGUE
148 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
153 CONDITIONS FOR SALE
161 ABSENTEE/PROXY BID FORM
163 CLOSING SCHEDULE
164 INDEX

Cover Back cover Inside front cover Inside back cover
Lot 66 Lot 111 Lot 59 Lot 103

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OUR TEAM

DINESH VAZIRANI MINAL VAZIRANI PUNYA NAGPAL ABHA HOUSEGO ANU NANAVATI

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PRESIDENT SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT
AND CO‒FOUNDER AND CO‒FOUNDER INTERNATIONAL, LONDON INTERNATIONAL, NEW YORK

CLIENT RELATIONS

DHANASHREE SHAHEEN VIRANI AMIT KAPOOR ADITI PARAB AASHISH DUBEY DEEPIKA SHAH DARPANA CAPOOR
WAIKAR
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT MANAGER SENIOR MANAGER SENIOR MANAGER SENIOR MANAGER
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT CLIENT RELATIONS JEWELLERY JEWELLERY & COLLECTIBLES CLIENT RELATIONS CLIENT RELATIONS CLIENT RELATIONS
CLIENT RELATIONS

EDITORIAL AND DESIGN

FRANCISCA KADAM MAIA JASUBHOY ALKA SAMANT JATIN LAD OISHANI MITRA DEVIKA NAMBIAR
MANAGER
DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER VICE PRESIDENT DESIGN SENIOR DESIGNER SENIOR EDITORIAL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
MANAGER
CLIENT RELATIONS, LONDON

OPERATIONS AND FINANCE

MANU CHANDRA VINAY BHATE YASH GADHIYA NARSINGRAO

HEAD OF OPERATIONS VICE PRESIDENT HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY LEAD SOFTWARE ENGINEER
FINANCE AND PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY

ANJALI GHATGE CHANDRA POOJARI GAURAV YADAV ABHINAV JHA

MANAGER SENIOR MANAGER MANAGER EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
FINANCE LOGISTICS LOGISTICS COORDINATOR ‒ PARTNER
GALLERY PROGRAM

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All bidding will take place at saffronart.com. All lots are published in the printed catalogue and e‒catalogue
and may also be viewed on the website. Select lots may be viewed in London, New Delhi, and Mumbai by
appointment.

AUCTION DATES

Start: Wednesday, 13 October 2021, 9 pm Indian Standard Time
(11.30 am US Eastern Time and 3.30 pm UK Time on 13 October 2021)

Close: Thursday, 14 October 2021, 8 pm Indian Standard Time onwards
(10.30 am US Eastern Time and 2.30 pm UK Time on 14 October 2021)

Please note that bidding closes at different times according to Lot Groups. These times have been listed in
the Bid Closing Schedule.

VIEWINGS NEW DELHI MUMBAI

LONDON 28 September – 14 October 2021 28 September – 14 October 2021
29 September – 14 October 2021 11 am – 7 pm, Monday to Friday 11 am – 7 pm, Monday to Friday
11 am – 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday Saturday (by appointment only) Saturday (by appointment only)
Weekends by appointment
VENUE VENUE
VENUE
73 New Bond Street The Oberoi Industry Manor, Ground Floor,
1st Floor Dr Zakir Hussain Marg Appasaheb Marathe Marg,
London, W1S 1RS New Delhi 110003  Prabhadevi, Mumbai 400025

SALES TEAM AND AUCTION ENQUIRIES

Mumbai Contact: Punya Nagpal, Dhanashree Waikar, Shaheen Virani,
Aashish Dubey, Deepika Shah or Aditi Parab
New Delhi Email: [email protected] | Contact: +91 22 68554100
USA Contact: Amit Kapoor or Darpana Capoor | Email: [email protected]
UK Contact: +91 11 24369415
Contact: Anu Nanavati | Email: [email protected] | Tel: +1 212 627 5006
Contact: Abha Housego or Maia Jasubhoy | Email: [email protected] | Tel: +44 20 7409 7974

ADDRESSES

India Mumbai: Industry Manor, Ground Floor, Appasaheb Marathe Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai 400025
New Delhi: The Oberoi, Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg, New Delhi 110003

USA The Fuller Building, 595 Madison Avenue, Suite 1207, New York, NY 10022
UK 73 New Bond Street, 1st Floor, London, W1S 1RS

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Lots 41–59

Closing Time: Thursday, 14 October 2021
8 pm (IST)

10.30 am (US Eastern Time)

