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

89 PROVENANCE
The Crites Collection, New Delhi
JANGARH SINGH SHYAM (1962‒2001)
PUBLISHED
Ghas, Cheetee (Gond Art) Aurogeeta Das, Jangarh Singh Shyam: The Enchanted
Forest, New Delhi: Roli Books, 2017, p. 176 (illustrated)
Signed in Devnagari and dated ‘1992’ (lower left)
and titled in Devnagari (lower right)
1992
Ink on paper
13 x 10.25 in (32.9 x 25.8 cm)

$ 5,560 ‒ 6,945
Rs 4,00,000 ‒ 5,00,000

101

90 Lots 88‒91 represent four works
from across Jangarh’s oeuvre that
JANGARH SINGH SHYAM (1962‒2001) demonstrate prominent themes
in the Gond world. Three of
Bhatkatiya Jhad (Gond Art) these are dynamic renderings
Titled and signed in Devnagari and dated ‘1991’ (lower centre) of species that are presumably
1991 ubiquitous in the forests of
Ink on paper pasted on mount board Central India, such as Untitled
11.5 x 8.75 in (29 x 22 cm) (Birds) which depicts a group
$ 5,560 ‒ 6,945 of birds in flight, Ghas, Cheetee
Rs 4,00,000 ‒ 5,00,000 which shows a group of ants in
an almost frenzied motion, and
PROVENANCE Bhatkatiya Jhad, which captures
The Crites Collection, New Delhi the Yellow‒fruit nightshade, a
prickly herb that is common
PUBLISHED across India and often used in
Aurogeeta Das, Jangarh Singh Shyam: The Enchanted Forest, New Delhi: Roli ayurvedic medicine. Phulwari
Books, 2017, p. 167 (illustrated) Devi, on the other hand, depicts
the goddess Phulwari, a mythical
102 figure from the Gond belief
system.

Jangarh worked with several
mediums throughout his career,
including drawing and silkscreen
painting, rediscovering a new
style and representation every
time. He switched from murals
to acrylics and ink on paper,
and adapted age‒old imagery
from the community’s visual
imagination for a contemporary
setting with remarkable deftness.
His versatility is reflected in the
present lot. While Phulwari Devi is
representative of the rich dotted
patterns that are characteristic of
most of his acrylic and gouache
works, the three inks on paper
indicate his expert ability to
create texture with lines.

91 PROVENANCE
The Crites Collection, New Delhi
JANGARH SINGH SHYAM (1962‒2001)
PUBLISHED
Phulwari Devi (The Goddess Phulwari) (Gond Art) Aurogeeta Das, Jangarh Singh Shyam: The Enchanted
Forest, New Delhi: Roli Books, 2017, p. 55 (illustrated)
Titled in Devnagari and dated ‘1988’ (lower left)
1988
Acrylic on paper pasted on mount board
19.5 x 14.5 in (49.6 x 36.8 cm)

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

103

Jivya Soma Mashe
Wikimedia Commons

104

JIVYA SOMA MASHE (1934 – 2018)

J ivya Soma Mashe is one of the most well‒known practitioners of
Warli art, “who has been able to make a break with his tradition
and yet carry it forward.” (Yashodhara Dalmia, The Painted
World of the Warlis: Art and Ritual of the Warli Tribes of Maharashtra,
New Delhi: Lalit Kala Academy, p. 221)
Warli art comes from the tribes of the Thane district of Maharashtra,
which lies along the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains. The
exuberant, swirling geometric patterns of Warli art are countered
by the austere white paint with which they adorn brown mud walls.
Unlike much Indian folk art, which is rooted in myth and religion,
Warli art traditionally depicts social functions, the marriage ceremony
in particular. It is a way of inter and intra‒personal communication,
recording events, and transmitting local stories pictorially, without
the use of the written word.
Warli figuration is based on geometric forms, such as the circle taken
from the moon and sun, the triangle simplified from mountains and
trees, and the square, which has no natural equivalent and is therefore
used to symbolise sacred enclosures. Human bodies are represented
by two triangles, which are animated by an extraordinary quality of
vibrancy. The composition of a scene in Warli art is based on providing
a clear coherence and order while expressing the belief that life is in
constant and cyclical movement. There is no linear timeline for events.
The trees, crops, abodes, and humans who inhabit and animate the
world are in harmony with the cosmos, which provides a divine order.

105

92

JIVYA SOMA MASHE (1934‒2018)

Untitled (Sweet Celebration) (Warli Painting)
Signed in Devnagari (lower right)
Geru and acrylic on raw canvas
33.5 x 33 in (85.1 x 83.8 cm)
$ 4,000 ‒ 6,000
Rs 2,88,000 ‒ 4,32,000
Proceeds to support The PRASAD Project:
COVID‒19 Relief & Recovery in the Tansa Valley in India.
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
Private Collection, USA
EXHIBITED
Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania: Kauffman Gallery at Shippensburg University, 2006
Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania: Robeson Gallery at Pennsylvania State University, 2015

106

93

JIVYA SOMA MASHE (1934‒2018)

Untitled (Circles Dancing) (Warli Painting)
Signed in Devnagari (lower right)
Geru and acrylic on raw canvas
21 x 39 in (53.3 x 99.1 cm)
$ 4,000 ‒ 6,000
Rs 2,88,000 ‒ 4,32,000
Proceeds to support The PRASAD Project:
COVID‒19 Relief & Recovery in the Tansa Valley in India.

