Sotheby's plans Indian miniature painting sale in UK

International auction house Sotheby's today announced a major Indian miniature paintings sale as part of its India and Islamic Art Week next month, which would include works ranging from the royal courts of the 16th century to the British Raj.
The Sven Gahlin Collection, described as a landmark single-owner sale, comprises 157 lots of finely painted Indian miniature paintings.
"Ranging from the 16th to the 19th centuries and encompassing the Mughal, Deccani and Rajput courts, as well as Company School painting from the period of the British Raj, these works are remarkable for their distinguished provenance and exhibition history," Sotheby's said in a statement.

"Many of the paintings are signed by or attributed to royal court artists, commissioned by the elite of the age, providing a glimpse into the refinement, power and privilege of courtly life," it said.
The collector Sven Gahlin is renowned for his connoisseurship and began actively collecting in the 1960s.
The majority of the collection to go under the hammer has not been seen on the market for decades.
The collection will go on show for the first time at Sotheby's New Bond Street Galleries in London from October 2, ahead of the auction on October 6.
Estimates of the lots range from 500 pounds to 80,000 pounds and the highlights include portraits of Emperor Bahadur Shah I and Akbar.