41 PROVENANCE
Formerly from the Collection of Bal Chhabda
M F HUSAIN (1913‒2011) Thence by descent
Acquired from the above by the present owner
a) Untitled
Signed ‘Husain’ (lower right)
Watercolour on paper
17 x 25 in (43.2 x 63.3 cm)

b) Untitled
Signed ‘Husain’ (lower right)
Pencil on paper
17 x 27.25 in (43.2 x 69 cm)

c) Untitled
Signed ‘Husain’ (lower right)
Pencil on paper
17 x 27.25 in (43.2 x 69 cm)

d) Untitled
Signed ‘Husain’ (lower right)
Pencil on paper
17 x 27.25 in (43.2 x 69 cm)

e) Untitled
Signed ‘Husain’ (lower right)
Pencil on paper
17 x 27.25 in (43.2 x 69 cm)

$ 20,835 ‒ 27,780
Rs 15,00,000 ‒ 20,00,000

(Set of five)

a

b
8

c

d

e
9

Image courtesy of M F Husain Foundation
10

42

M F HUSAIN (1913‒2011)

Untitled

Signed ‘Husain’ (lower right)
Felt tip pen and pencil on paper
18 x 23.75 in (45.5 x 60.6 cm)

$ 5,560 ‒ 8,335
Rs 4,00,000 ‒ 6,00,000

PROVENANCE
Formerly from the Collection of Bal Chhabda
Thence by descent
Acquired from the above by the present owner

11

43

M F HUSAIN (1913‒2011)

Untitled (Sketchbook)

Dated and inscribed ‘1972/ PARIS/ SEPTEMBER’ (first page)
1972
Pen and ink on paper
7 x 4.25 in (18 x 10.5 cm) (each)

$ 13,890 ‒ 20,835
Rs 10,00,000 ‒ 15,00,000

The present lot is a sketchbook
of twelve pages that features
eleven drawings by M F Husain, along with an inscription by
him on the first page which
reads “1972 Paris September”.

PROVENANCE
Formerly from the Collection of Bal Chhabda
Thence by descent
Acquired from the above
by the present owner

12

13

a b
c
44

M F HUSAIN (1913‒2011)

a) Untitled
Signed ‘Husain’ (lower right), inscribed and dated
‘IV/ 2 oct. ‘86/ New York’ (lower left)
1986
Marker on paper
18 x 23.75 in (45.8 x 60.3 cm)

b) Untitled
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘Husain/ V/ 3 oct. ‘86/
N.Y.’ (lower right)
1986
Marker on paper
23.75 x 18 in (60.3 x 45.8 cm)

c) Untitled
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘Husain/ II/ 2 oct. ‘86/
New York’ (lower right)
1986
Marker on paper
23.75 x 18 in (60.3 x 45.8 cm)

$ 11,115 ‒ 13,890
Rs 8,00,000 ‒ 10,00,000
(Set of three)

PROVENANCE
Formerly from the Collection of Bal Chhabda
Thence by descent
Acquired from the above by the present owner

14

45

M F HUSAIN (1913‒2011)

Untitled
Signed ‘Husain’ (lower right)
Pen, ink and wash on paper
16.5 x 24.5 in (42.1 x 62.4 cm)
$ 4,170 ‒ 6,945
Rs 3,00,000 ‒ 5,00,000
PROVENANCE
Formerly from the Collection of Bal Chhabda
Thence by descent
Acquired from the above by the present owner

“All forms of art are born from one’s roots.”  M F HUSAIN

15

PROPERTY FROM A PROMINENT
COLLECTION, MUMBAI

46

N S BENDRE (1910‒1992)

a) Untitled
Pencil on paper
9.25 x 7.5 in (23.5 x 19 cm)

b) Untitled
Pen on paper
6.5 x 6.25 in (16.5 x 15.8 cm)

This is a double‒sided work

c) Untitled
Pen on paper
6.25 x 6 in (15.8 x 15.2 cm)

d) Untitled
Pen on paper
6.25 x 6.25 in (15.8 x 15.8 cm)

e) Untitled
Pen on paper
6 x 6.25 in (15 x 16.1 cm)

a $ 6,945 ‒ 9,725
Rs 5,00,000 ‒ 7,00,000
(Set of five)

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist

b front reverse
16

c

d

N S Bendre
e Image courtesy of the Bendre family

17

Image courtesy of M F Husain Foundation
18

19

47

M F HUSAIN (1913‒2011)

Living Goddess
Signed ‘Husain’ and further signed in Devnagari and
Urdu (lower right); titled, inscribed and signed ‘“LIVING
GODDESS”/ (NEPAL)/ Husain’ (on the reverse)
Circa 1960s
Oil on canvas
32.5 x 34.25 in (82.5 x 86.7 cm)
$ 97,225 ‒ 111,115
Rs 70,00,000 ‒ 80,00,000
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist in London, 1968
Private Collection, Spain
Sotheby’s, London, 23 October 2018, lot 35

