World's largest arts auction house, Christie's will hold its third consecutive contemporary India art sale here on December 15, which for the first time will have a dedicated section on classical art.
The third edition commemorates the 20th anniversary of Christie's presence in the country, the art auction house said in a statement issued from Zurich.
At the 2014 auction, it could sell 97 per cent of the works on display.
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Christie's, the only global art auction house to hold regular sales in the country, holds the world auction records for works by FN Souza, Vasudeo S Gaitonde, TyebMetha, SH Raza, MF Hussain and many other artists.
The 2015 collections of modern and contemporary South Asian art will comprise around 80 lots from important private and corporate collections.
The auction includes modern masterpieces by Vasudeo S Gaitonde, Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar, Nasreen Mohamedi, Manjit Bawa, Nandalal Bose, Abanindranth Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagore, among others.
The March auction of Indian antiquities named the Robert Hatfield Ellsworth Collection in New York realised USD 134 million, which to date is the most valuable private collection of Asian art to be offered, Christie's said.
One of the most important works being offered in the third edition of the sale is the buff sandstone figure of the dancing Ganesha which dates back to the 8th and 11th centuries. The figurine carries a price tag of Rs 60-70 lakh.
The sculpture section also contains a life-size early Chola granite Dvarapala figure formerly in the collection of the noted dancer Yamini Krishnamuthi and carries a price tag of Rs 1.2 crore.
A few months back, Christie's set a new world auction records for MF Hussain's and Gaganendranath Tagore's works, as well as the second highest price for the work of Amrita Sher-Gill.
Last month, Chrsitie's also set a new world auction record for any modern Indian work by selling Francis Newton Souza's 'Birth' for USD 4,085,000 in New York.
At the debt auction in Mumbai in December 2013, Gaitonde's untitled 1970's work fetched a whopping USD 3.7 million) setting a new world auction record for the artist.
In the first half of 2015, Christie's has auctioned works worth USD 4.5 billion, while in the whole of 2014, its global auctions and private sales totalled USD 8.4 billion, making it the highest annual total in Christie's history.
Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's offers around 450 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wines, and more which command a price tag of USD 200 to over USD 100 million, through its 54 offices spanning 32 countries.
