Maharajas' watches fetch millions at Swiss auction

A new generation of collectors are looking to acquiring unique and artistic timepieces.



Imagine one of these watches on your mantel. Or in your showcase. A Swiss-made watch known for its exquisite design, precision and craftsmanship. The high and mighty, the rich and famous gathered last month at a Swiss watering-hole in Geneva - Sotheby's - to pursue their hedonistic fancies: to bid for exclusive watches and timepieces that are inherently adorable pieces of art which happen to tell time.

With a new generation of sophisticated collectors clamoring for the unique and the pricey, the sale presented the quintessential Swiss watch known for its timeliness. The last sale was held in November 2010.

The top lot, a Patek Philippe chronograph fetched CHF 722,500 (Swiss francs or USD 815,637). Maharaja, a gold, enamel and minute repeating watch - Swiss - circa 1920 (dia. 50 mm) featuring a painted portrait of His Highness Maharaja Bhupinder Singh (1891-1938), the ruler of the princely state of Patiala in Punjab from 1900 to 1938 - sold at CHF 122,500 Swiss Francs (US$138,291 or 6.19 million INR) at four times the estimate (in picture, maharaja seen in light blue dress).

Another rare gold, enamel ruby and diamond-set watch - a Seeland - with a painted portrait of His Highness Sawai Mahendra Sir Pratapsing Bahadeer, Maharaja of Orchha, Tikamgarh, Bundelkhand, signed Graff, circa 1890 (dia. 51 mm) - went for CHF 74,500 (US$84,104) at twice the high estimate. (maharaja in dark green tunic)

A third lot in the India series was - a Charles Frodsham - an 18K yellow gold hunting cased minute repeating watch made for the Indian market with enamel portraits, circa 1890 (maharaja in light green tunic. Vying for top honours were several Rolexes, a Piguet & Capt. Breguets, Omegas and other exclusive names from London and Paris.

Swiss enamel portrait miniature painter, John Graff (1836-1902) had created for the Indian princes and other dignitaries, what came to be known as "Rajah" watches that were decorated with enamel portraits of their owners taken from photographs. The intricate mechanisms were mainly produced in the Vallee de Joux area in Switzerland known for its ski slopes or in Le Locle, home of the Tissot watch.

More than 300 clients signed up for the event that covered five centuries of watch-matching history from 1580 to date. Included were luxurious pocket watches made for Indian maharajas in the 19th century, antique timepieces and blue-chip wristwatches as also Chinese and Turkish masterpieces.

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(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

RAJ S RANGARAJAN

Citizen of the World

Born on September 17, 1915 in Pandharpur a temple-town in Maharashtra, Maqbool Fida Husain was not only an enduring artist with an enviable body of work but was also a remarkable Indian.

Starting life as a painter of banners in Mumbai, Husain's childlike simplicity in his talk and manner were noticeable by anyone who met him. Easily approachable, the man loved the female form and said so sometimes with mischief and humour but never with malice. He was always alert to what one said, and used his enormous talent to chronicle society's contemporaneous ills and misgivings. By sheer numbers and his enduring presence in the art world, Husain brought Indian contemporary art to the world stage.

In 1947, around the time when India got its independence, The Progressive Artists Group was formed by artists - Francis Newton Souza, S. H. Raza and K. H. Ara and Husain was an early member. Among his early supporters were American well-wishers. Around the 50's he started focusing on colour and lines, motivated by European painters as also temple art in Hindu temples. In the subsequent two decades his reputation grew as an artist and so did his confidence.

In the 50's and 60's, Husain had the moral and financial support from the likes of art collectors - Chester and Davida Herwitz from Massachusetts, and Thomas Keehn(also 96) from Queens, New York, who between 1952 and 1961 used to work for Nelson Rockefeller in Delhi. Keehn, who is very close to the Husain family said," few years ago when Husain visited New York, the artist had produced 'Two Horses' within just 75 minutes with about 20 people watching."