20

21

M F Husain
Wikimedia Commons

22

23

48

M F HUSAIN (1913‒2011)

Untitled
Signed and dated ‘Husain/ 16’ XI’ 89’ (upper right)
1989
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 55.25 in (91.7 x 140.5 cm)
$ 69,445 ‒ 97,225
Rs 50,00,000 ‒ 70,00,000
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Mumbai
Private Collection, New Delhi

M F Husain often juxtaposed human figures with those of animals in his paintings, as seen in the
present lot. His pairings, whether of horse and rider, bull and peasant, or, as in this case, man and
an assortment of animals, create a palpable tension that breathes life into his works. 
“Husain’s metaphor is rich and of great expressiveness. It brings a wide sweep to his way of looking at things,
to his many approaches to reality. His symbols and represented objects are often startling in juxtaposition
because they are drawn from such far reaches of artistic memory. Dark, intuitive, sometimes traditional
symbols are cast within a contemporary design and given meanings that seem valid for this and every other
time. And if the innocent in art is also the original, as indeed it is, then innocence is the other noteworthy
feature of Husain’s work.” (Shiv Kapur, Husain, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1961, p. i)
In this vibrantly coloured acrylic sketch on canvas, the central figure is that of a man wearing a turban and
a dhoti. He is framed on either side by an elephant and a tiger respectively. Another human figure appears
mounted on the elephant, while a large bird looms above the tiger. All the figures are animated, depicted
in movement with the artist’s characteristic and confident line, which speaks of “…great sensitiveness and
energy. It is a versatile line, capable of both power and poetry. It divides his forms in firm definition, broods
amongst his grouped figures…It lurks in women’s faces in tender almost tentative hint, or threads sharply
across his compositions like a scalpel, separating one figure, one face from the other in subtly differentiated
tones of colour, as though he sculpted his figures from paint.” (Ibid.)

24

25

PROPERTY OF A PARSI GENTLEMAN, MUMBAI
49

M F HUSAIN (1913‒2011)

Untitled
Signed in Devnagari and dated ‘71’ (lower centre)
1971
Acrylic on canvas laid on board
59.5 x 47.75 in (151 x 121 cm)
$ 69,445 ‒ 83,335
Rs 50,00,000 ‒ 60,00,000
PROVENANCE
Formerly from the Collection of Badrivishal Pitti
Pundole’s, Mumbai, 17 January 2013, lot 67

“I’m merely trying to collate my experience of 60 years through
the paintings. Through men, women, plants and birds...I’m not
narrating any story...I’m not concerned with certain types here;
instead I’m aspiring to convey my vision to speak...I didn’t sit down,
brood that I have to do this theme or that. If you become overly
conscious about what you’re doing, then artificiality, a fake‒ness
creeps in.”  M F HUSAIN

26

27

50

V S GAITONDE (1924‒2001)

Untitled
Signed in Devnagari and dated twice ‘Nov.
1974/ 18. Dec. 1974’ (lower left)
1974
Pen and ink on paper
10 x 9.5 in (25.3 x 24.3 cm)
$ 27,780 ‒ 34,725
Rs 20,00,000 ‒ 25,00,000
PROVENANCE
Acquired from Sharon Lowen
Private Collection, New Delhi

"There is a kind of metamorphosis in every canvas, and the
metamorphosis never ends."  V S GAITONDE

V S Gaitonde
Image courtesy of Kishori Das
Published in Meera Menezes, Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde: Sonata of Solitude, Mumbai: Bodhana Arts and Research Foundation, 2016
28

29

S H Raza
Image courtesy of the artist

“My work is my own inner experience and involvement with
the mysteries of nature and form which is expressed in colour,
line, space and light."  S H RAZA

30

51 PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
S H RAZA (1922‒2016) Apparao Galleries, Chennai
Private Collection, New Delhi
Paysage

Signed twice, dated and inscribed
‘RAZA/ 1971/ Paysage’ (on the reverse)
1971
Acrylic on tin
25.25 x 19.25 in (64.3 x 49 cm)

$ 34,725 ‒ 48,615
Rs 25,00,000 ‒ 35,00,000

31

52

KRISHEN KHANNA (b.1925)

Untitled
Inscribed and signed ‘KRISHEN KHANNA/ KKhanna’ (on the reverse)
Acrylic on canvas
15.5 x 11.5 in (39.5 x 29.4 cm)
$ 4,170 ‒ 6,945
Rs 3,00,000 ‒ 5,00,000

