A curated collection of 101 collectible antiquarian books will go under the hammer at Saffronart's upcoming online auction, the Mumbai-based auction house announced Friday.
The sale on January 15-16 will feature books exploring the rich history, landscapes, social life, costumes and customs of the Indian subcontinent between the 17th and 19th centuries through unparalleled lithographs, photographs and illustrations.
Among the leading lots is a four-volume compilation titled "Les Hindous" (1804) by Belgian marine artist Frans Balthazar Solvyns. It is estimated at Rs 22-25 lakh.
The set includes 290 detailed, coloured etchings exploring themes such as professions, performing arts, entertainment, transportation, and native flora and fauna.
Each plate is accompanied by a French text, as well as its English translation.
Also part of the sale will be James Baillie Fraser's "Views in the Himala Mountains" (1820) that comprises 20 loose hand-coloured aqua tint plates and is estimated at Rs 30 - 40 lakhs.
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"Fraser explored the Himalayan region for two months with his brother in 1815-16, and the duo were the first Europeans to reach the sources of both the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, captured here in vivid illustrations," the auction house said in a statement.
"Scenery, Costumes and Architecture chiefly on the Western Side of India" (1826-30), featuring 36 aqua tint plates after drawings by Captain Robert Melville Grindlay, is expected to fetch Rs 12 - 15 lakh.
Grindlay, who arrived in India in 1803, and worked with the East India Company's military service, travelled widely across the country and made numerous drawings and sketches of the landscapes and life around him, including views of Bombay, Gujarat and Ellora.
"Our first auction of 2020 marks the first time that books are being auctioned as a category on Saffronart.
"While we have conducted numerous successful auctions of books including rare books, first editions and antiquarian books and maps on our sister website StoryLTD, this move underscores the growing importance and potential of this category," said Dinesh Vazirani, Saffronart's CEO and Co-Founder.
Other highlights of the auction include William Edwards' "Sketches in Scinde" (1846) that features hand-coloured lithographs, and is estimated at Rs 9 - 11 lakh; "Views of Calcutta Environs" (1848) by Sir Charles D'Oyly, which is expected to fetch Rs 9 - 11 lakh; and Bourne & Shepherd's "Royal Photographic Album", which is a large, rare folio album featuring original albumen prints documenting the extensive tour of the Prince of Wales to the Indian subcontinent (1875-76). The album is estimated at Rs 6 - 7 lakh.
The auction will take place on saffronart.com and will be preceded by viewings at the Saffronart gallery in Mumbai from January 8 16.
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