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
Private Collection, USA

EXHIBITED
Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania: Kauffman Gallery at Shippensburg University, 2006
Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania: Robeson Gallery at Pennsylvania State University, 2015

Mashe was born in 1934 in the Dahanu district of Maharashtra and experienced a difficult childhood that made
him hide behind complete silence till the age of four. Art became his only mode of expression during this period.
He initially followed the Warli tradition of making art on walls, but gradually switched to paper and canvas since
they presented him with smooth surfaces that played a critical role in the evolution of his style. As a result, the
ephemeral nature of wall art was transformed into a more permanent and personal style.

107

94

JIVYA SOMA MASHE (1934‒2018)

Untitled (The Catching Dance) (Warli Painting)
Signed in Devnagari (lower right)
Geru and acrylic on raw canvas
20.75 x 39 in (52.7 x 99.1 cm)
$ 4,000 ‒ 6,000
Rs 2,88,000 ‒ 4,32,000
Proceeds to support The PRASAD Project:
COVID‒19 Relief & Recovery in the Tansa Valley in India.

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
Private Collection, USA

EXHIBITED
Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania: Kauffman Gallery at Shippensburg University, 2006
Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania: Robeson Gallery at Pennsylvania State University, 2015

Mashe’s art drew inspiration from the folklore and stories of celebration that were narrated to the children in his
community from a very early age and encapsulates his personal philosophy that life is in constant and cyclical
movement. An important aspect in his works is the fluidity with which he paints every object and figure. There
is a sense of constant movement within the paintings, yet each detail is incorporated with utmost precision, as
evident in lots 92‒96.

108

Herve Perdriolle, a French gallerist and curator who spent some time with the artist says, “When we look carefully
at Jivya Soma Mashe’s paintings, we are particularly struck by the movement, the quality of the details, lightness,
and simultaneously the precision of the stroke. There is no hesitation in his works. As seen in every detail, he
goes directly to the essence in both the design and composition with the natural simplicity of the ingenue. The
teeming profusion of strokes, lines, and dots on the canvas vibrate with energy, constructing skilled compositions
that themselves reinforce the dynamism of the whole... The themes that recur in his production — such as the
daily activities of his family and the legends of the Warli — are also pretexts for a constant eulogy to movement.”
(Herve Perdriolle, Indian Art: Contemporary, One World, Several Worlds, Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2012, p. 123)

95 PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
JIVYA SOMA MASHE (1934‒2018) Private Collection, USA

Untitled (The Man Who Would Not Work) (Warli Painting) EXHIBITED
Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania:
Signed in Devnagari (lower right) Kauffman Gallery at Shippensburg University,
Cow dung and acrylic on paper 2006
23 x 35.75 in (58.4 x 90.8 cm) Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania:
Robeson Gallery at Pennsylvania State
$ 1,500 ‒ 2,500 University, 2015
Rs 1,08,000 ‒ 1,80,000

Proceeds to support The PRASAD Project:
COVID‒19 Relief & Recovery in the Tansa Valley in India.

109

96

JIVYA SOMA MASHE (1934‒2018)

Untitled (Peacock Seed Sacks) (Warli Painting)
Signed in Devnagari (lower right)
Cow dung and acrylic on paper
23 x 36 in (58.4 x 91.4 cm)
$ 1,500 ‒ 2,500
Rs 1,08,000 ‒ 1,80,000
Proceeds to support The PRASAD Project:
COVID‒19 Relief & Recovery in the Tansa Valley in India.

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
Private Collection, USA

EXHIBITED
Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania: Kauffman Gallery at Shippensburg University, 2006
Birth of the Painted World, Pennsylvania: Robeson Gallery at Pennsylvania State University, 2015

Mashe has received much international acclaim both in India, and internationally. In 1974, he met Bhaskar Kulkarni,
an artist who brought his art to the attention of galleries in Mumbai. Mashe’s first solo exhibition was held at
Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai in 1975. He represented India at the show Magicians of the Earth at the Centre
Pompidou in Paris in 1989, along with Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam. Both artists’ works were featured in the
exhibition Other Masters of India, curated by Jyotinder Jain, at the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris in 2010.

110

97

K LAXMA GOUD (b.1940)

Untitled
Signed in Telugu and dated indistinctly (centre right)
Acrylic and marker on wood
Height: 62.25 in (158.5 cm)
Width: 30.5 in (77.5 cm)
Depth: 1.5 in (4 cm)
$ 11,115 ‒ 16,670
Rs 8,00,000 ‒ 12,00,000
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
An Important Private Collection, New Delhi

111

M eera Mukherjee developed her own artistic language by drawing from artistic influences across
India and Europe. “She did not feel alienated from modern German sculptors… she neither
followed strict classic Greek or Indian art forms in her figures nor did she succumb to radical
modern formal liberty of global art trends. Instead she saw her dimension in depicting the natural and living,
emotions, the expressive, and not abstractions and concepts.” (Dr. Georg Lechner, Remembering Meera
Mukherjee, Bernried: Buchheim Museum, 2012, p. 13) The natural world inspired many of her sculptures,
such as this untitled rooster. 
Mukherjee’s sculptures are remarkable for exuding traditional and modern qualities at once. Following her
studies in Germany in the 1950s, Mukherjee returned to India and sought to learn more about traditional
Indian sculpting and metalworking techniques. She apprenticed with the local Gharva artisans of Bastar in
Madhya Pradesh and learned the centuries‒old lost wax or cire perdue method employed by them. Following
this, she invented her own process, sculpting works in wax, building them up and then decorating their
surface using wax strips and rolls. As is evident in the present lot, the resultant works seem delicate and
supple, despite the rigidity of the bronze that is used.