Not many people are aware that among the doyen's masterpieces is a series of 27 paintings that he completed in 1971-72 for the 11th Sao Paolo Biennial on the epic Mahabharata. This 'Mahabharata: The Battle of Ganga and Jamuna' sold at a 2008 Christie's auction for $1.6 million.

Madhuri, the Maharashtrian Muse

He has mentioned that actor Madhuri Dixit was the inspiration behind his 2000 film - Gaja Gamini that also starred Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah. He directed Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities starring Tabu, Kunal Kapoor with Raguvir Yadav playing a Nawab and A.R. Rahman providing the musical score. However, his first film, Through the Eyes of a Painter, made in 1967 won a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

Husain, a Qatari citizen since 2010 was forced to leave India in 2006 following communal disturbances, but never carried any rancor or revenge. He and his wife Fazila Bibi had six children: four sons and two daughters.

The art industry and the legion of art-lovers spread across the world will miss this giant of a man not only for his versatility in creating canvases and films but for his flamboyant, free spirit.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

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RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Visual, narrative palimpsests in New York

Palimpsests offer visual narratives that cover various geographies. Featuring two artists who are in focus now.









An art gallery in New York is currently the focus of attention where nine contemporary artists of South Asian origin have created a palimpsests of exotic colors and hues while exploring complex notions of personal and cultural identity intertwined with both real and imagined traces of the past. Two are featured here: works from Tripura-born Jayashree Chakravarty (b. 1956) and Talha Rathore who was born in 1970 in Gujranwala, Pakistan.

The dictionary describes a palimpsest as writing material as a parchment used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased. Ideas of surface and depth, of secondary quotations and lost sources - of fleeting and hidden references - and of layering from a lost image are at the heart of this group exhibition.

Jayshree's intricately layered and reworked paintings address the concept of the palimpsest with abstract motifs that present multiple narratives and are at odds with one another. Her oils highlight like a wide-angle lens while focusing on minutea. An artist-in-residence in the early 90s at Ecole d'Art, Aix-en-Provence, France, Jayshree also did fine art in Baroda and at Santiniketan. The artist's faces here tend to hide more than what they reveal - an intrigue that a keen observer sees but does not dwell on.



Talha Rathore's current medium of choice comprises gouache on wasli (hand-made paper, originally created in India for miniatures) and several of his creations have for the background New York city's subway map. Talha, who now lives in Brooklyn, New York, specialized in miniature painting at National College of Arts in Lahore.

Gouache-on-wasli has stood Talha in good stead even as he tries to introduce reds, raspberries and wild elements - all one suspects - a concession to the oeuvre this palimpsest theme offers, specially since the concept can afford to define shifting landscapes in terms of social or geographical compositions.

Here, Talha is either complimenting the intricateness of the gargantuan rail network or reflecting on the amount of "blood, sweat and tears" that are spilled very day by the train commuter. A "strap-hanger" is another word for a commuter who rides a train. During rush hour, mostly riders are hanging on to a strap when the cars jostle and shake and swing with predictable inevitability.

Think imagery and an occasional illusory, contextual presence, and you have these artists revelling in their chosen indulgence.

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(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Iti Mrinalini (Yours Mrinalini) - Warm Story, Creatively Portrayed

Ultimate Bollywood » Bollywood Features » 2011

Iti Mrinalini (Yours Mrinalini) showcased at the 2011 NYIFF, here's our review of the film.

by Raj S. Rangarajan

Mrinalini, an aging Bengali actress is in the process of writing her last note. As a performer, timing has always been important to her: when to enter the stage and when to exit. She couldn't do much about it when she entered this world, but she is determined to leave at her time of choosing.

Aparna Sen directs the film and plays Mrinalini and her daughter in real life, Konkona Sen Sharma plays the younger actress. Straightaway we know of the two who is the better performer and Aparna says so indulging: "I am happy Konkona and I are not in the same frame. Imagine that, she will steal the scene in no time!" Strong compliment coming from the mother and director. In yet another quote, Aparna (known as "Rinadi" a pet name in Bengali circles) gushes of her Konkona: "there is no evidence of preparation when she works. She's never fake."

