EVENING SALE | NEW DELHI, LIVE (17 SEPTEMBER 2022)

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, 6 April 2022, 10 pm Indian Standard Time
(12.30 pm US Eastern Time and 4.30 pm UK Time on 6 April 2022)

Close: Thursday, 7 April 2022, 8 pm Indian Standard Time onwards
(10.30 am US Eastern Time and 2.30 pm UK Time on 7 April 2022)

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

PREVIEW AND VIEWINGS MUMBAI LONDON

NEW DELHI Preview and Cocktails Viewings
Thursday, 31 March 2022 21 March – 7 April 2022
Preview and Cocktails 7 pm onwards 11 am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday
Wednesday, 16 March 2022 Weekends by appointment
7 pm onwards Viewings
15 March – 7 April 2022 Venue
Viewings 11 am – 7 pm, Monday to Friday 73 New Bond Street
15 March – 7 April 2022 Saturday (by appointment only) 1st Floor
11 am – 7 pm, Monday to Friday London, W1S 1RS
Saturday (by appointment only) Venue
Industry Manor, Ground Floor,
Venue Appasaheb Marathe Marg,
The Oberoi Prabhadevi, Mumbai 400025
Dr Zakir Hussain Marg
New Delhi 110003 

SALES TEAM AND AUCTION ENQUIRIES

Mumbai Contact: Punya Nagpal, Dhanashree Waikar, Shaheen Virani,
Aashish Dubey, Deepika Shah or Aditi Parab
Email: [email protected] | Contact: +91 22 68554100

New Delhi Contact: Amit Kapoor or Darpana Capoor | Email: [email protected]
Contact: +91 11 24369415

USA Contact: Anu Nanavati | Email: [email protected] | Tel: +1 212 627 5006
UK 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

197



Lots 56 ‒ 76

Closing Time: Thursday, 7 April 2022
Closing time: 8 pm (IST)

10.30 am (US Eastern Time)

200

56

GANESHA

18th century
Brass
Height: 3 in (7.6 cm)
Width: 2 in (5 cm)
Depth: 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
$2,705 ‒ 4,055
Rs 2,00,000 ‒ 3,00,000
NON‒EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Natesan’s Antiqarts, Mumbai
Private Collection, Mumbai

T he present lot depicts Ganesha, the lord of wisdom and the remover of all obstacles, who is perhaps the
most revered deity in India. Sculptural representations of Ganesha are seen from the 5th century onwards,
from various regions of India. The style, proportion and ornamentation varies from dynasty to dynasty.
Ganesha is shown standing here, with his two upper arms branching out to hold a noose and a conch respectively.
His long trunk dips into his cupped lower hand, while his other lower hand bears his broken tusk.

201

202

57 T he Cholas ruled Thanjavur from the 9th
‒ 13th century and built many temples
STANDING DEVI and commissioned the making of various
metal sculptures during their reign. Bronzes made
Southern India, 13th century during their time are “acknowledged as masterpieces
Bronze today... Many of these early masterpieces were royal
Height: 6.6 in (16.8 cm) donations, dedicated for worship by kings and
Width: 2.4 in (6 cm) queens.” (R Nagaswamy,  Timeless Delight: South
Depth: 2 in (5.3 cm) Indian Bronzes in the Collection of the Sarabhai
Foundation, Vadodara: Sarabhai Foundation, 2006, p.
$10,815 ‒ 16,220 22) The present lot is a bronze sculpture of Devi in
Rs 8,00,000 ‒ 12,00,000 the tribhanga pose with her right arm held gracefully
by her side in the dola hasta mudra. The delicate yet
NON‒EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY firm lines of her body are enhanced by her ornate
jewellery and the girdle around her waist.
PROVENANCE
Natesan’s Antiqarts, Mumbai 203
Private Collection, Mumbai

T he present lot depicts the
Buddha seated below an
intricately carved arch. He
is shown with his right hand reaching
for the ground in the bhumisparsha
or “earth‒touching” mudra, a gesture
that represents the moment in his
awakening when he calls upon the
earth to witness his enlightenment.
Medieval Nepal had a rich heritage of
bronze casting, with a majority of the
sculptures produced being Buddhist in
theme.