Meera Mukherjee
© Dolly Narang

112

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, MUMBAI

98

MEERA MUKHERJEE (1923‒1998)

Untitled (Rooster)

Bronze
Height: 7.25 in (18.7 cm)
Width: 3.75 in (9.5 cm)
Depth: 6 in (15.2 cm)

$ 41,670 ‒ 55,560
Rs 30,00,000 ‒ 40,00,000

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by a private collector who
taught at the Goethe‒Institut, Kolkata in circa 1970. They
developed a close friendship and continued to correspond
after the collector moved back to Austria.
Thence by descent
Sotheby’s, London, 25 October 2017, lot 23

PUBLISHED
Geeti Sen ed., Meera Mukherjee: Purity of Vision, Kolkata: Akar
Prakar and Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing, in collaboration
with Kolkata: Emami Art, 2018, p. 139 (illustrated)

113

99 PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
KRISHEN KHANNA (b.1925) An Important Private Collection, New Delhi

Untitled PUBLISHED
Jogen Chowdhury, Ram Kumar, Krishen Khanna and Thota
Signed, stamped and inscribed ‘KKhanna/ Vaikuntam, Bronzed: From Paint to Patina, New Delhi: Aleph Book
BA/ LONDON/ 2/9’ (on the reverse) Company, 2019, p. 65 (illustrated)
Bronze
Height: 38.25 in (97 cm)
Width: 18.25 in (46.5 cm)
Depth: 20.5 in (52.3 cm)

$ 22,225 ‒ 27,780
Rs 16,00,000 ‒ 20,00,000

Second from a limited edition of nine

114

115

100 PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
THOTA VAIKUNTAM (b.1942) An Important Private Collection, New Delhi

Untitled PUBLISHED
Jogen Chowdhury, Ram Kumar, Krishen Khanna and
Signed in Telugu, inscribed ‘4/9’ and stamped Thota Vaikuntam, Bronzed: From Paint to Patina, New
‘BRONZE AGE LONDON’ (on the reverse) Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2019, pp. 32‒33 (illustrated)
Bronze
Height: 25 in (63.4 cm)
Width: 14.5 in (36.8 cm)
Depth: 12.5 in (31.3 cm)

$ 25,000 ‒ 30,560
Rs 18,00,000 ‒ 22,00,000

Fourth from a limited edition of nine

“I like using rich primary colours, which give a sense of character
and depth to my paintings. Like reds and saffron and even orange,
because these are essentially Indian colours.”  THOTA VAIKUNTAM

116

117

118

Lots 101–120

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

11.15 am (US Eastern Time)

119

PROPERTY OF A LADY, MUMBAI J agannath Panda’s art uses birds and animals
101 symbolically and metaphorically to portray
his concerns about urbanisation and
JAGANNATH PANDA (b.1970) environmental degradation, and their effect on
natural life patterns. “Panda’s animals – goats,
Untitled dogs – in postures of acquiescence wear the skin
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘Jagannath Panda/ of the weaving industry. Through an interesting
JAGANNATH PANDA 06’ (inside hollow of the goat) inversion, their own skins are used to clothe the
2006 gods, decorate sites as trophies and finally become
Cloth on fibreglass emblematic of the landscape. In turn the animal is
Height: 15.75 in (40 cm) appropriated as decorative furnishing, emblematic
Width: 29.25 in (74.5 cm) of the processes of mass marketing and a
Depth: 15 in (38 cm) humanized aesthetic.” (Gayatri Sinha, Jagannath
$ 8,335 ‒ 11,115 Panda, London: Saffronart and Berkeley Square
Rs 6,00,000 ‒ 8,00,000 Gallery, 2006, unpaginated)
PROVENANCE
Chemould Art Gallery, Mumbai Panda’s exploration of this complex relationship
between the natural and the manmade takes
Jagannath Panda form through the use of unconventional materials,
Wikimedia Commons as noted in the present lot. Made of cloth on
fibreglass, the present lot is a reflection of the
diversity of expressions and symbolisms possible
through animal images and forms. “By using animals
as his protagonists, Panda alludes to a desired
circularity where the reciprocal influence between
the cultures of the powerful and the subordinate
can be at balance.” (Peter Nagy, Jagannath Panda:
Nothing is Solid, Mumbai: Chemould Prescott Road,
2007)

120

121

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, SINGAPORE
102

THUKRAL AND TAGRA (b. 1976 and b. 1979)

Canis Familiaris
Acrylic and oil on canvas
75 x 75 in (190.5 x 190.5 cm)
$ 20,000 ‒ 30,000
Rs 14,40,000 ‒ 21,60,000

A rtists Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, popularly branded and
known as Thukral and Tagra, draw from a variety of traditions
including advertising, architecture, photorealism, pop art
and Surrealism to create works that are often satirical takes on popular
culture. The duo’s works are executed in a wide variety of media including
graphics, videos, music, interiors, product design, paintings, sculpture and
installations. 
Thukral and Tagra’s quirky and, at times, kitschy works blur the lines
between fine art and popular culture, product placement and exhibition
design, artistic inspiration and media hype. They use their vibrant and
energetic compositions to raise serious questions about the globalisation
of consumer culture, the loss of identity experienced by Indians in their
own sub‒continent, and their repercussions worldwide.