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist

32

53 PROVENANCE
Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
BADRI NARAYAN (1929‒2013) Crimson ‒ The Art Resource, Bangalore
Private Collection, New Delhi
A Lamp for the Chehdanta
EXHIBITED
Initialled in Devnagari (lower right); inscribed Badri Narayan: An Exhibition of Recent Watercolours
and dated ‘A Lamp for the Chehdanta’/ by Badri and Drawings, Mumbai: Pundole Art Gallery,
Narayan/ 2nd April, 2003, Mumbai’ (on the reverse) 22 July ‒ 14 August 2004
2003
Watercolour on paper PUBLISHED
21.25 x 14.5 in (54 x 37 cm) Ranjit Hoskote, Badri Narayan: An Exhibition of Recent
Watercolours and Drawings, Mumbai: Pundole Art Gallery,
$ 6,945 ‒ 8,335 22 July ‒ 14 August 2004, unpaginated (illustrated)
Rs 5,00,000 ‒ 6,00,000
33

54

RAM KUMAR (1924‒2018)

Untitled
Signed in Devnagari and dated ‘1979’ (on the reverse)
1979
Acrylic on paper pasted on mount board
23 x 36 in (58.7 x 91.3 cm)
$ 9,725 ‒ 12,500
Rs 7,00,000 ‒ 9,00,000
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
An Important Private Collection, New Delhi

34

55

GANESH PYNE (1937‒2013)

Untitled

Signed in Bengali and dated indistinctly (lower right)
Pen and ink on paper
6.5 x 8.75 in (16.8 x 22 cm)

$ 8,335 ‒ 11,115
Rs 6,00,000 ‒ 8,00,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, New Delhi

“Death, or the negation of life, has always haunted me.”

 GANESH PYNE

35

56 PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist in the 1990s
GANESH PYNE (1937‒2013) Private Collection, Mumbai
Acquired from the above
Lion and the Dancer
PUBLISHED
Signed and dated in Bengali (lower right) Ella Datta, Ganesh Pyne: His Life and Times, Kolkata:
1989 Centre for International Modern Art and Galerie 88, 1998
Ink, crayon and watercolour on paper
13 x 12 in (32.8 x 30.5 cm)

$ 11,115 ‒ 13,890
Rs 8,00,000 ‒ 10,00,000

36

57

GAGANENDRANATH TAGORE (1867‒1938)

Untitled

Inscribed in Bengali indistinctly (on the reverse)
Watercolour on paper
3.75 x 3.25 in (9.8 x 8.5 cm)

$ 4,170 ‒ 6,945
Rs 3,00,000 ‒ 5,00,000

NON‒EXPORTABLE NATIONAL ART TREASURE

PROVENANCE
Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi

37

58

RADHA CHARAN BAGCHI (1910‒1977)

Untitled
Inscribed in Devnagari indistinctly (lower left)
Tempera on canvas
53.25 x 38.25 in (135 x 97 cm)
$ 20,835 ‒ 27,780
Rs 15,00,000 ‒ 20,00,000
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
Galerie 88, Kolkata

Radha Charan Bagchi
Image courtesy of DAG Archive
38

39

40

T homas Hickey, an Irish artist, developed such a deep fondness for
India during his first visit to the country that he nearly adopted
it as his own. “Between 1780, when Hickey first left England for
India at the age of thirty‒nine and his death in India aged eighty‒three
in 1824, only eleven years were spent outside the country – three of
them (1780‒83) in Portugal, five (1791 and 1795‒98) in England and three
(1792‒94) on a voyage to and from China. Of the remainder, a first period
(1784‒91) consisted of a stay of five years in Calcutta (1784‒early 1791).
His second and final period of twenty‒five years (late 1798 to 1824) was
spent almost entirely in the Madras Presidency with a break of only five
years (1807‒12) in Calcutta.” (Mildred Archer, India and British Portraiture
(1770‒1825), London: Sotheby’s Publications, 1979) The present lot is
believed to have been painted during the final five‒year period in Calcutta
(now Kolkata).

Born in Dublin, Hickey studied in the drawing schools of the Dublin Society
where he won several prizes in his early teens and gained a reputation for
his portraiture skills with chalks. He began working with oils following an
academic trip to Italy in the early 1760s but was unsuccessful in gaining
his expected patronage in Dublin. He moved to London, and then Bath,
in search of better opportunities and to make a name for himself as
an artist – a quest that found him aboard a ship to India in 1780. This
voyage, however, ended up with a detour in Lisbon where Hickey received
numerous portrait commissions which, in turn, caused him to remain in
Portugal for a few years.

