An intricate painting of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and two pistols made for Tipu Sultan helped set a new auction record for Sotheby’s in London this week.
The “Arts of the Islamic World and India” sale on Wednesday fetched over 10 million pounds with both historical Indian auction lots far exceeding their guide price estimates.
The painting of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, depicting the 19th-century founder of the Sikh Empire moving in a procession through a bazaar, by artist Bishan Singh set a new record for Sikh art as it was acquired by an institution for 9,52,500 pounds.
On the other hand, the 18th century Mysore ruler’s silver-mounted flintlock pistols, made especially for him, were sold to a private collector for almost 14 times the estimate for 1.1 million pounds.
Describing Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s painting, the Sotheby’s catalogue entry said, “This wonderfully detailed processional scene depicts Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh leader, riding his elephant through a bazaar in Lahore.”
“He is accompanied by an extravagant court entourage; his chowrie and chatra bearers and his falconer by his side, preceded by horse and camel-drawn carriages carrying his son Sher Singh and a courtesan, and his spiritual and political advisors – Bhai Ram Singh and Raja Gulab Singh. In the foreground ascetics and street performers jostle for the Maharaja’s attention and in the background an array of craftsmen, kite-makers and vendors busily trade their wares,” it observed.
In line with many of his swords and weapons in the past, Tipu Sultan’s pistols go back to the siege of Seringapatam by the East India Company in May 1799, during which the Mysore ruler was killed and his prized possessions, including his firearms, were looted and taken to Britain.
“An unusual aspect of Tipu Sultan’s pistols is that they are often made mirrored, one with a left-hand lock and the other with a right-hand lock. This combination appears to have been preferred by Tipu Sultan, and they appeared among his other trappings of state when he presided over his public audiences,” said the catalogue entry.
Apart from the pistols, a silver-mounted flintlock blunderbuss or bukmar firearm made for Tipu Sultan sold for 5,71,500 pounds. The first lot in the sale, a rare late 16th century Quran manuscript from the library of Mughal Emperor Akbar in India, led to a 15-minute bidding contest to finally go under the hammer for 8,63,600 pounds.
Among the other Indian highlights at the auction were a set of albums containing 52 paintings of Indian costumes, held in the same family since the original commission 225 years ago, which fetched 6,09,600 pounds. A Mughal jade “horsehead” hilted dagger and scabbard also exceeded expectations to fetch 4,06,400 pounds, while a 17th century painting of elephants frolicking in a mountain lake in India sold for 1,39,700 pounds.
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