A MAGNIFICENT townscape by highly respected 20th century Indian artist Sadanand K. Bakre is among the highlights of the sale at Bellmans, Wisborough Green, West Sussex as part of their three-day monthly auction from Wednesday, August 5 through to Friday, August 7, 2009.
Sadanand K. Bakre
Bakre (1920-2007) was one of India’s famous sculptors and painters, along with the late artist Francis Newton Souza. Together they moved forward the contemporary art movement in India by forming the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group in 1947. Bakre had one-man shows at Gallery One (London) in 1959, the Centaur Gallery (Mumbai) in 1962 and at the Commonwealth Institute in 1961 as well as exhibiting in many galleries in Europe and the United States. He lived and worked in London in the 1960s but returned to India a few years later. Bombay Art Society presented him with a lifetime achievement award in 2004. The oil on canvas measures 45cm by 60cm and is signed and indistinctly dated 1986. It is estimated at £5,000 – 8,000.
Other interesting paintings in Bellmans sale include a Marine Abstract by John Piper (1903-1992), in watercolour, gouache and collage, which is estimated at £4,000 – 6,000 and an oil on canvas by Tom Coates (b.1941) depicting a View of San Giorgio Maggiore from the Piazetta San Marco, Venice carries an estimate of £1,000 – 2,000.
A large collection of inkwells will also be offered in the sale, Bellmans sold the first part of the collection three years ago. The collection includes a wide variety of interesting shapes and forms such as a pewter grotesque bird inkwell in the style of the famous Martin Brothers birds is estimated at £130-150, while a late 19th century cold painted hollow-cast inkwell modelled as a wise old owl reading a book and one other cold painted example modelled as an African grey parrot are estimated at £100 – 150. An inkwell modelled as a pug wearing a sailor’s uniform is expected to fetch £50-80 and a brass model of Mr Punch is estimated at £80-120.
A Walnut gimble-mounted Marine barometer by I&A Walker of South Castle Street, Liverpool, dating from 1870 is estimated at £1,000-1,500; while an unusual 19th Century Anglo Indian occasional table decorated with a porcupine quill and coromandel border, which would suit either a modern or traditional interior, is estimated at £150 – 200.
The quarterly book and ephemera section includes a wonderful collection of autographed photographs from stars of the silverscreen such as Johnny ‘Tarzan’ Weissmuller; John Mills; Ingrid Bergman and even Ronald Reagan and Frank Sinatra – the collection is estimated at £500-800. Also of interest is a photo album of more than 240 Naval-related images from World War 2, which are in very good condition and also carry an estimate of £500-800. Included are images of HMS Yarmouth and HMS Tourmaline as well as scenes of Hong Kong Harbour and the Pyramids.
14 first editions by Beatrix Potter are offered in the book section. Two very nice concertina versions, one of Tale of Miss Moppet and the other of The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, both first published in 1906, they each carry an estimate of £100-200. A first edition of Winnie-the-Pooh by A A Milne is expected to fetch £200-300.
More than 20 lots of books relating to Astronomy will be offered, including a book dating from 1681 titled The Petitioning-comet, or, A Brief chronology of all the famous comets and their events which is estimated at £450-500; while a collection of more than 25 lots of books relating to hunting and fishing include The salmon fly: how to dress it and how to use it dating from 1895 by George M Kelson (est: £400-600).
A new BBC Series called the ‘Great Antiques Trail” will be filming at the auction on August 7.
THE NEXT SALE WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER 9, 10 & 11, 2009
For further information, please call 01403 700858, or visit www.bellmans.co.uk
Bellmans Auctioneers New Pound Wisborough Green Billingshurst West Sussex RH14 0AZ Fax: 01403 700059.
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Tel: 07790 732448