Howard Carter

In good original condition and ready to place.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Ranji and the Champion depicts two of the greatest and most innovative batsmen to have ever played cricket. Colonel His Highness Shri Sir Ranjithsinji Vibhaji, Maharajah Jam Saheb of Nawanag (formerly Kumar Ranjithsinji) and W. G. Grace were legends in their own time, and have since become bench marks for the modern game. Ranjithsinji, or Ranji as he was affectionately known, came to England in 1888 to study at Cambridge University. A cousin of the ruling family of Nawanag, he was forced into taking a proper education should he ever need to assume a political position in India. Unfortunately for his family Ranji found academic life not to his taste and focused the majority of his time on leisure activities. Perennially close to bankruptcy, Ranji supported himself through his cricket eventually coming to the attention of the England selectors and ‘The Champion’ himself. By 1886 Ranji’s ‘back-foot’ batting style cemented him as a permanent member of the England cricket team and changed the game forever.

Grace’s mythical cricket status will be well known to any school boy throughout the country and in pavilions and pitches across the globe. Captaining England, Gloucestershire, The MCC and a multitude of other teams Grace still holds innumerable records in English cricket, being the first player to score a double hundred (Daddy Ton) and take five wickets in the same match. However, it was Grace’s leadership and love of innovation and development which helped to spread cricket throughout the English speaking world. A great deal of the ‘old guard’ of English cricket lamented Ranji’s unorthodox playing style, insisting that he was changing the game for the worse. However, Grace saw past the tradition so often associated with Victorian England and embraced the development of the game he loved – insisting on playing Ranji throughout the latter’s career. This carving celebrates the brief overlap of the two great’s careers, possibly taken from an image of Grace’s last England test match in 1899, played against Australia at Trent Bridge, it celebrates the Halcyon Days of English cricket and an enduring relationship between the new and old worlds of the British Empire.