Thukral and Tagra
Wikimedia Commons
122

123

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, SINGAPORE
103

THUKRAL AND TAGRA (b. 1976 and b. 1979)

Somnium Genero Aeris 04
Signed individually by the artists ‘Jiten Thukral/ Sumir Tagra’, inscribed and dated ‘THUKRAL
& TAGRA/ SOMNIUM GENERO AERIS 04/ OCTOBER 06’ (on the reverse)
2006
Acrylic and oil on canvas
72 x 144 in (182.9 x 365.8 cm)
$ 35,000 ‒ 45,000
Rs 25,20,000 ‒ 32,40,000
(Diptych)

124

As seen in Canis Familiaris where the torso of a dog is juxtaposed with various ornamental elements, the artistic
duo displays “a strong penchant for images that float in a deep yet flat space of unmodulated colour; juxtaposing
trompe l’oeil 3‒D with graphic two dimensionality; for strong colours tempered by a liberal use of white as a colour
itself. ... T&T’s graphic sensibility loves to miniaturise and digitise all manner of things (animal, vegetable, mineral),
folding them into their batter and creating picture‒search puzzles which endlessly tease the viewer’s eyes.” (Peter
Nagy, Trevor Smith et al, “Neo‒ Neo‒Classicisms,” Thukral & Tagra, New Delhi: Nature Morte and New York: Bose
Pacia, 2007, p. 54)
Somnium Genero is a series of works executed by the duo from 2005 onwards. As seen in Somnium Genero Aeris
04, everyday objects such as alarm clocks, bells, cameras, and household appliances are rearranged and presented
in association with flora and fauna, so as to give them an illusion of life and suggest that these commodities are
fully assimilated into nature. The artists employ a satirical lens to compel the audience to face the excesses of their
materialistic lifestyle.

125

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, SINGAPORE

104

G R IRANNA (b.1970)

Untitled

Signed and dated ‘Iranna/ 05’ (lower right)
2005
Acrylic on canvas
50.75 x 71.25 in (129 x 181 cm)
$ 8,000 ‒ 12,000
Rs 5,76,000 ‒ 8,64,000

126

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION, MALAYSIA
105

G R IRANNA (b.1970)

Untitled
Signed and dated ‘Iranna./ 98’ (on the reverse)
1998
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 41.75 in (91.2 x 106 cm)
$ 8,000 ‒ 10,000
Rs 5,76,000 ‒ 7,20,000

127

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION, MUMBAI
106

JAGANNATH PANDA (b.1970)

Untitled
Signed and dated ‘Jagannath Panda 04’ (lower right); inscribed, signed
and dated ‘JAGANNATH PANDA/ Jagannath Panda 04’ (on the
reverse)
2004
Oil on canvas
35.75 x 35.75 in (90.5 x 90.5 cm)
$ 11,115 ‒ 16,670
Rs 8,00,000 ‒ 12,00,000
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist

128

107

JITISH KALLAT (b.1974)

Untitled
Mixed media on paper pasted on acrylic sheet
13.5 x 10.25 in (34 x 26 cm) (each)
$ 12,500 ‒ 16,670
Rs 9,00,000 ‒ 12,00,000
(Set of five)

“As an artist, my mediumistic choices are defined by the initial
impulse and I do not privilege one over the other, making both the
pixel and the pencil equally potent within the studio. It is always
the idea that has driven the form and material.”  JITISH KALLAT

129

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE EXHIBITED
COLLECTION, MUMBAI
Paths of Progression, presented by Saffronart and Bodhi
108 Art at New Delhi: Bodhi Art, 21 August ‒ 15 September
2005; Mumbai: Saffronart, 26 August ‒ 5 September
CHITTROVANU MAZUMDAR (b.1956) 2005; New York: Saffronart, 21 September ‒ 5 October
2005; Singapore: Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI), 22
Untitled October ‒ 5 November 2005

Signed ‘C.MAZUMDAR.’ (lower left); signed and PUBLISHED
inscribed ‘Chittrovanu/ MAZUMDAR’ (on the reverse)
Acrylic on canvas Peter Nagy, Paths of Progression, Mumbai: Saffronart, 2005
108 x 78 in (274.5 x 198 cm) (illustrated)

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

130

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE The present lot published in Ranjit
COLLECTION, MUMBAI Hoskote, Baiju Parthan: A User’s Manual,
Mumbai: Afterimage Publishing, 2006,
109 p.238 (illustrated)

BAIJU PARTHAN (b.1956) 131

Necessary Illusions with 24 Cups of Coffee

Signed and dated ‘Baiju Parthan 2000’ (lower right);
inscribed and dated “NECESSARY ILLUSIONS WITH
24 CUPS OF COFFEE’/ BAIJU PARTHAN ‒ 2000’ (on
the reverse)
2000
Acrylic and inkjet on canvas
47.75 x 71.75 in (121.2 x 182 cm)

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

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist

PUBLISHED
Ranjit Hoskote, Baiju Parthan: A User’s Manual, Mumbai:
Afterimage Publishing, 2006, p. 238 (illustrated)

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION, MUMBAI
110

SURENDRAN NAIR (b.1956)

The Magic Square
Inscribed, dated and signed ‘THE MAGIC SQUARE/ 1995/ (collaboration
with Mithun)/ Surendran’ and bearing ‘Sixth Bharat Bhavan Biennial of
Contemporary Indian Art ‒ 1996 label’ (on the reverse)
1995
Acrylic and oil on canvas
58.75 x 58.75 in (149 x 149 cm)
$ 34,725 ‒ 48,615
Rs 25,00,000 ‒ 35,00,000
PROVENANCE
Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
PUBLISHED
Itinerant Mythologies: Surendran Nair, Mumbai: Sakshi Gallery, 2006, pp.146‒147
(illustrated)