58

LORD BUDDHA WITH ARCH

Nepal, 17th century
Bronze
Height: 63.8 in (162 cm)
Width: 42 in (106.5 cm)
Depth: 26.5 in (67.5 cm)
$33,785 ‒ 47,300
Rs 25,00,000 ‒ 35,00,000
NON‒EXPORTABLE
REGISTERED ANTIQUITY
PROVENANCE
Christie’s, New York, 29 October 1981, lot 76
Natesan’s Antiqarts, Mumbai
Private Collection, Mumbai

205

206

59

STANDING VISHNU
WITH PRABHA

Kerala, 12th century
Bronze
Height: 11.2 in (28.5 cm)
Width: 8 in (20.5 cm)
Depth: 5.6 in (14.2 cm)
$16,220 ‒ 24,325
Rs 12,00,000 ‒ 18,00,000
NON‒EXPORTABLE
REGISTERED ANTIQUITY
PROVENANCE
Natesan’s Antiqarts, Mumbai
Private Collection, Mumbai

“ I n Hindu mythology Vishnu is first and foremost a savior, sweeping down from his lofty abode to bring
peace and balance to a beleaguered earth. Sometimes he remains in his heavenly abode while saving
the day: four armed, holding a discus and a conch shell.” (Joan Cummins ed., Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue
Skinned Saviour, Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 2011, p. 11)
This 12th century bronze sculpture of Lord Vishnu comes from Kerala, which has produced great bronze figures
since ancient times. Kerala bronzes from the time exhibit a distinct style, with the figures being full‒bodied and
lavishly ornamented. This is evident in the present lot, where the deity is depicted wearing an ornate conical
crown, multiple necklaces, thick armbands and wristband.

207

60

TIRTHANKARA MAHAVIR

Southern India, 11th century
Stone
Height: 48 in (122 cm)
Width: 31 in (79 cm)
Depth: 15 in (38 cm)
$27,030 ‒ 40,545
Rs 20,00,000 ‒ 30,00,000
NON‒EXPORTABLE
REGISTERED ANTIQUITY
PROVENANCE
Natesan’s Antiqarts, Mumbai
Private Collection, Mumbai

208

J ainism is based on a philosophy of emancipation from the endless cycle of reincarnations through the path
of non‒violence. “The Jains believe in a group of twenty‒four Jinas; each is also known as a tirthankara, or
‘forder’, who traverses the gulf between samsara, or the phenomenal world, and liberation.” (Pratapaditya
Pal ed., The Peaceful Liberators: Jain Art from India, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art and New
York: Thames and Hudson Inc., 1994, p. 14) Vardhamana Mahavir is the last of these 24 tirthankaras or enlightened
beings who preach spirituality. Pictured in this 11th century stone sculpture is Tirthankara Mahavir seated in the
lotus pose or padmasana, in dhyana mudra. The present lot reflects the philosophy of asceticism and renunciation
that is characteristic to Jain art from the time.

209

210

61

DWARAPALA

Southern India, 11th century
Granite
Height: 68 in (173 cm)
With: 30 in (76 cm)
Depth: 15.3 in (39 cm)

$40,545 ‒ 54,055
Rs 30,00,000 ‒ 40,00,000

NON‒EXPORTABLE
REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

This sculpture is mounted on
a wooden base measuring
8 x 30 x 23 in (20.5 x 76 x 58.5 cm)

PROVENANCE
Natesan’s Antiqarts, Mumbai
Private Collection, Mumbai

T his 11th century granitesculpturedepicts

a Dwarapala or a

guardian figure usually placed on

either side of the main doors of

a temple. In ancient times, these

door guardians or gatekeepers

were carved in both male as well

as female forms, with the latter

being called Dwarapalikas.

211

212

62

GODDESS SRIDEVI

Vijayanagar, Tamil Nadu, 14th century
Stone
Height: 46 in (117.3 cm)
Width: 19 in (48.5 cm)
Depth: 11 in (28 cm)
$27,030 ‒ 40,545
Rs 20,00,000 ‒ 30,00,000
NON‒EXPORTABLE
REGISTERED ANTIQUITY
This sculpture is mounted on a
wooden base measuring
10.4 x 17.2 x 14.2 in (26.5 x 43.7 x 36 cm)

