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Classical Indian Art Consignment
Sotheby’s pioneered the field of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art, establishing the first dedicated department in this category in New York in 1985, more than a decade before our competitors. We have conducted notable sales and offered renowned single-owner collections of consigned Indian paintings including: Indian Miniature Paintings from the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, The British Rail Pension Fund Collection, the Bachofen von Echt Collection, the Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck Collection, the Collection of Paul F. Walter, and the Stuart Cary Welch Collection.
Our specialists handle works ranging in date from the first century CE to the 19th-Century heyday of the British Raj. The cultures and continents covered in our sales represent a wide geographic swathe including Afghanistan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Sotheby’s seasoned team of experts, based in London and New York, works closely with worldwide offices to source and sell to global clientele across the US, Europe, the Middle East, India, China and Southeast Asia.
Sotheby's offers premier auctions, exhibitions and private sales to sell Indian art and Southeast Asian art. Consign a painting, drawing, photograph, sculpture, bronze figure, sandstone figure, book cover, paubah or thangka. When you are ready to sell Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art, Sotheby’s can help you realise the highest price. Simply submit images and information about your artwork through our easy-to-use online estimate form, to receive your complimentary evaluation.
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Submit photos and information about your contemporary art from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Nepal and begin your complimentary estimate request.
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Classical Indian Art Consigned with Sotheby's
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Frequently Asked Questions
- When is the best time to sell Indian and Southeast Asian Art?Sotheby's Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asia art auctions consistently attract collectors, academics, museum curators and new buyers from New York and around the world. Our first-ever auction in Mumbai, India, which took place on 29 November 2018, was themed as a visual commentary on South Asia, demonstrating the richness of Indian art and design. It included not only the work of India’s greatest artists, but also artworks by Western artists influenced by the culture of South Asia. When you are ready to sell a painting, illustration, bronze figure or sculpture created by a classic Indian, Himalayan or Southeast Asian artist, Sotheby’s can help you realise the highest price.
- Why is art from India and South Asia highly collectible?Classical ancient and antique art from India, the Himalayan region and Southeast Asia continues to be coveted by curators and collectors because these one-of-a kind pieces offer a rare glimpse into art history. Sotheby’s helped establish the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian market by hosting the first-ever international auction in this category – the seminal single-owner sale of the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection in New York in 1995. The resounding success of this inaugural venture set the stage for two further auctions of works from the Herwitz Collection – in 1997 and 2000 – and the groundbreaking sale of works from the collection of Amrita Jhaveri’s Amaya Collection in 2013.
- How is Sotheby's committed to Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art?Classical Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian paintings, photographs, sculpture and bronze figures are in strong demand globally. Sotheby’s affirmed its commitment to South Asia by hosting its inaugural auction, “Boundless: India,” at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in November 2018. Establishing Mumbai as a new selling location for Sotheby’s, the sale included exciting art sourced from collections across the sub-Continent and globally by a worldwide team of specialists. Additionally, the department’s expertise and scholarship in the field of Himalayan Art is second to none. Notable collections sold in this category include The Jucker Collection of Himalayan Paintings, The Speelman Collection of Important Early Ming Buddhist Bronzes, The Collection of Tuyet Nguyet and Stephen Markbreiter, and more recently the Richard R. and Magdalena Ernst Collection.
More information on how to sell with Sotheby's
Sotheby’s is your best resource to buy and sell Indian art, Himalayan art, South Asian art and Southeast Asian classical art from the 11th century, 12th century, 13th century, 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century and 19th century such as an ancient or antique watercolour, illustration, sculpture, bronze figure, gilt-bronze figure, sandstone figure, head or torso, manuscript cover, book cover, paubah or thangka from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Nepal and beyond.