New Delhi: A Mughal-era manuscript, filled with Indian miniatures discovered locked up in a cupboard inside a rural England castle is now up for sale at Sotheby’s upcoming auction in London.
Also on offer at the auction titled “Art of Imperial India” scheduled for October 8 is a group of albums containing historical black and photographs of India.
“The content of the sale is very eclectic. One very old manuscript with 140 miniatures in it was discovered in a cupboard in a castle owned by the Duke of Northumberland,” Edward Gibbs, Chairman and Head of the Middle East and India departments at Sotheby’s, London said.
“The manuscript is quite splendid and looking at the miniatures is a very intimate experience as it was locked up so it has been preserved in pristine condition in its original binding and not subject to natural light or insects. It’s an exciting find for scholars and historians and those in auction business,” Gibbs said.
The illustrated book, which Gibbs says is “about the size of an iPad” is likely to originate from end of 17th century.
“Interestingly the manuscript contains an earlier portrait of Shah Jahan in his old age on folio seven, and this appears to have been added at some point after the production of the work,” auctioneers said.
Towards the end of the sale is featured a group of 31 albums containing over 2,000 photographs of India, Ceylon, Burma and South East Asia dating from the 1850s to the early 20th century.
Sourced from London-based collector Sven Gahlin, provenances of the album dates to the family of Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India among others.
“Gahlin has been slowly putting together a collection of photos of India. He has been a true pioneer in the field, going to flea markets, jumble sales and other sales. The collection runs to thousands of photos of historical places, costume studies of the courts of the maharajahs etc,” Gibbs said.
The photos, according to auctioneers, can be broadly categorised into three categories – architecture, topographic images and generic subjects.Â