PROVENANCE
Natesan’s Antiqarts, Mumbai
Private Collection, Mumbai

B elonging to the extensive body
of stone and metal sculptures
created during the reign of the
Cholas, the present lot depicts Sridevi,
one of the two consorts of Lord Vishnu,
who stands for material wealth and
prosperity. Her body is adorned by flat
necklaces, bracelets and arm bands that
are carved in the typical Chola tradition.
Her upper body has a breast band
(unlike her sister Bhudevi whose chest
is usually bare), while her lower body is
wrapped in a dhoti, the folds of which
cascade down to her ankles in parallel
waves. It is particularly interesting to
note how the forward bend in her left
knee and the corresponding upward
movement of her right hip imparts
a relaxed posture to the goddess ‒ a
style that was prevalent within Chola
sculptures of this period.

213



63 T his elaborately carved wooden panel
originates from old architecture in Kerala.
WOODEN PANEL The region has had one of the earliest
and finest wood working traditions in India. Most
Kerala, Circa 16th century examples of early Kerala wood that can be found
Wood today date back to the 17th century, and only very
Height: 50.7 in (129 cm) few examples date back to as early as the 15th or 16th
Width: 53 in (134.7 cm) century, making the present lot very rare.
Depth: 3.7 in (9.6 cm)

$16,220 ‒ 24,325
Rs 12,00,000 ‒ Rs 18,00,000

Non - Exportable Registered Antiquity

PROVENANCE
Natesan’s Antiqarts, Mumbai
Private Collection, Mumbai

215

216

T he presence and influence of the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and the British in
Bengal, over a period of about four centuries, led to the eventual emergence of
the Early Bengal School of painting. This was because each group left behind “an
imprint not only on the history, politics and economics that have shaped this fertile east
Indian riverine state, but also on the Bengali’s cultural taste and appetite. Art, architecture,
fashion, cuisine and much else in Bengal is deeply subject to her colonial moorings and
reflects the hybrid nature of her inheritance.” (Paula Sengupta, “White, Black and Grey: The
Colonial Interface,” Kishore Singh ed., The Art of Bengal, New Delhi: DAG, 2012, p. 10)
This led to “a steady influx of art objects, paintings and prints from Europe that the
traditional Bengali artisan now had before him as role models. Putting their inherent skills
to new use, these artisans developed a technique and a style that is unique in the history of
painting and printmaking.” (Singh ed., p. 11)

217

While the Abanindranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose‒led Bengal School of painting is
recognised as having formally begun around 1905, the Early Bengal School is believed to
have flourished in the state around the late 19th century. The artists of this school, who
remain largely anonymous till date, combined the artistic styles of the East and the West
to forge a direction that was vastly different from any other artistic movement prevalent
during this time. Though they were trained in oil painting and the “values of Western
academism and the lofty ideals of ‘high’ art” by the British colonisers in the hope of creating
a group of “native drawing masters” for their own needs, these artists chose to paint
mythological and religious scenes instead. (Singh ed., p. 11)

Due to this, the paintings they created “represented gods and goddesses of the Hindu
pantheon, the Krishna legend, the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, and popular myths
and legends. The courtesan too was a popular subject of representation. These subjects
are, in fact, important to locate how the traditional folk style was merging with European
nationalism… From single portraits of goddess Kali or other goddesses, there appeared
elaborate scenes of Mahabharata and other epics and ever bolder attempts of newer
interpretation of traditional subjects like ‘Raga‒mala’. In all these attempts an unmistakable
amount of miniature painters’ skill, both in form and rendering of details in dress and
ornaments is noticeable, but in a magnified version on canvas.” (Paula Sengupta quoted in
Kishore Singh ed., “Anonymous (Early Bengal),” Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art II, New
Delhi: DAG, 2017, p. 24)

The Early Bengal School artists, as a result, showed tremendous skill in their use of oil paint,
as observed in lots 64 and 65. They utilised elements from Company School paintings,
Kalighat patuas, miniature paintings, court paintings and Western academic realist works
to create a style that was uniquely their own. Here, greater emphasis was placed on local
figures and narratives, making it a truly indigenous school of art.