Surendran Nair at Saffronart, Mumbai, 2009
132

133

134

R ashid Rana’s art is primarily concerned Rashid Rana
with notions of dualities, and multiple Image courtesy of the artist
perspectives. He often achieves this by clever
juxtaposition, most evident in his photomosaic works
where large images, upon closer inspection, reveal
themselves to be composed of numerous smaller
images. These works are “sometimes even heroic
in scale, and they appear from a distance as slightly
blurred, low‒resolution renditions of banalities:
landscapes, film posters or press photographs.
Drawing near, one realizes that the large and visible
‘pixels’ are themselves smaller photographs, which
magically assemble to compose the larger image. To
step near, and away, and near again, to see dark and
light photographs becoming the pupil or the highlight
in somebody’s eye, is to experience marvellous visual
complexity.” (Quddus Mirza, Adnan Manani, Kavita
Singh et al., Rashid Rana, Mumbai: Chatterjee & Lal
and Chemould Prescott Road, 2010, p. 25)

Rana explored and experimented with painting,
photography and video for almost a decade before arriving at his iconic photographic mosaic technique. He
received his formal training in painting, including miniature painting, at the National College of Arts in Lahore,
Pakistan in 1992, following which he left for the Massachusetts College of Art to pursue his MFA. During this
decade, several neo‒miniature artists in Pakistan were occupied with adapting Mughal era art techniques for a
contemporary setting. The arts scene also concerned itself with popular culture, kitsch and broadcast imagery.

While Rana continued to make paintings, he began to foray into digital media and photography in the mid‒1990s.
He subsequently abandoned paint altogether and pursued his growing interest in digital technology, as well as that
in the formation of grids and matrices, leading him to his breakthrough photographic mosaic, I Love Miniatures,
in 2002. Featuring numerous tiny photographs of advertising billboards in Lahore arranged to resemble a Mughal
Emperor’s miniature style portrait, the work was, in some ways, a response to the popularity of Pakistan’s neo‒
miniaturist culture. “My whole issue was that only something with an ethnic label was going to be recognized as
Pakistani. I thought: if this is the way it’s going to be I’m going to subvert the idea with what I want to say and do.
So I showed them a miniature painting they wanted to see, and made it with the immediate visual culture of my
city today. And that’s how a journey of documenting paradoxes and dealing with duality started in this formal
and conceptual device.” (Artist quoted in “Rashid Rana’s Pakistan: a mini‒version of the globe,” Radio Open Source,
19 September 2011, online)

In his Red Carpet series, of which the present lot is a part, thousands of miniscule photographs depicting the
slaughter of goats are arranged to appear as if they are stunning Indo‒Iranian carpets. With this juxtaposition, Red
Carpet 2 addresses several dualities besides that of beauty and death. As noted by Girish Shahane, “Rana’s dialectical
compositions hinge upon a series of binaries: time versus space; two dimensions versus three; conceptual versus
political; wholeness versus fragmentation; handmade versus machinemade; abstraction versus Pop; and artifice
versus illusionism, to enumerate the most persistent.” (Quddus Mirza, Adnan Manani, Kavita Singh et al., p. 90)

135

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, SINGAPORE The present lot on display during the artist’s solo show
Apposite | Opposite in Mumbai, 2012.
111

RASHID RANA (b.1968)

Red Carpet ‒ 2

2007
C print and DIASEC
72 x 60 in (182.9 x 152.4 cm)

$ 60,000 ‒ 80,000
Rs 43,20,000 ‒ 57,60,000

Second from a limited edition of five

EXHIBITED
Dis‒Location: Selected Works 2006‒2007, Mumbai:
Chatterjee & Lal and Chemould Prescott Road,
12 November ‒ 29 November 2007
Rashid Rana: Perpetual Paradox, Paris: Musée Guimet,
15 July ‒ 15 November 2010 (another from the edition)
Apposite | Opposite: Rashid Rana, Mumbai: Chatterjee &
Lal and Chemould Prescott Road, 10 April – 16 June 2012

PUBLISHED
Adnan Madani, Kavita Singh, Girish Shahane and Michael
Hilsman, Rashid Rana, Mumbai: Chatterjee & Lal and
Chemould Prescott Road, 2010, p. 187‒189 (illustrated)

Rana’s works call for deep engagement from the viewer. “Meaning unfolds slowly, as the viewer recognizes the
large image, then perceives the small ones, and then steps back to see the large image again, this time knowing
how and of what it is composed. Inevitably, this extended encounter turns each image into a narrative; as the mind
assimilates it, it constructs relationships between the constituent elements and the whole. ‘This is appearance and
this is reality’; ‘this is the hidden truth that lies beneath this surface’; ‘these are two lies and the truth lies elsewhere.’
Fragments assemble meaning.” (Quddus Mirza, Adnan Manani, Kavita Singh et al., p. 29)

This emotional transformation is not unlike the one experienced by the artist himself when he had visited the
Lahore‒based slaughterhouse that he photographed for Red Carpet 2. While he had initially experienced horror
and revulsion at the sight of blood and the butchered animal parts, he would get used to this with time and even
feel relatively disengaged from his surroundings. According to Michael Hilsman, this points to how “there is no
one all‒encompassing emotional (or visual) definition for any subject… By forcing the viewer to relive the same
time‒based experience which Rana himself encountered inside the slaughterhouse, Rana begs the question: “Is
there a difference between how the world looks and how it feels?” It is this tension between the narrative and its
relation to the two‒dimensional surface that Rana is constantly exploring in nearly all of his recent work and, just
like the hundreds of tiny images in the works, Rana gives us a myriad of perspectives on culture, visual perception
and, ultimately, on life.” (Quddus Mirza, Adnan Manani, Kavita Singh et al., p. 161)

136

137



112 EXHIBITED
Six Indian Painters, London: The Tate Gallery, 7 April ‒ 23
CULTURE OF THE STREETS May 1982 (another from the edition)

M F Husain PUBLISHED
Daniel Herwitz, Husain: Drawing, Painting, Water Colour,
Portfolio with thirty‒one Kodak C‒prints, in a custom Graphic, Sculpture, Architecture, Photography, Tapestry,
made leather portfolio with a three page introduction Bombay, 1988, pp. 159 ‒ 165, 168 (eight photographs
by Chester E. Herwitz, illustrated) (another from the edition)
Six Indian Painters, London: The Tate Gallery, London,
Circa 1980s 1982, pp. 13, 31, 33 (twelve photographs illustrated)
(another from the edition)
Portfolio size: 10.8 x 13.8 in (27.6 x 35.2 cm)

Signed ‘Husain’ and numbered forty four on the third
page at the lower left of the Introduction page

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

The entire portfolio is available for viewing in the auction
catalogue online.