Aparna says, "the film's accent is the randomness of life" evidences of which are seen all through the movie. "All my films feature loneliness and separation and I am comfortable with that" adds the debut director of 36, Chowringhee Lane, made in 1981 that fetched her national and international plaudits.

Shot on 38 locations in 30 days, the movie is culture-specific and Bengali-specific, and runs for about two hours and will be seen in Bengali and Hindi.

Before taking her pills to end her life, Mrinalini decides to destroy her memorabilia -- letters photos, newspaper clips, lest they fall in the wrong hands, the media perhaps. She does not want media attention any more. She has had enough.

While reviewing her past attainments in a bright greenish-brown sari memories haunt and she reflects back on her life of friendships and betrayals, of agonies endured and awards relished, of failures and ecstasies.

Nothing is under our control and at times, we should just let go, without hesitation is one of the themes. The film explores different forms of love -- one that happens in early youth, one that's more domestic, one that falls somewhere between friendship and love, and the one resulting out of loneliness and seclusion.

Debutant screenwriter Ranjan Ghosh has worked the subject with passion, and after a particularly depressing break-up for the younger Mrinalini, Chintan Nair (played by Koushik Sen, known in Bengali screen and stage) declares, "A love that frees you is a love that has no expectations."







Definitely out of the mainstream in terms of execution of story and performance, the casting is appropriate. Perhaps connoisseurs and purists of Bengali cinema may not agree. While love is universal societal conflicts abound in any culture and time, more so now, and it is not surprising to hear Chintan Nair inquire of a despondent heroine, "Why do you think all love should end in marriage?"

Supporting cast includes Rajat Kapoor (Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding), Priyanshu Chatterjee (known for his 2001 debut film Tum Bin), German actress, Suzanne Bernert and all these actors have come together in this film for the first time except the mother-daughter duo, Aparna and Konkona.

Flashbacks tend to confuse a bit at times since Mrinalini is all over (old and young), and with the grand parade of exquisite saris on display one is overwhelmed by the array of characters who walk into frames effortlessly. And, concentrated effort is needed by the viewer to understand some of the sequences.

Mrinalini continues to relive her past, as night gradually turns to dawn. Moti, her German shepherd wants to get out for a break and while one is wondering about the suicide note, it happens. Wait for the last scene.

Thanks to the magic of sub-titles I followed the Bengali film, and it was time well-spent.
Two images added for perspective:

NYIFF 2011 - Exciting Film Weekend of Fun Indian Movies

Ultimate Bollywood » Bollywood Features » 2011

Raj gives us the dish on the 2011 New York Indian Film Festival, the leading film festival for Indian films in the U.S.

by Raj S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK: It was all there: the trappings, the red carpet, the paparazzi, the fawning crowds, the actors and the wannabees. Its desis in New York, after all.

The event: The Eleventh Annual New York Indian Film Festival presented by the Indo-American Arts Council (IACC) that concluded Sunday. As usual, the festival featured a slew of movies but this time the banner headlines were reserved for films from Bengal ranging from Aparna Sen's Iti Mrinalini to a documentary called The Bengali Detective to Metropolis@Kolkata, directed by Suman Mukhopadhyay to the closing event: Noukadubi directed by Rituparno Ghosh that was set in the 1920s, based on a novel by Rabindranath Tagore, whose 150th birthday was celebrated on May 9 in India.

In the mix was the film (read Bollywood comedy, produced by Walt Disney Pictures, India) Do Dooni Chaar starring the Kapoor couple - Rishi and wife, Neetu - that debuted last Wednesday. At the end of the screening of Do Dooni Chaar, what was billed as a Q&A by newly-minted Festival Director of NYIFF, Aseem Chhabra, of the director, Habib Faisal and the star cast, turned out to be hilarious with Rishi's humorous banter and Neetu's friendly ebullience carrying the evening.