This is particularly evident in lots 64 and 65 since both depict recognisable characters from
Hindu epics. Lot 64 is a rendition of a young Ganesha seated on his mother’s lap, while
lot 65 is a rendition of Krishna, “one of the most widely worshipped and popular of all
Hindu deities”, with his consort Radha. Particular attention has been paid to the details of
Ganesha’s trunk and his mother Janani’s features and jewellery, and to the popular narrative
around Krishna’s dark skin tone and Radha’s fairer one. This was because “the anonymous
artists of the Early Bengal style created a judicious and inventive blending of the East
and the West, retaining traditionally prescribed elements as the deities’ iconography,
the rendition of their complexion and attributes; and drew on traditional art, from the
miniature tradition to the pat, for details of jewellery and clothing styles.” (Supriya Consul
quoted in Kishore Singh ed., Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art II, p. 27)

218

219

64 PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Kolkata
EARLY BENGAL SCHOOL Acquired from the above

Untitled (Ganesh Janani)

Late 19th century
Oil on canvas pasted on canvas
23.5 x 17.75 in (60 x 45 cm)

$16,220 ‒ 20,275
Rs 12,00,000 ‒ 15,00,000

NON‒EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

220

65 PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Mumbai
EARLY BENGAL SCHOOL Acquired from the above

Untitled (Radha and Krishna)

Late 19th century
Oil on canvas
21.25 x 17.25 in (54 x 44 cm)

$16,220 ‒ 20,275
Rs 12,00,000 ‒ 15,00,000

NON‒EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

221

T he Kalighat pat tradition emerged
in Bengal in the latter half of the 18th
century as a popular art form that
thrived in the local bazaars and was created by
the “semi‒urban, semi‒literate traditional artist
and craftsperson… These mythological and
social pictures catered to the semi‒educated
masses that thronged the suburbs of the city and
the mofussil towns.” (Paula Sengupta quoted in
Kishore Singh ed., “Anonymous (Kalighat Pat),”
Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art, New Delhi:
DAG, 2016, p. 40)

The tradition of  patuas, or scroll painting,
has been extant in Bengal for centuries. Each
district in the state developed its own style of
scroll painting. Among them, the Kalighat pat
is considered to be the most famous since it
“developed out of the rural Bengali folk tradition
of scroll painting accompanied by vocal
renditions of the illustrated narrative.” (Singh ed.,
p. 40) The Kalighat pat artists generally turned
towards mythological tales and religious pictures
that had been passed down over generations,
either orally or in the form of manuscripts,
for inspiration when it came to creating these
works.

The appeal of a Kalighat pat lies in its simplicity
even today. “In keeping with its folk lineage, the
Kalighat pats displayed a distinctly linear style
of rendition, bold stylisation of forms, and the
use of bright, opaque colours despite the shift
to water colours. The use of shading is possibly
to reinforce the rhythmic nature of the outlines
and the rotund contours of the human and
animal figures rather than to suggest volume.”
(Singh ed., p. 43)

This is particularly evident in the two works
that make up the present lot. The smooth
lines highlight the woman in both works while
conveying the essence of the scene or characters
depicted, rather than relying on how the eye
perceives reality.

ab EXHIBITED
Navrasa: The Nine Emotions of Art, New Delhi:
66 DAG, 18 December 2020 ‒ 10 January 2021

KALIGHAT PAT PUBLISHED
Navrasa: The Nine Emotions of Art, New Delhi:
a) Untitled (Woman Playing a Musical Instrument, Tanpura) DAG, 2020, p. 38 (illustrated)
West Bengal, Mid 19th century
Watercolour highlighted with silver pigment on paper 223
15.5 x 10.5 in (39.4 x 26.7 cm)

b) Untitled (Woman with Peacock)
West Bengal, Mid 19th century
Watercolour highlighted with silver pigment on paper
15.5 x 10.5 in (39.4 x 26.7 cm)

$10,815 ‒ 16,220
Rs 8,00,000 ‒ 12,00,000

(Set of two)

NON‒EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Acquired from San Francisco galleries in the late 1970s-early 1980s
Private Collection, USA
Bonhams, London, 23 October 2018, lot 154 b) and f)
Private Collection, New Delhi

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, NEW DELHI
67

NANDALAL BOSE (1882‒1966)

Untitled
Signed and dated in Bengali (lower left)
1953
Pen and ink on paper
14 x 8.25 in (35.5 x 21 cm)
$5,410 ‒ 6,760
Rs 4,00,000 ‒ 5,00,000
NON‒EXPORTABLE
NATIONAL ART TREASURE
PROVENANCE
Acquired from Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi

“The purpose of all arts is the same. Poetry, sculpture, painting,
dance, music and the rest want to capture the rhythm of delight
inherent in all creation.” ‒ NANDALAL BOSE

O ne of India’s most influential Bengal School artists, Nandalal Bose sought to reinvigorate Indian art by
rooting it back in Indian tradition, shunning the Western academic approach to art that prevailed
at the time. “Although Nandalal Bose was well aware of the prevailing international trends in arts, he
remained nationalistic to the core. He invariably preferred oriental to Western trends which he improvised and
transformed so that his conceptual and visual manifestations were truly Indian.” (Pran Nath Mago, Contemporary
Art in India: A Perspective, New Delhi: National Book Trust, 2001, p. 34)

224

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, NEW DELHI Bose believed in an amalgamation of
artistic styles ‒ the photorealist approach
68 of both his early muses were fused with a
more indigenous approach to his subjects.
NANDALAL BOSE (1882‒1966) For him, “originality, nature and tradition”
were the three primary elements of art,
Untitled as is evident in his body of works as well
as lots 67 and 68. (Abhilasha Ojha quoted
Signed and dated in Bengali with artist’s stamp (upper right) in Kishore Singh ed., “Nandalal Bose,”
1959 Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art II, New
Ink on paper Delhi: DAG, 2017, p. 137) He also adapted
10 x 13 in (25.4 x 33 cm) Chinese and Japanese techniques, such as
calligraphy and wash, to suit an Indian ethos.
$5,410 ‒ 6,760 However, “the essential ingredients of his
Rs 4,00,000 ‒ 5,00,000 mature style were drawn from the artistic
traditions of the Ajanta and miniature
NON‒EXPORTABLE NATIONAL ART TREASURE schools.” (Mago, p. 34) Bose was deeply
influenced by mythology, the Upanishads,
PROVENANCE and other Indian doctrines, which formed
DAG, New Delhi the theoretical basis of his works.

225

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, NEW DELHI A member of the influential Tagore family,
69 Gaganendranath Tagore was a self‒taught
artist and caricaturist who significantly
GAGANENDRANATH contributed to the establishment of the Indian
TAGORE (1867‒1938) Society of Oriental Art in Calcutta. Much like his
cousin Abanindranath Tagore, he was deeply involved
Untitled (Darjeeling) in the formation and continuation of the Bengal
Initialled indistinctly (lower left) School of Art, adopting the school’s pan‒Asian
Circa 1920s artistic disciplines ‒ such as Japanese brushwork and
Watercolour on paper east Asian wash techniques ‒ in the majority of his
12 x 9 in (30.7 x 22.7 cm) works, including the present lot.
$16,220 ‒ 20,275
Rs 12,00,000 ‒ 15,00,000 Painted in 1920, the present lot belongs to
NON‒EXPORTABLE Gaganendranath’s extensive body of ethereal
NATIONAL ART TREASURE landscapes that were inspired by his homeland,
Bengal. He uses a soft, almost‒monochromatic
PROVENANCE palette and masterfully employs Bengal School’s
DAG, New Delhi characteristic wash technique to capture the depth,
Acquired from the above richness and serenity of this misty Darjeeling scenery.
“He saw the world introspectively and with his own
Gaganendranath Tagore eyes, and made pictures on original lines. Bengal in
Wikimedia Commons its different moods has been revealed in his work.’’
(Dinesh Chandra Sen, “Gaganendranath Tagore as I
Knew Him,” Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental
Art, Vol. 6, Calcutta: Indian Society of Oriental Art,
1938, p. 10)

Speaking of his nephew’s painting, Gaganendranath’s
uncle and Bengali literary and artist Rabindranath
Tagore remarks, “What profoundly attracted me
was the uniqueness of his creation, a lively curiosity
in his constant experiments, and some mysterious
depth in their imaginative value. Closely surrounded
by the atmosphere of a new art movement, … he
sought out his own untrodden path of adventure,
attempted marvellous experiments in colouring and
made fantastic trials in the magic of light and shade.”
(Rabindranath Tagore, Journal of the Indian Society of
Oriental Art, Vol. 6, pp. 1‒2)

226

227

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, NEW DELHI
70

BINODE BEHARI MUKHERJEE (1904‒1980)