He finally arrived in India in 1784 and settled in Calcutta where he
painted highly distinguished portraits of many Indians and Europeans.
Hickey’s second visit to India, from 1798 onwards, had him painting a
series of wonderful chalk portraits of over thirty British Army officers and
numerous Indian soldiers. Skilled in achieving likenesses with both chalk
and oil, Hickey’s “most famous works are the superb group of sixteen
portraits of the sons and courtiers of Tipu Sultan. They were done for
Government House in Calcutta (now Raj Bhavan) and survive divided
between Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi (seven) and Victoria Memorial
(nine). They are among the finest existing portraits of Indians done by a
European artist.” (Charles Greig, “Thomas Hickey,” Masterpieces of Indian
Modern Art, New Delhi: DAG Modern, 2016, p. 203)

41

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION, The present lot published in Kishore Singh ed., Masterpieces of Indian
NEW DELHI Modern Art, New Delhi: DAG Modern, 2016, p. 202 (illustrated)

59

THOMAS HICKEY (1741‒1824)

Portrait of Harakumar Tagore and his younger brother
Prasanna Coomar Tagore

Late 18th century/ Early 19th century
Oil on canvas
84.5 x 52 in (214.5 x 132 cm)

$ 277,780 ‒ 416,670
Rs 2,00,00,000 ‒ 3,00,00,000

NON‒EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Tagore Family Collection
Private Collection, UK
Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
Acquired from the above

PUBLISHED
Kishore Singh ed., Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art, New
Delhi: DAG Modern, 2016, p. 202 (illustrated)

This is another well‒known work by Hickey The present lot shows two brothers, Harakumar and Prasanna Coomar
that is believed to have been painted a few Tagore dressed in richly embroidered achkans. They were the eldest sons
years prior to the present lot. of Gopi Mohan Tagore, one of the founders of Presidency College, Kolkata
and the owner of one of the finest collections of European paintings in
Portrait of Three Princesses from Mysore, India during his lifetime.
circa 1805
Perched on Harakumar’s arm is a white cockatoo that would have
42 probably arrived in Calcutta via a trading ship. Harakumar has a rich
red and gold shawl draped over his shoulder while his younger brother
Prasanna has a purple and gold one.

The present lot is an oil on canvas that has been painted in a style that
closely resembles the sixteen portraits mentioned above. However, it was
more ambitious in scope since Hickey chose to make this a full‒length
portrait that was set outdoors on a terrace. “It demonstrates the artist’s
extraordinary ability to capture the character and appearance of his
sitters and his flair for painting rich fabrics. It was done just prior to his
departure from Calcutta to Madras in 1812 and was almost certainly the
last commission he received in Bengal.” (Grieg, p. 203)

43

44

Lots 60–79

Closing Time: Thursday, 14 October 2021
8.15 pm (IST)

10.45 am (US Eastern Time)

45

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION, CALIFORNIA
60

M SIVANESAN (1940‒2015)

Untitled (Woman in Red and Yellow)
Signed ‘M.Sivanesan’ (centre right)
Oil on board
23.5 x 13.5 in (59.7 x 34.5 cm)
$ 2,500 ‒ 3,500
Rs 1,80,000 ‒ 2,52,000

PROVENANCE
Acquired from India by diplomats in Washington DC, circa 1960s. Purchased
from their estate by collector in 2015.

46

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION, CALIFORNIA

61

SHANTI DAVE (b.1931)

Untitled

Signed in Devnagari (lower right)
Oil on canvas
36 x 23.5 in (91.4 x 59.7 cm)

$ 5,000 ‒ 7,000
Rs 3,60,000 ‒ 5,04,000

PROVENANCE
Acquired from India by diplomats in Washington DC, circa 1960s. Purchased from
their estate by collector.

47

62

BHUPEN KHAKHAR (1934‒2003)

Untitled
Signed in Gujarati (lower centre)
Watercolour on paper pasted on mount board
9 x 12.25 in (22.8 x 30.9 cm)
$ 9,725 ‒ 12,500
Rs 7,00,000 ‒ 9,00,000

PROVENANCE
Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
Private Collection, Mumbai

48

“Benares is important for me both as an artist and as a human
being, the first paintings came at a point when I wanted to
develop elements in figurative painting and go beyond it, my first
visit to the city invoked an emotional reaction as it had peculiar
associations. But such romantic ideas were dispelled when I came
face to face with reality. There was so much pain and sorrow
of humanity. As an artist it became a challenge to portray this
agony and suffering, its intensity required the use of symbolic
motifs, so my Benares is of a representative sort.”  RAM KUMAR

49

Ram Kumar
Image courtesy of the artist

50