Also seen at the festival were films highlighting drama, touching regional films in Marathi, Bengali and Malayalam with English subtitles, and, adding variety was a documentary titled Bhopali (on the Union Carbide fiasco of 1984), a gangster-light film, Yeh Saali Zindagi starring Irffan Khan and Semshook (in Hindi and Tibetan).

Other films with name-recognition status were Shabana Azmi in A Decent Arrangement (about a side of India not commonly seen by western audiences); Jaya Bahaduri and Victor Banerjee in Meherjaan, directed by Rubaiyat Hossain: a touching 1971 story when Bangladesh got its independence from Pakistan and where Meher falls in love with a soldier from the enemy's side.

Geeta in Paradise, directed by Benny Mathews, is a comic meditation about Bollywood and the effect Indian cinema has on one particularly lonely, bored housewife from Waxahachie, a suburb of Dallas, Texas.

For the first time, we had a 3-D computer-animated retelling of The Legend of Rama made by Ketan Mehta and directed by Chetan Desai. Aimed at children, the film that showcased a landmark in Indian animation had a dedicated team of over 400 artists and technicians busy for two years. Aseem Chhabra says, "we had to make some tough choices on selection for showings, we had to review about 150 narratives, documentaries and shorts."

At many of the events it was "standing-room only" crowds, another indication that Indian films - whatever the language, theme or length - are always a popular draw, the demographics of the audience notwithstanding.

Capping the 5-day event were Awards handed out for Indian cinematic excellence:
Best Director: Aparna Sen, Iti Mrinalini

Best Actress: Konkona Sen Sharma, Iti Mrinalini
Director Aparna Sen, known for several hit movies, excelled herself in this movie with her daughter, Konkona, playing the younger Mrinalini, proving that she is a better actress than her mom, which she readily concedes: "Konkona and I are never in the same frame. My god, imagine that. Straightaway she'll steal the scene! The story is about an aging actress who plans to end her life and the colorful characters that enter and exit her life during her ride.

Best Actor: Rishi Kapoor, Do Dooni Chaar
Breezy comedy set in Delhi that brings out the best elements in a family of four and how the sole breadwinner, an ambitious but lowly-paid Math teacher and scooter-owner faces up to the unforgiving city's challenges and never loses his spirit.

Best Screenplay: Mohan Raghavan, T.D. Dasan Std. VI B (Malayalam)
(How a young boy who misses his father, corresponds with a person whom he has never met and the interesting after-effects. Imaginative powerful story.)

Best Documentary: Bhopali (Director Max Carlson talks about the survivors and how they continue to fight for justice against an American corporation.)

Best Short Film: Just That Sort Of A Day (Abhay Kumar)

Best Feature Film: Sthaniya Sambaad (Spring in the Colony), directed by Arjun Gourisaria & Moinak Biswas (Story dealt with the goings-on in a settlement of refugees from Bangladesh)

Electrifying Performance by Violin duo Ganesh-Kumaresh

RAJ S. RANGARAJAN



It was a heart-warming experience: two well-known violinists -- Ganesh-Kumaresh and two percussionists in full flow at Flushing, New York recently. Their melodic performance was electrifying and even breathtaking. Thanjavur T. R. Govindarajan on the "thavil" was such a picture of professional concentration that one thought he was possessed in a kind of mesmerized trance. Patri Satish Kumar on the “mridangam” was exquisite.

The four energetic artistes reveled in each other's prowess and expertise on their chosen instruments that evoked gushes of sentiment and nostalgia from the expert and the novice. The violinists’ knowledge and mastery of the “gamakas” were unmistakable. Gamakas are embellishments to musical notes that make the overall listening effect a pleasurable lesson in noteworthy wholesomeness.

At one point, the duo called for audience participation which brought forth a flood of suggestions on the fusion between the classical and the contemporary that a purist such as a T.M. Krishna perhaps would not approve. But the Saturday evening crowd loved every moment with the brothers referring to their individual Mac laptops.