Untitled (Nepal Temple Series)
Dated indistinctly, signed and inscribed in Bengali (lower right)
Circa 1940s
Watercolour and ink on paper
7.75 x 5 in (19.5 x 13 cm)
$4,055 ‒ 6,760
Rs 3,00,000 ‒ 5,00,000

PROVENANCE
Acquired from DAG, New Delhi

PUBLISHED
Kishore Singh ed., The Art of Santiniketan, New Delhi: DAG, 2015,
p. 287 (illustrated)

The present lot published in Kishore Singh ed., The Art of
Santiniketan, New Delhi: DAG, 2015, p. 287 (illustrated)

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN,
NEW DELHI
71

BINODE BEHARI
MUKHERJEE (1904‒1980)

Patna Three Figures
Signed indistinctly in Bengali
(lower centre)
1957
Watercolour on paper
12.25 x 16.25 in (31 x 41 cm)
$5,410 ‒ 8,110
Rs 4,00,000 ‒ 6,00,000

PROVENANCE
Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
Acquired from the above

228

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, NEW DELHI

72

ASIT KUMAR HALDAR (1890‒1964)

Untitled

Signed in Bengali with artist’s stamp (lower left)
Lacsit on board
14.25 x 11.25 in (36 x 28.5 cm)

$10,815 ‒ 13,515
Rs 8,00,000 ‒ 10,00,000

PROVENANCE
Acquired from DAG, New Delhi

229

73

K G SUBRAMANYAN (1924‒2016)

a) Untitled g) Untitled o) Untitled
Initialled in Tamil (lower centre)
Gouache and felt tip pen on paper Mixed media and collage on paper Initialled in Tamil (centre right)
pasted on mount board 8 x 5.5 in (20.3 x 14.2 cm) Mixed media on paper
7.25 x 7 in (18.5 x 17.7 cm) 10.25 x 7 in (26 x 17.5 cm)
(Double-sided)
b) Untitled p) Untitled
h) Untitled
Gouache and felt tip pen on paper Gouache on paper Initialled in Tamil (lower centre)
pasted on mount board 9.25 x 9.25 in (23.3 x 23.3 cm) Mixed media on paper
7.25 x 7 in (18.5 x 17.5 cm) 10.25 x 7 in (26 x 17.5 cm)
i) Untitled
c) Untitled Initialled in Tamil (lower left) q) Untitled
Mixed media and collage on paper
Initialled in Tamil (lower left) 8.5 x 5.75 in (22 x 14.5 cm) Initialled in Tamil (lower right)
Gouache, ink and charcoal on Mixed media on paper
paper j) Untitled 10.25 x 7 in (26 x 17.5 cm)
8.25 x 5.75 in (20.9 x 14.7 cm) Initialled in Tamil (lower centre)
Mixed media and collage on paper r) Untitled
d) Untitled 8.75 x 5.5 in (22.2 x 14.3 cm)
Initialled in Bengali and dated
Initialled in Tamil (lower right) k) Untitled ‘2014’ (lower centre)
Gouache, ink and charcoal on Initialled in Tamil (lower left) 2014
paper Mixed media and collage on paper Gouache, ink and charcoal on
8.25 x 5.75 in (21 x 14.7 cm) 8.75 x 5.5 in (22 x 14.3 cm) paper
14 x 10.5 in (35.9 x 27 cm)
e) Untitled l) Untitled
Initialled in Tamil (lower left) s) Untitled
Initialled in Tamil and dated ‘2015’ Mixed media and collage on paper
(lower right) 9 x 5.75 in (22.4 x 14.5 cm) Initialled in Tamil and dated ‘2015’
2015 (lower left)
Pastel on paper m) Untitled 2015
8 x 5.5 in (20.4 x 14.3 cm) Gouache on paper Gouache, ink and charcoal on
10.25 x 7 in (26 x 17.5 cm) paper
f) Untitled 14.25 x 10.5 in (36 x 27 cm)
n) Untitled
Initialled in Tamil and dated ‘2015’ Gouache on paper t) Untitled
(lower centre) 10.25 x 7 in (26 x 17.5 cm)
2015 Gouache, ink and pen on paper
Pastel on paper 10.5 x 7.25 in (27 x 18.5 cm)
8 x 5.5 in (20.4 x 14.3 cm)
(Double-sided)