Forty‒fourth from a limited edition of forty‒five portfolios

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

139

113

HUSAIN

Richard Bartholomew and Shiv S Kapur
New York: Harry N Abrams, Inc., Circa 1972
242 pages, with 60 pages of text and over 200 pages of
approx. 192 illustrations with 53 hand tipped plates in
full colour; hardbound in maroon cloth binding with
a Husain drawing printed in silver on the cover with
original dust jacket
11 x 11.8 in (28 x 30 cm)
$ 500 ‒ 700
Rs 36,000 ‒ 50,400

140

114

F N SOUZA: AN INTRODUCTION

Edwin Mullins
London: Anthony Blond Ltd., 1962
108 pages illustrated with 66 full‒page colour and
black‒and‒white plates and 24 line drawings; full grey
cloth bound with black title on the front cover and
spine with dust jacket.
9 x 8.5 in (22.9 x 21.6 cm)
The essay extends to 45 pages and there is a 3-page
list of collectors at the end.
The first and seminal biography and appreciation of
Souza written soon after he had established himself
in London and written by a close friend and critic.
$ 300 ‒ 500
Rs 21,600 ‒ 36,000

141

115

WORDS AND LINES

F N Souza
London: Villers, 1959
27 pages [with 18 line drawings in the text], 12 pages
carrying 23 drawings; soft bound
10 x 7.5 in (25.4 x 19 cm)
The edition was limited to one thousand copies of
which one to fifty were numbered and signed by the
artist.
This is an unnumbered copy.
$ 500 ‒ 700
Rs 36,000 ‒ 50,400

142

116

AMRITA SHER‒GIL

Karl Khandalavala
Bombay: New Book Co., 1945
71 pages; frontispiece portrait; 20 full‒page tipped‒in colour
plates at the end; 3 tipped‒in colour plates in the text; 5
tipped‒in monochrome plates in the text; 8 monochrome
plates at the end and numerous line drawings in the text
including some full page; red elephant based on the last
incomplete painting by Sher‒Gil on cover; beige full‒cloth
binding without dust jacket.
14.9 x 11 in (38 x 28 cm)
A unique copy from the library of Khushwant Singh, with his
bookplate on the front pastedowns
This book is the first full‒dress study of Sher‒Gil’s life and
work by her close friend, published four years after her death
and carrying extracts from many letters between the two.
$ 2,085 ‒ 2,780
Rs 1,50,000 ‒ 2,00,000

143

117

HIMALAYA

Nicholas Roerich
New York: Brentanos, 1926
210 pages with 22 tipped‒in colour plates with
tissue guards and 76 halftone plates, including essays
by writer Georgy Grebenshchikov, a critic of Ivan
Narodniy, as well as articles by Francis R Grant and
Mary Zigrist, and “Banners of the East” by Nicholas
Roerich; publisher’s brown gilt‒lettered, decorated
cloth cover, decorated endpapers
15.2 x 12 in (38 x 30.5 cm)
This is forty‒nine from a limited edition of five
hundred copies.
This volume pulls together excerpts from a diary kept
by Nicholas Roerich during his often‒treacherous
travels through the Himalayas. It also includes
reproductions of many of his best‒known works
including his “Banners of the East” series of nineteen
paintings devoted to the world’s greatest religious
teachers including Buddha, Confucius, Moses, Jesus,
and Mohammed.
$ 3,475 ‒ 4,170
Rs 2,50,000 ‒ 3,00,000

144

118

SET OF 3 BOOKS INCLUDING 2
SIGNED BOOKS BY ROERICH

Nicholas Roerich, Vsevolod Ivanov and Erikh
Fedorovich Gollerbakh

a) Nicholas Roerich, Heart of Asia, New York: Roerich
Museum Press, 1930

vi, 170 pages; original yellow printed paper‒covered
boards with white cloth spine and illustrated
endpapers. 

7.5 x 5.5 in (19.3 x 14 cm)

Signed “N. Roerich” at the top of the half‒title page. 

b) Vsevolod Ivanov and E. Gollerbakh, Roerich: Chast
1, Riga: Izdevis Rericha Muzejs, 1939

192 pages with 132 tipped‒in colour and black and
white plates, many full‒page, text entirely in Russian;
hardbound in original decorated cloth with slightly
damaged slipcase.

13.5 x 10 in (34.2 x 25 cm)

c) Nicholas Roerich, Flame in Chalice, New York:
Roerich Museum Press, 1930

106 pages, original white and green cloth boards with
illustrated endpapers. 

