Rare books from colonial India to lead StoryLTD aution

Rare gilt-bound books, vintage photographs and old maps will go under the hammer at the upcoming online auction of StoryLTD, an art purchasing platform launched by Saffronart.
The auction features with books on cartography and photography.
The collection which comprises of 82 pieces representing 200 years of colonial India, features one of the rarest books from the period, titled "Gaur: It's Ruins and Inscriptions" by John Henry Ravenshaw, an employee of the Bengal Civil Service.
The book is tipped with photographs which he took while his stay in Gaur (between 1865 and 1867).
Gaur, which was once known as Lakshmanavati, was the ancient capital of the rulers of Bengal, and became an important provincial centre of Islamic culture between fourteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Following that, the region underwent a decline, which Ravenshaw has described as, "a lamentable wreck of its former elegance and grandeur".

The book is estimated at Rs 7 - 8 lakh.
The sale will also have books on descriptive ethnology of Bengal and a magnificent photographic record of 1903 Durbar in Delhi, to commemorate king Edward VII.
An exquisite set miniature maps of India dated 1598-1618 and a book titled 'L'Inde des Rajahs'(India of the Rajas) by French writer and photographer Louis Rousselet, estimated at Rs 80,000 - 1,00,000 and Rs 40,000 - 60,000 respectively.
The maps range from engraved, hand-coloured, topographical renderings, to records of early settlements in India and around the world.

"The categories in this auction present some of the earliest recordings of official events such as coronations, battle scenes, and ethnographic studies of Indian life.
"Previous auctions of rare books have been well-received, highlighting a growing interest in the category among serious collectors," Saffronart said.
Photographs at the auction include rare, hand-coloured portraits of royal families, and albumen photographs of Indian monuments which are estimated between Rs 25,000 - 6 lakh.
The auction which begins on December 13, is set to continue till December 14.