$20,275 ‒ 27,030
RS 15,00,000 ‒ RS 20,00,000
(Set of twenty)

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist’s family
Private Collection, Vadodara

230

ab

c de f g front reverse

h i j kl

m n o pq

r s t front reverse

231

74

SADANAND BAKRE (1920‒2007)

Untitled
Signed and inscribed ‘S.K.Bakre/ 19 ST. HELENS
GDNS./ LONDON. W.10’ and further signed
and dated in Devnagari (on the reverse)
1960
Oil on board
13.75 x 10.25 in (34.9 x 26 cm)
$3,000 ‒ 5,000
Rs 2,22,000 ‒ 3,70,000
PROVENANCE
Acquired in London, circa 1960s
Thence by descent
Acquired from the above
Private Collection, UK

75

SADANAND BAKRE (1920‒2007)

Untitled
Signed ‘S.K.Bakre’ and signed and dated in
Devnagari (on the reverse)
1961
Oil on board
14.25 x 11 in (36.2 x 27.9 cm)
$3,000 ‒ 5,000
Rs 2,22,000 ‒ 3,70,000
PROVENANCE
Acquired in London, circa 1960s
Thence by descent
Acquired from the above
Private Collection, UK

232

76

BIKASH BHATTACHARJEE (1940‒2006)

Untitled

Signed and dated ‘Bikash 92’ (upper right)
1992
Pastel on paper pasted on cardboard
29.25 x 19 in (74 x 48 cm)

$8,110 ‒ 10,815
Rs 6,00,000 ‒ 8,00,000

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
An Important Private Collection, Mumbai

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234

Lots 77‒97

Closing Time: Thursday, 7 April 2022
Closing time: 8.15 pm (IST)
10.45 am (US Eastern Time)

235

77

SARBARI ROY CHOWDHURY (1933‒2012)

Head of a Woman
Signed in Bengali and inscribed ‘5/9’ (on the reverse)
1990
Bronze
Height: 8.75 in (22 cm)
Width: 3.25 in (8.5 cm)
Depth: 4.25 in (10.5 cm)
$4,055 ‒ 6,760
Rs 3,00,000 ‒ 5,00,000
Fifth from a limited edition of nine
The sculpture is mounted on a wooden base with a screw
and measures 4 x 6 x 6 in (10 x 15 x 15 cm)
PROVENANCE
Akar Prakar, Kolkata
EXHIBITED
Contours and Volumes, presented by Akar Prakar at New
Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1 ‒ 14 April 2012; Mumbai:
NGMA, 24 September ‒ 23 October 2013
PUBLISHED
R Siva Kumar, Sensibility Objectified: The Sculptures of
Sarbari Roy Choudhury, Kolkata: Akar Prakar; New Delhi:
Lalit Kala Akademi, 2009, p. 109 (illustrated, another from
the edition)
Contours and Volumes, Mumbai: NGMA; Kolkata: Akar
Prakar, 2013, p. 9 (illustrated, another from the edition)

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78

SATISH GUJRAL (1925‒2020)

Untitled

Signed in Devnagari and dated ‘90’ (lower left)
1990
Burnt wood, leather, cowrie shells and ceramic beads
Height: 35.75 in (90.8 cm)
Width: 33 in (83.8 cm)
Depth: 6.5 in (16.5 cm)

$18,920 ‒ 21,625
Rs 14,00,000 ‒ 16,00,000

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist
Private Collection, New Delhi

237

Prodosh Das Gupta
Image courtesy of the artist’s family

238

79

PRODOSH DAS GUPTA (1912‒1991)

Nest
Signed, dated and inscribed
‘P. Das Gupta/ 1975/ 3/9’ (on the reverse)
1975
Bronze
Height: 20.5 in (52.1 cm)
Width: 13.5 in (34.3 cm)
Depth: 14 in (35.6 cm)
$13,515 ‒ 20,275
Rs 10,00,000 ‒ 15,00,000
Third from a limited edition of nine
PROVENANCE
Acquired from the artist’s family
Private Collection, New Delhi
EXHIBITED
In Quest of Form and Content: Prodosh Das Gupta,
Mumbai: Akara Art, 27 September ‒ 26 October 2019
PUBLISHED
Virendra Kumar Jain ed., Prodosh Das Gupta:
Sculptures and Drawings, New Delhi: Kumar Gallery,
2008, p. 77 (illustrated, another from the edition)