7.5 x 5.5 in (19.3 x 14 cm)

Signed pre‒publication presentation copy: “To Mrs
Duncan Phillips with best wishes, N. Roerich 1929”

$ 4,170 ‒ 5,560
Rs 3,00,000 ‒ 4,00,000
(Set of three)

145

119

THOUGHT RELICS AND STRAY BIRDS

Rabindranath Tagore
New York: The Macmillan Company, 1924
[vi], 112 pages, [92]; original cloth binding with gilt
logo on cover board and gilt title on spine
9 x 6.2 in (23 x 16 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Rabindranath Tagore/ Feb. 27/
1927’ on fly‒leaf.
Two volumes in one.
$ 2,085 ‒ 2,780
Rs 1,50,000 ‒ 2,00,000

146

120

L’OFFRANDE LYRIQUE

Rabindranath Tagore and Sakti Burman
Paris: Les Pharmaciens Bibliophiles, 1993
96 pages in 12 sections, illustrated with 16 colour
lithographs, 4 of them double‒page, each with titles
in Bengali and French printed on the reverse of each
lithograph, each of the lithograph has a descriptive
text in French printed on a folded sheet; the sheets
are all unstitched as issued and contained in a saffron
ragpaper chemise with the signatures of Rabindranath
Tagore and Sakti Burman in Bengali impressed on its
cover. This is contained in a blue velvet box with the
title and names embossed in silver on the spine.
15.5 x 12 in (38.7 x 30 cm)
This is the thirty eighth from a limited edition of one
hundred and fifty copies meant for the members.
$ 1,390 ‒ 2,780
Rs 1,00,000 ‒ 2,00,000

147

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I view the lots? What is a reserve price?
All lots for sale are featured in this auction catalogue. The
number listed next to each image is the lot number and Unless stated otherwise, all lots offered in the auction are
should be used as a reference during bidding or for any subject to a reserve price, which is the minimum price that
information requests. The lots in this sale may be viewed the lot may be sold for. No lot will be sold below its reserve
through any of the following: price and the reserve price will not exceed the lower price
(i) Viewings – Details listed in the Sales and Enquiries estimate. Reserve prices are confidential and will not be
disclosed.
section of the online catalogue
(ii) The online auction catalogue available on saffronart.com How do I register to bid?
(iii) The printed auction catalogue
(iv) The mobile auction catalogue available for download Bidders are advised to register at least 24 hours in advance
of the sale. Bidders may choose to register online or send
on your mobile device in their details to Saffronart, and we will process the details
for you. Saffronart requires the following details from a
What do you mean by ‘Condition of Lots’? first-time bidder to register and process an approval to bid:
All lots will be shipped out in an ‘as is’ condition,
meaning that the item is sold with all existing faults and (i) Name
imperfections. Due to the prevailing COVID-19 outbreak
situation, some of the lots for sale may not be available for (ii) Address
viewing or physical inspection. Saffronart encourages all
potential buyers to check the condition report of each lot (iii) Telephone Number
carefully before bidding and to not rely on an illustration
of any item given in the catalogue. Condition reports for all (iv) Email Address
lots are available as a free service, upon request.
(v) Know Your Customer (KYC) documents
What are special lots?
Lots marked as “Art Treasures” and/or “Antiquities” under (vi) Credit card information/financial references/deposits
the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 cannot be
exported outside India. Buyers are solely responsible for In some cases, Saffronart may request for a bidding limit
meeting the requirements of the Antiquities and Art value which is a per lot limit based on your current bid
Treasures Act, 1972 or any related state legislation. value. If you have bid or been approved to bid with
Saffronart before, please use your Saffronart login and
What are price estimates? password to accept the Conditions for Sale online.
Each lot has a price range listed. These estimates are based Please note the invoicing details provided at the time of
on characteristics of the lot such as condition, quality, registration cannot be changed after the sale.
rarity, provenance. These estimates are provided only as
a guide for buyers and do not include Buyer’s Premium How do I bid?
or applicable taxes. If applicable, there is a link for pricing
achieved for similar art works at auction available next to (i) Bidding online: Once you have identified the lot
the lot in the online catalogue. Price estimates may be that you would like to bid on, click on “Bid Now”
subject to revision. and enter either the bid amount for regular bidding,
or a maximum price for proxy/automatic bidding.
148 Regular bidding is the method by which you actively
participate in the bidding process by entering the
next valid bid (or one of a higher value) each time
you are outbid. Your screen will display the next
(minimum) valid bid, based on a predetermined
increment. You may also view the entire bid history
prior to making your decision. After you enter your
bid, it is advisable to view the bid history to verify

that your bid has been recorded. Please note that What is the currency of bidding?
bidders may be contacted during the auction for
bid verification in order to protect all bidders and Bids may be placed in US Dollars (USD) or Indian Rupees
maintain the efficacy of the process. (INR). However, only buyers in India may pay for their
purchases in INR at the close of the auction. All other
(ii) Bidding on the phone: Saffronart accepts requests buyers must complete payment in USD. Certain lots have
from bidders to place bids on the phone with our been marked with the sign . These lots are not situated
staff depending on availability. To avail of this service, in India and therefore may only be bid for and purchased in
you must be registered as a bidder. Please note that USD. Persons residing in India wishing to bid in USD must
the number of telephone lines available for telephone be eligible under the various foreign exchange regulations
bidding may be limited and this facility is provided at to make payments overseas. Please contact Saffronart for
the discretion of Saffronart. further details. Please see the exchange rate section in our
Conditions for Sale online.
(iii) Bidding on the mobile: Bidders may download a
software application from Saffronart onto their iOS What is an opening/start bid?
or Android mobile device and use it to place bids
during the sale. To avail of this service, you must be The opening/start bid is the value at which the auction
registered as a bidder. Download the app from the house starts the bidding on a particular lot. Absentee/
iTunes App store and/or the Google Play store. proxy bids received before the start of the auction will be
recorded as follows:
(iv) Absentee/Proxy bids: Bidders may place bids prior
to the sale either online or in writing by submitting (i) If the absentee/proxy bid is less than the opening
the absentee/proxy bid form. See the Absentee/ bid value, it will be recorded and displayed below
Proxy Bid Form available at the back of the printed the opening bid value at the time of the start of the
catalogue, or on the website. auction in the bid history for that particular lot.

