A pair of gold-plated rimmed, circular glasses reportedly belonging to Mahatma Gandhi — Father of the Nation — is set to be auctioned for about $19,000 on August 21 in London. Unlike other Indian artefacts, this one was not stolen but was a gift. Dropped at the auctioneer’s office in Bristol, southwest England, the note with the glasses read: ‘These belonged to Gandhi, and my uncle was given them when he was working in South Africa’.
The auctioneer of East Bristol Auction, Andy Stowe, quoted by the CNN, has found that the dates and the facts match up fine. While the auctioneers are expecting the bids to go higher than what they have priced, here’s a look at some other Indian artefacts which fetched big amounts under the hammer.
1. The Sword of Tipu Sultan
Rare artefacts from the pioneer of rocket artillery and ruler of Mysore Tipu Sultan’s armoury, including his personal sword, fetched £107,000 during a 2019 auction in Berkshire in southeast England. The highlighted items included a silver-mounted 20-bore flintlock gun and bayonet, a gold-encrusted sword and suspension belt ensemble, and personal swords of the Mysore’s last king. The items were brought back by Major Thomas Hart of the East India Company after the Sultan’s defeat at Seringapatam in 1799.
Among Indian Heritage Items That Fetched Big at Auctions, Tipu Sultan's 20-bore flintlock gun and bayonet pic.twitter.com/CxzEyY85Bs
— Aakriti Sharma (@_aakritisharma) August 10, 2020
2. Golconda Diamond
In 2019, the Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence collection comprising a 17-carat Golconda diamond "Arcot II" owned by the Nawab of Arcot, antique diamond Riviere necklace belonging to Nizam were among the 400 lots of royal Indian jewellery that sold for $109,271,875 / £87,138,656.
The exhibition by global auction house Christie's in New York is the highest for any auction of Indian art and Mughal objects. A Ceremonial Sword of the Nizam of Hyderabad bagged $1,935,000, establishing a new World Auction Record for an Indian Sword.
17th century Mughal artefact sold at Christie's Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence auction pic.twitter.com/ZotWwuUXao
— Aakriti Sharma (@_aakritisharma) August 10, 2020
3. Necklace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Wife
In a fierce bidding war in 2018, an emerald and seed-pearl necklace owned by Queen Jindan Kaur, the wife of Sikh emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was sold for £187,000. Jindan Kaur’s necklace was among a number of treasures from the Lahore Treasury auctioned as part of the 'Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art Sale'. Kaur moved to England in 1843, where she was reunited with her son and jewellery.
Maharani Jindan Kaur's necklace pic.twitter.com/HgDbL0Ti1T
— Aakriti Sharma (@_aakritisharma) August 10, 2020
4. Memorabilia Including Possessions of Mahatma Gandhi
A sale of rare Indian memorabilia comprising Mahatma Gandhi's most prized possessions, historical documents and artefacts by Mullock’s auction house in Shropshire in 2013 fetched £212,499, of which £149, 485 were collected from items that belonged to Gandhi. His eight-decade old mobile spinning wheel he used in Yerwada jail during the Quit India Movement went for £110,000.
Mahatma Gandhi's mobile spinning wheel pic.twitter.com/lFhqPJOKN7
— Aakriti Sharma (@_aakritisharma) August 10, 2020
5. Mughal Era Items
Another auction of Mughal items by Christie’s in 2004 fetched £4.7 million. The items were brought to Britain by Robert Clive, who is credited with laying the foundation of British rule in India with the 1757 Battle of Plassey. It is unknown how he got the items to Britain, butthe highest selling item among the collection was a 17th century jewelled flask that went for £2.9 million.