239

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

Untitled

Signed, dated, stamped and inscribed ‘KKhanna/
10/6/16, BRONZE AGE/ LONDON 2/9’ (on the reverse)
2016
Bronze
Height: 32.25 in (81.9 cm)
Width: 26.25 in (66.7 cm)
Depth: 25 in (63.5 cm)

$27,030 ‒ 40,545
Rs 20,00,000 ‒ 30,00,000

Second from a limited edition of nine

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81

HIMMAT SHAH (b.1933)

Untitled
Inscribed and dated ‘2/5 06’ (at the base);
signed ‘HIMMAT’ (on the reverse)
2006
Bronze
Height: 33.5 in (85.1 cm)
Width: 8 in (20.3 cm)
Depth: 12.75 in (32.4 cm)
$16,220 ‒ 20,275
Rs 12,00,000 ‒ 15,00,000
Second from a limited edition of five
This work is mounted on a detachable
wooden base measuring
2.75 x 11.75 x 11.5 in (7 x 30 x 29.5 cm)
PROVENANCE
A Distinguished Private Collection, New Delhi
PUBLISHED
Gayatri Sinha ed., An Unreasoned Act of Being:
Sculptures by Himmat Shah, Ahmedabad: Mapin
Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 2007, pp. 26‒27 (illustrated,
another from the edition)

The present lot published in Gayatri Sinha ed., An Unreasoned
Act of Being: Sculptures by Himmat Shah, Ahmedabad: Mapin
Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 2007, pp. 26‒27 (illustrated, another from
the edition)

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“The mind moves through the object to the idea, and through
the idea to the object. Thus, the work becomes concrete and
abstract at the same time.” ‒ JAGDISH SWAMINATHAN

Jagdish Swaminathan
© Jyoti Bhatt

245

Swaminthan’s ‘Bird, Mountain, Tree’ series T he present lot belongs to Jagdish
features the three symbolic objects in various Swaminathan’s celebrated ‘Bird,
permutations, colours and relationships, and Mountain, Tree’ series which he began
exemplifies the beauty of basic symbols and working on in the late 1960s. Spanning over two
geometric shapes found especially in Central decades, paintings from this series feature the
India and Himachal Pradesh. three symbolic objects in various permutations,
colours and relationships, while retaining subtle
Untitled, 1983 distinctions.
Saffronart, Mumbai,
15 December 2021, lot 35 The series is indicative of Swaminathan’s
Sold for Rs 1.08 crores ($144,966) preoccupation with the creation of a truly Indian
modern art by turning inward and looking at the
Untitled, 1986 nation’s own folk and indigenous art traditions.
Saffronart, Drawing from basic symbols and geometric
26 March 2019, lot 24 shapes found particularly in Central India and
Sold for Rs 80.5 lakhs ($101,408) Himachal Pradesh, the paintings in the series
are “luminous and induce a meditative calm.
Untitled, 1983 They are suggestive, open to interpretation: as
Saffronart, New Delhi, an expression of the self’s unity with nature,
12 September 2019, lot 27 they can be seen as a visual equivalent to the
Sold for Rs 72 lakhs ($101,408) transcendental principle expounded in the
Upanishads. They also approximate the numen,
246 the basis of most primitive art. Formally, they
relate to the paintings of Paul Klee and to Pahari
miniatures ‒ Klee sought in his art the power
of communion and an affinity with nature;
the mystical aspirations are characteristic of
Kangra paintings.” (Amrita Jhaveri, A Guide to
101 Modern and Contemporary Indian Artists,
Mumbai: India Book House, 2005, p. 93)

Much like in Pahari miniature paintings,
Swaminathan used “sublime colour expanses”
in this series “to create imaginary worlds
that were poetic and often communicated
a deep tranquility.” (Abhilasha Ojha, “Jagdish
Swaminathan,” Masterpieces of Indian Modern
Art, New Delhi: DAG, 2016, p. 427) As evident
in the present lot, many other formal qualities
of miniature paintings can also be easily
recognised in these compositions ‒ the flat
expanse of saturated colour, the fine detailing
of the rocks, and the simple white bands that
contain these elements at the upper and lower
edges.