Prittle Prattle News in conversation with Team AstaGuru Auction House
How have AstaGuru features got enlightened in the modern era?
AstaGuru was established by Mr Vickram Sethi in the year 2008. With more than 3 decades of experience in the art world, he is our guiding force and the Chairman & Managing Director of the company. AstaGuru was conceptualised with the sole purpose of creating a safe and secure platform to conduct online auctions for Modern & Contemporary Art. And over the period of time, we have diversified our portfolio, which as of today includes categories such as Modern & Contemporary Indian Art, Vintage Jewellery & Fine Silver, Collectibles, Timepieces, Textiles, Celebrity Memorabilia, Rare Books, Numismatic, Philately and Vintage Cars. Hereby, making us India’s most diverse and eclectic auction house.
How would you place online auctions for Indian, Contemporary & Modern Art?
With the world melting into one harmonious digital cosmos, AstaGuru has strived to successfully bridge the gap between prospective buyers and consignors by transcending the limitations of the traditional auctioning format. AstaGuru has held 70 online auctions since its inception. So the experience of already being well versed in online auctions format definitely gives us an edge. Especially with the unprecedented changes in the past couple of years, several auction houses in India as well as globally are now conducting online auctions. The online module offers bidders the opportunity to bid from the comfort of their houses which has also resulted in excellently favourable sales. For instance, a work titled ‘Figure With Bird’ by respected modernist Tyeb Mehta presented in our last Modern Indian Art auction was acquired at a phenomenal price of 24.27 crores. This clearly demonstrates that not only collectors are absolutely comfortable with online auctions. Additionally, our online auctions have created sale value records for several eminent artists including M F Husain, Manjit Bawa, Ramkinkar Baij, Nandalal Bose, Ganesh Pyne, K Laxma Goud, Meera Mukherjee, Badri Narayan, Paritosh Sen, H A Gade to name a few.
On what terms does AstaGuru conduct online auctions? How frequently are they organised?
The annual auction calendar is decided by the management after considering various factors. A big part of this includes engaging with the clientele and taking their feedback. In the year 2018 we conducted 10 auctions. The same year, AstaGuru also became the first Indian auction house to present an exclusive edition for vintage and classic cars. The other important catalyst in finalising the calendar is the demand within the categories. For example, we conducted our first standalone Heirloom Jewellery and Vintage Silver auction in the year 2017. Since then, we have recognised the increased demand for this category and after conducting one jewellery auction every year till 2020, we widened the scope in the year 2021 and had two of such auctions in the month of May and October. So, while the numbers may vary, what remains consistent is the increased frequency of auctions.
Can you explain some rare collectibles from AstaGuru and their importance?
The first ‘Opulent Collectible’ auction was held in January 2021. It featured a range of exquisite antique furniture and home décor from across the globe and was very well-received. The highest sale value was registered with an Italian Cut- And Beaded- Glass Campana Urns On Mirrored Pedestals. The piece came from the personal collection of the famous fashion designer Fred Leighton and was sold for an amount of INR 1,37,65,500. The collection also included several exclusive pieces including a Large Pair Of Jade Buddhist Temple Lions which were acquired for INR ₹ 39,84,750. Following the excellent results of this auction which clearly indicated an enthusiasm in collectors for antique pieces, we conducted the second edition of ‘Opulent Collectibles’ in January 2022. Featuring over 150 lots, the auction was finely curated to bring together an exquisite assortment of decorative collectibles predominately from 19th and 20th century India, China, Japan, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The highest achieving lot was An Exquisitely Carved Rosewood Centre Table With A Variegated White Marble Top which was sold at INR 32,48,275. When it comes to antiques and collectibles, the rich heritage tracing back to centuries is one of the main reasons why it continues to be highly sought after.
What kind of art form can we look forward to in the upcoming online auctions?
We are looking forward to the two auctions lined up in the month of April. One will be the Modern Indian main sale which will showcase a range of highly coveted Avant-Garde works by eminent Indian modernists. Several rare and unseen will appear for the first time in this auction. The second will be the Modern Indian Art ‘Collectors Choice’ auction. This auction will present bidders with an extraordinary opportunity to diversify their collections with significant works by other celebrated artists. Many of these works are from important phases of artists’ that defined their art practices. For example, the upcoming ‘Collectors Choice’ Auction will showcase an important work by Sakti Burman which was one of his earliest works to be executed with marbling technique. Moreover, all lots presented during the auction will be offered without a reserve. Bidding for all artworks will commence at INR 20,000.
Inspiring quote for Art enthusiasts.
“There is no failure. It’s only an unfinished success.” – Raja Ravi Varma
An exclusive interview of AstaGuru Auction House with Prittle Prattle News.
