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One crore, one week: How to sink Rs 10 million on Indian art and craft
That's Rs 10 million on Mughal jewelry, Kashmiri carpets, Tamil Nadu temple figurines, Nagaland tribal doors, an opium bed and even cow dung -- dig in!
It's an excellent moment to buy Indian and worth going out on a limb too as the soaring prices during the decade's art boom have dipped considerably.It's Luxury & Indulgence week at CNNGo, time to let the sunny rays of economic optimism illuminate the opportunity for some extravagance. We've located the most attractive objets d'art in Mumbai from exhibitions and auctions on this month. Although this modern Indian metropolis is an exciting place for a collector, it can be daunting too. Art forgeries have surfaced in even the most prestigious auction houses, and haphazard curation can mean that it requires much research to decide what is a worthy acquisition. That said, it's worth going out on a limb now, as the soaring prices during the decade's art boom have dipped considerably, making it an excellent moment to invest. Not only are newly-moneyed Indians splurging on local art, but international collectors who are priced out of the Chinese art market are increasingly exploring what India has to offer, culturally. Charles Saatchi recently opened his much-awaited exhibition of Indian contemporary art titled "Empire Strikes Back", which is bound to cause interest in sub-continental art to grow even further. With the treasure trove of Indian culture glistening brightly, limiting oneself to spending just a crore is going to require much will power and careful budgeting. Here's goes! DAY 1: THE ORIENTAL CARPET (Rs 5.5 lakhs)No matter how hip and cutting-edge your tastes may be, everyone recognizes that while trends come and go, an intricately designed carpet is timeless. The best carpets in the country are hand woven in Kashmir, home to the luxurious cashmere wool and master weavers who have been perfecting their craft through generations. The hand-knotted silk carpets trace their lineage back to the Mughal period and the designs found in Kashmir echo the Islamic designs found in Isfahan, Herat and other carpet centers in the Middle East. Kashmiri carpets are infused with local imagery and stylistic touches that set them apart from their Persian counterparts, and all use natural dyes derived from flora and fauna of the region. The carpet we fell in love with is a visual ode to Kashmir. It features a representation of Karan Singh's palace in the centre and beautiful scenes from the province that run along the four sides of the rug. This dreamy panorama of the region includes representations of the Dal Lake, the Hazrathbal mosque and the birds of Kashmir, such as the bulbul, doves and ducks. It took one craftsman a whole year to make, working four hours a day in his free time. Best is the 'silk on silk' weave that feels as beautiful as it looks. Available at Mahad Joo & Sons, 4 Mereweather Road (Behind Taj Mahal Hotel); tel. +91 (0) 22 22021403; www.mahadjoo.com DAY 2: MUGHAL JEWELRY (Rs 17 lakhs)Fabulous jewelry and massive gemstones are an intrinsic part of India's artistic past. The glittering Maharanis and Maharajas of the British Raj were decked out in some of the most elaborate jewels ever seen, and famous gems like The Star of Bombay sapphire are bound to our universal imagination of India. When considering acquiring a diamond-studded accessory, The Gem Palace is where any sensible Mumbai millionaire would direct you. The Gem Palace is run by the Kasliwals', who have designed pieces for descendants of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane the Great, a feat so impressive The Fodor guidebook notes that their clientele "makes Cartier seem third-rate". What makes them unique is their traditional method of crafting jewelry and their use of long lost practices. As Harry Fane, a British jewellery expert says, "Their technology is medieval. I love that sense of continuity." The pieces CNNGo chose were commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for a show titled "Jewels of India in the Age of the Mughals" and were also exhibited at Somerset House, London, at a show titled "Treasures from Gem Palace, Jaipur." The bracelet is made of specially cut and calibrated rubies, which have been set together in a mosaic style that gives the appearance of enamel, a technique which was popular with the Mughals of the 15th-16th century. The necklace, a beautiful acquisition in its own right, is the perfect complimenting piece for the bracelet. 22KT Gold Enameled Pendant with fine quality rubies, diamonds, emerald and pearls with intricate enameled on the reverse side. Details: Rubies: 12 CTS approx, Diamonds: 1.1 CTS approx, Emerald: 0.90 CTS approx.;Price: 6,00,000. Available at The Gem Palace, The Courtyard, 14 S.P Centre, Colaba; tel. +91 (0) 226638 5484; www.gempalacejaipur.com DAY 3: MODERN MASTERS worth (Rs 45-58 lakhs)In the period after Independence, a generation of artists soon came of age that rejected the artistic traditions of the past and sought to create modern art that would reflect the ambitions of a free India. Bold and highly experimental, the work of these artists have stood the test of time and have been recognized for making significant contributions to the growth of Indian culture post 1947. Almost all established contemporary Indian artists today list one, if not all, of the modern masters as a big inspiration and influence in their work. The Progressive Artists Group, founded by Francis Newton Souza and Syed Haider Raza, was the most influential circle of modern painters. The raison d'être of the group was to offer an alternative to the Bengal school, which at the time was encouraging a conservative nationalist revivalism. The group included preeminent artists like Maqbool Fida Husain, Sadanand Bakre, Tyeb Mehta and Akhbar Padamsee, who all went on to be celebrated internationally for their work. This FN Souza painting is part of a series called "Heads", which is widely considered to be his most important and well-known figurative body of works. Another must-have from the modern masters would be Padamsee's "Prophet", which will be featured in the Saffronart Spring