Les Hindous leads the way at Saffronart's 'Passages to India' auction

Rare books, prints, maps, photographs and letters capturing India's journey through time go under the hammer

This report has been updated

The allure of India’s rich heritage shone brightly at Saffronart’s “Passages to India Auction 2024”. With 97 per cent of the lots sold, the auction, held online and featuring rare books, prints, maps, photographs and letters, achieved a total sales value of Rs 6.47 crore. 

Leading the charge was “Les Hindous: Ou Description de Leurs Moeurs, Coutumes et Ceremonies”, by Flemish marine painter, printmaker and ethnographer François Balthazar Solvyns. The collection, from Baron de Rothschild’s personal library, fetched Rs 1.14 crore, setting a world record for the highest price achieved for it at auction. 

The four-volume set, rich in ethnographic details of 18th and 19th century Calcutta society, has texts in French and English accompanied by intricate coloured plates that illustrate the manners, customs, festivities, occupations and ceremonies of the Hindus. 

 

Another standout was the first edition of the Constitution of India, drafted by BR Ambedkar, which sold for Rs 48 lakh, more than double its higher estimate. The lot is one of only 1,000 copies and is seldom seen in private hands. It bears the printed signatures of the framers of the Constitution. The calligraphy by Prem Behari Narain Raizada and the illuminations by Nandalal Bose and other Santiniketan artists make it a treasured artefact of India’s foundational history.

Thomas and William Daniell’s “Oriental Scenery: One Hundred and Fifty Views of the Architecture, Antiquities and Landscape Scenery of Hindoostan” also drew significant attention, selling for Rs 31.2 lakh. This comprehensive work features 144 hand-coloured aquatints, offering a sweeping visual documentation of India’s architectural and natural beauty from the early 19th century. The volume’s detailed illustrations made it a favourite among collectors in Britain, Calcutta, and Madras during its time.

The first printed edition of “The Bhagvat-Geeta” translated into English by Charles Wilkins in 1785 fetched Rs 19.20 lakh, nearly four times its lower estimate. This translation was pivotal in shaping European understanding of Hindu philosophy and had a profound influence on Romantic literature.

Other auction highlights included Robert Montgomery Martin’s book on British India, which sold for Rs 13.20 lakh. This extensive account of the British Empire during Queen Victoria’s reign, originally published in 1834 and revised over two decades, is a significant historical record.

Captain Robert Smith’s “Asiatic Costumes” from 1828, featuring rare plates of Indian trades and society, fetched Rs 10.80 lakh. The three-volume, first-edition copy of ASG Butler’s “The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens” sold for Rs 14.40 lakh, further testament to the enduring influence of Lutyens on architectural studies.

James Baillie Fraser’s “Exquisite Collection of Calcutta Prints” sold for Rs 22.80 lakh, with captivating views of the Government House among its highlights. Caricaturist Emery Kelen’s “Indian Round Table Conference” from 1930, featuring 52 hand-coloured lithographic caricatures of the conference participants, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, as well as British officials such as Winston Churchill and Lord Irwin, sold for Rs 14.40 lakh.