What are bid increments? (ii) If the absentee/proxy bid is greater than the
opening bid value and is less than the next valid bid
Any new bid must be greater than the current highest bid for that lot (based on the minimum increments),
by a minimum increment. The next valid bid amount is it will be recorded and displayed as the current
the current highest bid plus the minimum increment highest bid above the opening bid value at the
value. The auctioneer may vary the increments during time of the start of the auction in the bid history
the course of the auction at his or her discretion. Online for that particular lot. The next valid bid, in this
bids, however, are accepted only at the next valid bid case, will be greater than the current highest bid by
based on the minimum increment. Please refer to the bid a minimum increment, which applies to that bid
increments at the back of the catalogue (on the reverse of value.
the Absentee/Proxy Bid Form).
(iii) Multiple absentee/proxy bids received on a
Can a bid be cancelled? particular lot before the start of the auction will
be recorded and displayed in the bid history of the
Once the auction has started, bids may not be cancelled lot according to the values with the highest bid
by a bidder. Absentee/Proxy bids may be altered prior to being the current valid bid at the time of the start
the start of the auction. Absentee/Proxy bids placed online of the auction. Absentee/proxy bids received at the
may be lowered if the bidder has not reached their proxy same value will be prioritised based on the time
(maximum) value. Saffronart reserves the right to cancel of receiving the bids and will be shown in the bid
a bid at its discretion if it considers it necessary to do so. history of the lot.

149

How do I track my bids? What is Buyer’s Premium?

Bidders can keep track of their bids under ‘My Bids’ In respect of each sale at the auction, Saffronart shall
on the page “My Auction Gallery”. For ease of tracking charge a Buyer’s Premium calculated at 20% of the winning
bids, bidders are advised to assign bidding nicknames to bid value of up to and including USD 2,777,777/ INR
themselves when prompted. 200,000,000; and 15% of the winning bid value in excess
of USD 2,777,777/ INR 200,000,000. For lots being shipped
The most updated bid values shall be shown only when from India, a GST (Goods and Services Tax) on the Buyer’s
the page on the website containing the information on bid Premium shall be payable by the buyer. This is applicable
values is refreshed, which shall happen either automatically for deliveries within India as well as overseas.
at regular intervals (indicated at the top of the page), or
when a bidder clicks on the “click to refresh immediately” How will I be invoiced?
link on the page, or on the “refresh” or “reload” button
on his/her internet browser. After the values on the page If you win a bid, you will be sent an email after the close
have been refreshed, any changes in bid values shall not be of the auction, containing an invoice for the winning bid
visible to the bidder until the values are refreshed again, plus additional charges (shipping, handling, duties and
either automatically or by the bidder. taxes, as applicable) and the Buyer’s Premium plus GST
at applicable rates. The invoicing details provided at the
We encourage bidders to set absentee/proxy bids for lots time of registration will be used to raise the invoice and no
they are interested in well in advance of the closing time changes will be accepted after the sale.
for a lot.
You may review acceptable modes of payment described
When does a lot sell? What are closing and winning bids? in the section below. If you are the winning bidder, you are
legally bound to purchase the item from Saffronart. Please
The closing bid for a lot is the highest bid at the time a note that purchases will not be shipped out until payment
particular lot’s bidding has ended. No further bids can be has been received and cleared.
made at that point. The closing bid is considered a winning
bid only if the bid equals or exceeds the reserve price. If What are additional charges?
the closing bid on a particular lot is below the reserve
price, it will not be considered a winning bid and the lot All post-sales expenses, including packing, insurance,
will be deemed unsold. However, if the closing bid belongs shipping, or handling charges, are borne by the buyer.
to a proxy bidder and is below the reserve price, but the Shipping will be charged on courier rates which are
proxy bidder’s maximum bid price exceeds or equals the determined by the value, origin, and destination of the
reserve price, then the lot will be sold to the proxy bidder package. Local deliveries will be charged at actuals.
at the reserve price. The winning bids for all sold lots will
be posted on the website after the close of the auction. You may choose to make your own arrangements for
shipping and handling. However, all documentation
Groups of lots are scheduled to close at different times requirements must be complied with. Please contact us
on the last day of the auction. The bid closing schedule for further details.
for each auction is listed online, and at the back of the
printed catalogue. Pre-determined groups of lots will What are the duties and taxes applicable on my purchase?
close according to the bid-closing schedule unless a bid
is recorded within a span of 2 minutes prior to the lot’s All duties and taxes applicable shall be borne by the buyer
scheduled closing time. In this case, the lot closing time and will depend on the value, origin, and destination of
will be extended to 2 minutes after the time of the last the package.
bid. If this time extension takes place, bidding on any lot
will only end if there is no bid recorded for a continuous (i) Deliveries in India for lots originating in India:
period of 2 minutes. Bidders are advised to click on the
“click to refresh immediately” link on the website page Any sale of lots originating from India to an address
being viewed by them, or on the “Refresh” link if bidding in India is subject to GST at applicable rates on the
on a mobile at regular intervals for updates on latest bids winning bid value and an 18% GST on the Buyer’s
and time extensions, if any. Premium. The final charges will be determined at the
close of the auction and will be sent by email to the
150 winning bidder.