The foursome in unison brought new meaning to exalted words such as rhythm, resonance and melody. Govindarajan virtually made his “thavil” talk. Not to be outdone was the percussionist, Patri Satish Kumar who matched Govindarajan’s resonant forays with relaxed finesse.

Promoted by Saregama India of the Entertainment sector of RPG Enterprises, the evening lifted everyone’s spirits. This institution dedicated to music was established as the first overseas Indian branch of EMI, London. Earlier HMV (His Master’s Voice) or The Gramophone Company of India Ltd. was the sound of choice and record.

Brothers Ganesh and Kumaresh were hailed as child violin prodigies as early as 1972 when Ganesh was hardly seven and Kumaresh, five. Trained by their father, T.S. Rajagopalan, a veteran violinist himself, this performing duo has impressed doyens such as vocalist Dr. Balamurali Krishna, tabla wizard, Ustad Zakir Hussain, A. R. Raman and mridangam player Palghat Raghu -- to name a few.

They have introduced a new musical expression to Carnatic music called “Ragapravaham” which highlights musical creativity as pure melody and is not necessarily dependent on language or religious flavours. This new composition is based on typical ragas (melodic scales) and thalas (rhythmic cycles) without lyrics.

Team Ganesh- Kumaresh has created several such instrumental compositions that accentuates candidly the poetic elements of the violin. Among new ragas that are their forte are Hemantha Mohanasri, Amrutha Kalyan and Pamara Ranjani.

Their virtuosity and classicism with the stringed instrument was impeccable this day, and with percussion specialists rising to the occasion in no small measure, connoisseurs of the Carnatic form went home musically satiated for a splendid evening.
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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Former Maharaja's canopy fetches crores

A Maharaja's pearl canopy is a recent treasure that went under the hammer at a New York auction house.

Raj S. Rangarajan

Yet another former treasure was sold recently at Sotheby's New York: a pearl canopy, originally from Baroda, Gujarat for a handsome 2.32 million USD. Measuring 3 feet 11 inches in diameter it was commissioned during the British Raj (circa 1865-70) by the then Maharaja of Baroda, Khande Rao Gaekwar (r. 1856-1870).

Embroidered with about 9.5 lakh 'Basra' pearls and beads, and embellished with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds, this opulent suite exemplified the grandeur, wealth and sophistication of the time. The rosettes are circled by small natural 'Basra' 3-4 mm pearls. The designs in the rosettes were set with over 200 table-cut and occasional rose-cut diamonds, all set in silver topped gold or possibly blackened gold; the motifs were further enhanced with approximately 700 foil backed rubies, emeralds and sapphires set in gold.

This exquisite bejeweled canopy and a Pearl Carpet of Baroda were two surviving pieces of an ensemble of five. For over 100 years, the Pearl Canopy of Baroda was hidden from public view. The 5' 8" x 8' 8" carpet was sold at Sotheby's Doha in March 2009 for 5.5 million USD. This too was artistically structured with a million tiny seed pearls, rubies, sapphires and diamonds on a silk/deer hide forming the base. The other three components that completed the ensemble were supposed to be rectangular carpets, which if placed vertically would have formed a regal enclosure.

Khande Rao Gaekwar who ascended to the throne in 1856 during the British Raj was known for his sophistication and love for the arts and architecture. Obviously he could command the services of skilled gem-cutters and craftsmen who created a canopy that blended Persian and indigenous Indian traditions. Among the magnificent jewels he acquired in 1867 was the 128-carat 'Star of the South' diamond.

From a provenance standpoint, the canopy passed by descent to Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwar and on to Maharaja Pratapsingh Rao Gaekwar who was married to Sita Devi, daughter of the zamindar of Pithapuram, now in Andhra Pradesh. Sita Devi, who was born in Madras, was a high-flying socialite and lived out of Monaco. The story goes that Pratapsingh Rao and Sita Devi were smitten the moment they met at the Madras Race Course in 1943. When the former Maharani moved to Monaco the canopy went with her and it was in a private collection since 1985. Sita Devi died in Paris in February 1989.

talktoretailplus@yahoo.com

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)