 "Himalayan art at Pundole's goes under the hammer")
It was in the late 1960s, when refugees from Tibet had started making their way into India in the wake of the 14th Dalai Lama’s self-exile in Dharamshala, that Roshan Sabavala started nurturing her love for art. Art enthusiasts such as Karl Khandalavala and Madhuri Desai, founder of the Bhulabhai Desai Institute, encouraged her. Unlike collectors in the ’60s and ’70s who were gravitating towards the emerging modernist scene in India, Sabavala started collecting ancient Nepalese and Indian bronzes and then artefacts from Tibet. It is from her collection that 121 lots of sculptures, paintings and silver will be auctioned at Pundole’s on December 16. “It is one of the finest collections of Himalayan art in the world. When her [twin] daughters approached us for the possibility of an auction, we readily agreed. Who would refuse such an opportunity!” says Dadiba Pundole, who runs the auction house with his wife Khorshed.
Sabavala’s daughter, Radhika, had wanted to preserve the collection in a museum. “We made several attempts but when those failed, we approached Pundole’s. At least, these pieces will be acquired by collectors who will cherish them,” she says. She remembers being in school when Sabavala started collecting art. “At first she started collecting Indian art. But when Tibetan refugees started coming in, she felt an instant connection with them. Her interest started as empathy and translated into an art collection. Theirs was a relatively undiscovered art form at the time,” says Radhika.
In December 1967, Sabavala and her sister, Kaity [Nariman], organised an exhibition of Tibetan material culture at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. “They raised around Rs 50,000 to help the refugees. The Dalai Lama acknowledged their effort,” says Pundole. The sisters then opened a shop in the city to sell Tibetan handicrafts. In 1970, Sabavala and her husband, Shahrokh, moved to Delhi after the latter joined the Tata Group. “Apparently, there used to be queues of refugees outside her house. From morning till lunch hour, Sabavala would spend time entertaining and helping them,” says Pundole.
Well-known Asian art scholar Pratapaditya Pal, who will be presenting two lectures in conjunction with the auction, first met Sabavala in the 1970s. He writes in the auction catalogue: “She voraciously acquired metal statues, thankas and ritual objects. Serendipity also brought her one charming stone sculpture from Kashmir, a couple of attractive metal images from Northeast India that had probably travelled to Tibet in the 12th century to return home centuries later and a few objects from Nepal. With 300 plus objects in the collection, she had certainly outdone the Tata brothers numerically.”
This rare stone sculpture from Kashmir, a 10th century piece showing Shiva and Parvati with their two sons, forms the first lot of the auction. Normal iconography usually shows Shiva with only his consort. “I asked Pal which pieces, in his opinion, stand out and he mentioned a set of five bronze stupas from the 12th-13th century [estimate price: Rs 1,50,000-2,50,000],” says Pundole. Pal also recommends lot 21, which is the Guanyin or Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara seated in vamardhaparyanka from China. “It is a gilt bronze statue. Even though, one of its arms is broken, it is still very rare,” says Pundole who rates the gilt bronze image of Kapaladhara Hevajra as another special piece. Dating to 13th/14th century, this sculpture from Nepal shows the 16-armed form of the Hevajra. Though, Radhika and her sister have given much of the collection to Pundole’s, they have retained a part of it for “emotional reasons”. Even though they are not as involved with the Tibetan community in India as their mother was, the name Sabavala still evokes a fond response among the refugees. “Whenever I travel to places with Tibetan settlements, I come across someone or the other who remembers her,” says Radhika.
The sisters then opened a shop in the city to sell Tibetan handicrafts. In 1970, Sabavala and her husband, Shahrokh, moved to Delhi after the latter joined the Tata Group. “Apparently, there used to be queues of refugees outside her house. From morning till lunch hour, Sabavala would spend time entertaining and helping them,” says Pundole.
Well-known Asian art scholar Pratapaditya Pal, who will be presenting two lectures in conjunction with the auction, first met Sabavala in the 1970s. He writes in the auction catalogue: “She voraciously acquired metal statues, thankas and ritual objects. Serendipity also brought her one charming stone sculpture from Kashmir, a couple of attractive metal images from Northeast India that had probably travelled to Tibet in the 12th century to return home centuries later and a few objects from Nepal. With 300 plus objects in the collection, she had certainly outdone the Tata brothers numerically.”
This rare stone sculpture from Kashmir, a 10th century piece showing Shiva and Parvati with their two sons, forms the first lot of the auction. Normal iconography usually shows Shiva with only his consort. “I asked Pal which pieces, in his opinion, stand out and he mentioned a set of five bronze stupas from the 12th-13th century [estimate price: Rs 1,50,000-2,50,000],” says Pundole.
Pal also recommends lot 21, which is the Guanyin or Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara seated in vamardhaparyanka from China. “It is a gilt bronze statue. Even though, one of its arms is broken, it is still very rare,” says Pundole who rates the gilt bronze image of Kapaladhara Hevajra as another special piece.