Online Auction 2010. Prophet is a reflection on divine sanction and revelation in rich, earthy tones, that connects powerfully with the viewer. Title: 'Prophet' (1953); Artist: Akbar Padamsee; Details: Oil on canvas 23.0 x 17.0 in; Signed and Dated in English; Estimated Auction Price: Rs 27,00,000-36,00,000. Available at Saffronart Spring Online Auction, March 10-11 2010. Industry Manor, 3rd Floor, Prabhadevi; tel. +91 (0) 22 2436 4113; www.saffronart.com DAY 4: CONTEMPORARY PAINTING (Rs 8 lakhs)Contemporary Indian art is arousing the interest of collectors all over the world for the way in which it grapples with the socio-cultural changes India has witnessed after the economic liberalization that followed the 1991 reforms. The destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992, the Gujarat riots and the Indian diaspora all weave themselves into the consciousness of contemporary artists, as do the psychological pressures of living in a rapidly changing society. What emerges is an intense wrestling of ideas, culture and ideology, playing out powerfully on the canvas. The piece that we found captures the raw energy of new India. It is also a powerful exploration of sexual imagination. Venkanna's Man Playing with Two Pipes is a densely layered work, both metaphorically and visually. It is a challenging representation of male virility and of creative and sexual expression. Furthermore, this piece is a fantastic investment because he is considered one of the most promising artists of his generation and being born in 1980, is the youngest Indian artist in the Charles Saatchi collection. Available at Gallery Maskara, 3rd Pasta Lane, Colaba; Contact gallery owner Abhay Maskara at +91 9919986485; www.gallerymaskara.com DAY 5: CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE & INSTALLATIONS (Rs 15 lakhs)There are few things that make as much of an aesthetic impact in our homes as a sculpture or installation art piece. Since the old stone carvings of antiquity, sculptures have come a long way and are increasingly seen as the freshest and most challenging form of contemporary art. Two sculptures in particular caught our attention when trawling through the contemporary art scene in Mumbai. The first is a piece called "Psycho Phallus" by the upcoming artist Shine Shivan. The piece has what gallerist Abhay Maskara calls "a complex symbolic structure" as it is decisively male yet also female, given the womb-like storage structure in the sculpture. The second piece is a playful piece of work by Shilpa Chavan, also known as Little Shilpa. Although Chavan's background is in fashion and millinery, her colorful celebrations of everyday objects and femininity has spilled over into the realm of fashion art and has been increasingly appreciated by collectors and curators. These two contemporary art pieces would probably bring interesting tensions and energies if placed side by side. Available at Gallery BMB, Queens Mansion, G.T Marg, Near Cathedral School, Fort; tel. +91 22 2200 0061; www.gallerybmb.com Available at Gallery Maskara, 3rd Pasta Lane, Colaba; Contact gallery owner Abhay Maskara at +91 9919986485; www.gallerymaskara.com DAY 6: TRIBAL AND FOLK ART (Rs 7 lakhs)Apart from what India has to offer in the contemporary and modern art departments, amateur and serious collectors should also pay attention to the wide range of tribal and folk art that the country boasts. In a culture as religious as India, much of this art stems from temples that use the pieces for religious ceremonies surrounding birth, marriage, harvest and death. What make these objects so interesting are the vibrant colours that the craftsmen employ and the insights they provide into local culture and tradition. For this reason, no cultural shopping spree is complete without a few of these pieces in the bag. We put together a collection of objects that were particularly intriguing -- a pair of winged horses we came across, known as ashva, used to symbolically transport the temple idols for processions, and an eye-catching processional piece known as a vahana meaning 'vehicle' or 'mount' of the Hindu deity Hanuman, otherwise known as the monkey god, decorated in colored glass. To finish off the mini-collection of tribal treasures, we chose a striking set of tribal masks used in harvest dances.
 Tribal Masks; Price: Rs 1,00,000 for set of three. Available at Phillips, Opp Regal Cinema, Colaba; tel. +91 (0) 2202 0564; www.phillipsantiques.com DAY 7: ANTIQUE FURNITURE (Rs 5 lakhs 71,239)Given India's position along historic trading routes, a large variety of different cultures have passed through the country or settled in it for good, adding to our heritage. Colonialism also left significant cultural traces here, seen in the gothic architecture of Mumbai, as well as in the interiors of stately buildings. A plethora of modern and antique furniture can be found, ranging from ornate opium beds to the much-loved planter chairs. Phillips, the most reputed antique dealer in Mumbai, currently has an exhibition and sale on at the Coomaraswamy Hall in the Prince of Wales Museum. The exhibition entitled "Room for Wonder", showcases the best of their fine and decorative antique furniture and accessories. There are some marvelous pieces for sale, but the most unique is the village gate from Nagaland, a rustic wooden piece with carved stylized bison horns. However, it might be easier to imagine placing in your home Phillips' intricately carved console made from Bombay Blackwood (also known as Indian rosewood), which displays staggering craftsmanship from local artisans with swirling floral motifs and carved lion's heads and birds. We were further torn on spotting the opium day-bed from northern India. It was designed for long sessions of opium-induced states of dreaming and meditation, meaning it was designed with über-laziness in mind. You can sleep, eat and read in it without ever having to get up. Now that, is luxury. Bombay Blackwood Console (Indian Rosewood); Dimensions: 65inches (w)/25.6inches (d)/40.9inches (h); Price: Rs 2,02,500.
Available at Phillips, Opp Regal Cinema, Colaba; tel. +91 (0) 2202 0564; www.phillipsantiques.com GRAND TOTAL Rs 1 Crore, 7.4 lakhs |
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