Exquisite range of classical Indian arts at Todywalla Auctions

The auction's crown jewel is a captivating Mughal painting, ‘ladies on a palace terrace celebrate Diwali,’ attributed to the renowned artist Muhammad Afzal. This vibrant depiction of a Diwali celebration is estimated between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh

The cover image on the catalogue of the Todywalla Auctions’ Classical Indian Art Auction in Mumbai on 16 April could be an image from a contemporary lifestyle magazine — two young, beautifully bedecked girls celebrating Diwali with one holding out a burning sparkler in her hand as firecrackers light up the night sky in the background (the third girl appears to be an attendant of the princesses). This fabulous Mughal painting, Ladies on a palace terrace celebrate Diwali, is the most expensive painting on offer at the auction, estimated between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh.

Measuring 8.9 x 5.7 in. (22.6 x 14.4 cm.), the Diwali image is attributed to imperial Mughal artist Muhammad Afzal, painted in Delhi, circa 1730. Made in opaque watercolours on wasli (a type of handmade paper used for making miniatures, which developed in India in the 10th century) and surrounded by a gold border, this is one of the 60 paintings on offer at the auction, to be held in Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Colaba. Of the total 160 lots on offer, the rest comprise devotional and narrative textiles, stone / bronze / wooden idols and other figures, and decorative arts in silver.

Non-exportable heritage

Farokh S. Todywalla, a pioneer in the field of Indian numismatics who has conducted over 200 auctions, shares in the catalogue that his auction house’s foray into Classical Indian Art sales was a natural progression; it was the initiative of Malcolm F Todywalla, who heads the numismatic business at Todywalla Auctions. The upcoming auction is the third in the series of Classical Indian Art auctions by this auction house; the second was held in February 2023, which was a success.

Given the superlative lots on offer at this auction, it is difficult to pinpoint which category is likely to outshine the rest as each offers a carefully curated selection, giving a glimpse of the rich heritage of Indian arts, which not only display the exquisite skills of their creators but are also an epitome of the splendour of the times they were created in.

Farokh and Malcolm Todywalla share: “In this auction, we have imported paintings and stone sculptures from overseas, aligning with our commitment to repatriate our heritage to our beloved country. Although this endeavour has posed challenges, overcoming them has fuelled our optimism for a smoother process in the future. Concurrently, we applaud the government’s efforts in reducing the hurdles that were more pronounced a decade ago.”

For those not clued in, National Art Treasures and any item that is over 100 years old, or 75 years old in case of manuscripts, are considered antiques and are non-exportable and cannot be taken out of India.

Some Highlights

The Diwali painting is definitely a highlight, as mentioned earlier, and the auction house informs that a counterpart resides in the Freer Gallery of Art at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C.

Another stunning lot is an intact, large and very important Pala stele depicting Vishnu, from Bengal and dated to 11th century. It is a little over 3 ft tall and a little under 2 ft in breadth (40 h x 21 w x 9 d in. / 101.6 x 53 x 22.8 cm.), and the idol of Vishnu is not just majestic but spell binding with his broad shoulders, elaborate jewellery, holding a conch, a discus and flanked by his consorts Lakshmi and Saraswati on either side. The goddesses are depicted on a smaller scale at the base of the stele, and the whole view is framed by an ogival arch. This lot is estimated at Rs 30 lakh – Rs 50 lakh, perhaps the most expensive lot on offer.

The most remarkable aspect of the Vishnu stele is its impeccable condition even though it was created over a millennium ago. The auction house informs that a comparable but smaller piece with its arms missing is housed in the National Museum, New Delhi, making this upcoming lot a rare and a very fine antiquity on offer.

A refreshing highlight are paintings from colonial era but not necessarily from Bengal—which often hijacks the limelight for art from this period—but also from Bundelkhand, Tanjore, Trichnopoly, Madurai, Vellore, Patna, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Nathdwara, Kota, Gujarat, etc. Enchanting are social paintings from Tanjore, such as The Bridegroom and his Companions in a Musical Soiree, and Marriage Procession, both painted circa 1840. These are a delightful window into the customs of the time, and the stylisation is a pointer towards a syncretic painting tradition of pre-modern India. Both these paintings are estimated at Rs 3 lakh – Rs 5 lakh. Two religious paintings, also in Tanjore style, are equally attractive. One is titled The Procession of Taziyas at Muharram, in Tanjore style but from Pondicherry, and the other is Priests and Devotees Carrying a Processional Image of Shiva-Parvati (with Ravana attempting to throw down Mount Kailash), in Tanjore style from Vellore. Both are dated c. 1840; while the former is estimated at Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, the latter is estimated at Rs 4 lakh – Rs 6 lakh.

The small section of folk embroidery is enchanting, featuring Chamba Rumals, rumals (handkerchiefs) from Nurpur, Punjab and Bhadrawah-Kishtwar. All of these are approximately estimated at Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.

The stone relief statues/ steles, mostly religious, mark an imposing presence. Exquisite and elegant is a black stone stele depicting Tara, from Odisha, 11th-12th century. It shows the calm Buddhist goddess standing in tribhanga pose on a double lotus, and is approx. 2 ft high. It is estimated at Rs 18 lakh – Rs 28 lakh.

A large and impressive Shwetambar Jain Chaubisi Shrine in bronze, from Gujarat, and dated 1524 Vikram Samvat (1467 CE) is estimated at Rs 4 lakh – Rs 6 lakh.

The silverware on offer pushes our gaze to the later years of colonial rule with distinct Anglo-Indian pieces on offer. A three-piece silver tea set by Peter Orr & Sons, late 19th century, and a five-piece silver tea set by Grish Chunder Dutt, Calcutta, circa 1890, are both estimated at Rs 5 lakh – Rs 7 lakh.

The pièce de résistance in this section is a very important silver presentation vase commissioned in Bombay in 1895 to commemorate the election of Sir Mancharjee Merwanjee Bhownaggree, born in Bhavnagar (Gujarat), to the British Parliament from the London constituency of Bethnal Green North East, becoming the third and the longest serving MP of Indian descent in British Parliament until modern times. This vase, carrying a dedicatory inscription, is estimated at Rs 6.5 lakh to Rs 8.5 lakh.

Todywalla Auctions’ Classical Indian Art Auction 3 will be held on April 16 at Taj Mahal Palace, Colaba, Mumbai. For details, www.todywallaauctions.com.

(The writer is a New Delhi-based journalist, columnist and commentator on arts, culture, society and more)