Dating to 13th/14th century, this sculpture from Nepal shows the 16-armed form of the Hevajra. Though, Radhika and her sister have given much of the collection to Pundole’s, they have retained a part of it for “emotional reasons”. Even though they are not as involved with the Tibetan community in India as their mother was, the name Sabavala still evokes a fond response among the refugees. “Whenever I travel to places with Tibetan settlements, I come across someone or the other who remembers her,” says Radhika.
Sabavala’s daughter, Radhika, had wanted to preserve the collection in a museum. “We made several attempts but when those failed, we approached Pundole’s. At least, these pieces will be acquired by collectors who will cherish them,” she says. She remembers being in school when Sabavala started collecting art. “At first she started collecting Indian art. But when Tibetan refugees started coming in, she felt an instant connection with them. Her interest started as empathy and translated into an art collection. Theirs was a relatively undiscovered art form at the time,” says Radhika.
In December 1967, Sabavala and her sister, Kaity [Nariman], organised an exhibition of Tibetan material culture at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. “They raised around Rs 50,000 to help the refugees. The Dalai Lama acknowledged their effort,” says Pundole. The sisters then opened a shop in the city to sell Tibetan handicrafts. In 1970, Sabavala and her husband, Shahrokh, moved to Delhi after the latter joined the Tata Group. “Apparently, there used to be queues of refugees outside her house. From morning till lunch hour, Sabavala would spend time entertaining and helping them,” says Pundole.
Well-known Asian art scholar Pratapaditya Pal, who will be presenting two lectures in conjunction with the auction, first met Sabavala in the 1970s. He writes in the auction catalogue: “She voraciously acquired metal statues, thankas and ritual objects. Serendipity also brought her one charming stone sculpture from Kashmir, a couple of attractive metal images from Northeast India that had probably travelled to Tibet in the 12th century to return home centuries later and a few objects from Nepal. With 300 plus objects in the collection, she had certainly outdone the Tata brothers numerically.”
This rare stone sculpture from Kashmir, a 10th century piece showing Shiva and Parvati with their two sons, forms the first lot of the auction. Normal iconography usually shows Shiva with only his consort. “I asked Pal which pieces, in his opinion, stand out and he mentioned a set of five bronze stupas from the 12th-13th century [estimate price: Rs 1,50,000-2,50,000],” says Pundole. Pal also recommends lot 21, which is the Guanyin or Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara seated in vamardhaparyanka from China. “It is a gilt bronze statue. Even though, one of its arms is broken, it is still very rare,” says Pundole who rates the gilt bronze image of Kapaladhara Hevajra as another special piece. Dating to 13th/14th century, this sculpture from Nepal shows the 16-armed form of the Hevajra. Though, Radhika and her sister have given much of the collection to Pundole’s, they have retained a part of it for “emotional reasons”. Even though they are not as involved with the Tibetan community in India as their mother was, the name Sabavala still evokes a fond response among the refugees. “Whenever I travel to places with Tibetan settlements, I come across someone or the other who remembers her,” says Radhika.
The Holy Family, blackstone from Kashmir, 10th-11th century, Rs 12,00,000-Rs 18,00,000
The sisters then opened a shop in the city to sell Tibetan handicrafts. In 1970, Sabavala and her husband, Shahrokh, moved to Delhi after the latter joined the Tata Group. “Apparently, there used to be queues of refugees outside her house. From morning till lunch hour, Sabavala would spend time entertaining and helping them,” says Pundole.
Well-known Asian art scholar Pratapaditya Pal, who will be presenting two lectures in conjunction with the auction, first met Sabavala in the 1970s. He writes in the auction catalogue: “She voraciously acquired metal statues, thankas and ritual objects. Serendipity also brought her one charming stone sculpture from Kashmir, a couple of attractive metal images from Northeast India that had probably travelled to Tibet in the 12th century to return home centuries later and a few objects from Nepal. With 300 plus objects in the collection, she had certainly outdone the Tata brothers numerically.”
This rare stone sculpture from Kashmir, a 10th century piece showing Shiva and Parvati with their two sons, forms the first lot of the auction. Normal iconography usually shows Shiva with only his consort. “I asked Pal which pieces, in his opinion, stand out and he mentioned a set of five bronze stupas from the 12th-13th century [estimate price: Rs 1,50,000-2,50,000],” says Pundole.
Pal also recommends lot 21, which is the Guanyin or Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara seated in vamardhaparyanka from China. “It is a gilt bronze statue. Even though, one of its arms is broken, it is still very rare,” says Pundole who rates the gilt bronze image of Kapaladhara Hevajra as another special piece.
Dating to 13th/14th century, this sculpture from Nepal shows the 16-armed form of the Hevajra. Though, Radhika and her sister have given much of the collection to Pundole’s, they have retained a part of it for “emotional reasons”. Even though they are not as involved with the Tibetan community in India as their mother was, the name Sabavala still evokes a fond response among the refugees. “Whenever I travel to places with Tibetan settlements, I come across someone or the other who remembers her,” says Radhika.
ENDNOTE:
The auction, “Art of the Himalayas: From the Collection of Roshan Sabavala”, will take place on December 16 at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai at 7 pm