Lot 71 Details

Spring Online Auction 1-2 April 2026

Male Head

Shunga Dynasty
Bengal, 1st Century...

View Dimensions Terracotta sculptures produced in Bengal, particularly in and around Chandraketugarh, are distinguished by their elaborate headgear, ornate jewellery, and fine detailing. Often linked to fertility cults and household shrines, these works frequently depict secular themes, including seated couples, narrative scenes, and animals with riders. They belong to a period that predates the widespread emergence of formalised religious iconography in sculptural form.

The present male head features a tall, elongated headdress, a feature often seen in larger narrative terracottas. Despite its small scale, the facial features are crisply articulated: the eyes, nose, and lips are clearly visible, and the gaze possesses an intensity typical of this very early phase.

$890-1,335
Rs 80,000-1,20,000

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Lot 72 Details

Spring Online Auction 1-2 April 2026

Head

Gupta Dynasty
Uttar Pradesh, 5th...

0 x 0 in

$3,890-5,000
Rs 3,50,000-4,50,000

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Lot 73 Details

Spring Online Auction 1-2 April 2026

Female Head

Mauryan Dynasty
3rd-2nd Century...

View Dimensions The Mauryan period preceded the rise of the Shunga dynasty, and terracottas from this age are exceptionally rare. While previous Saffronart auctions have presented terracottas from a range of regions and historical phases, this example is among the earliest. Mauryan terracottas are marked by distinctive stylistic traits, several of which are evident here. The circular discs around the head form an elaborate ceremonial headdress. In fuller figures, such elements often extend to fill the space around both ears. Some scholars have also interpreted these forms as symbolic proto-halos that were used prior to the development of the fully circular nimbus. Another characteristic feature is the distinct greyish tonality of the surface, produced by the specific firing techniques used for the clay, which can also at times result in a partially glazed appearance, as seen in this sculpture.

Despite the fragility of the medium, the head is remarkably well-preserved, retaining clarity of form and intensity of expression. It is fitting that this work once formed part of the collection of Gopi Krishna Kanoria, who resided in Patna, once the ancient city of Pataliputra, the administrative capital of the Mauryan Empire.

$2,780-3,890
Rs 2,50,000-3,50,000

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Lot 74 Details

Spring Online Auction 1-2 April 2026

Votive Plaque

Pala Dynasty
Bihar, 10th...

View Dimensions This symbolic votive plaque originates from the monastic centres of Bihar. Such tablets were created by pressing clay into moulds and then firing the impressions. They were likely distributed to visitors as souvenirs or devotional mementoes. A closer look reveals a finely rendered stupa, with several lines of Buddhist prayers for protection inscribed below. The simplicity of design and rich symbolic value make this artefact a true delight.

$670-890
Rs 60,000-80,000

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Lot 5 Details

Framing India: An Exhibition of Modern Indian Art. 10-16 November 2025

Hemendranath Mazumdar

Untitled

Oil on canvas

47.25 x 29.5 in

Lot 13 Details

Framing India: An Exhibition of Modern Indian Art. 10-16 November 2025

S H Raza

Untitled

Oil and ink on paper pasted on board

41.75 x 14.5 in

Lot 18 Details

Framing India: An Exhibition of Modern Indian Art. 10-16 November 2025

Jagdish Swaminathan

Untitled

Oil on canvas

30 x 22 in

Lot 28 Details

Framing India: An Exhibition of Modern Indian Art. 10-16 November 2025

Jogen Chowdhury

Untitled

Mixed media on paper pasted on mount board

27.5 x 19.5 in

Lot 1 Details

Spring Live Auction 17 March 2026

Plaque of a...

Shunga Dynasty
Chandraketugarh,...

View Dimensions Chandraketugarh in Bengal was among the most sophisticated centres of terracotta production in ancient India. This impressive and complete plaque portrays a richly adorned female divinity, commonly identified as a Mother Goddess figure. She stands assertively within an aureole bordered with delicate floral motifs characteristic of the region. With her widely set arms resting on her hips, feet placed apart, and an arresting gaze, the figure projects power and self-assurance. Her wide hips signify fertility, while her elaborate crown is embellished on either side with weapon-shaped hairpins, and large cylindrical ear ornaments decorate her ear lobes.

Plaques such as these are especially compelling as they attest to the veneration of a supreme feminine force prior to the emergence of formalised religious cults. Terracotta figures from this early period are most often found in fragmentary or reduced form, and even museum collections preserve only a limited number of complete examples. This plaque is therefore particularly significant for its date, scale, fine detailing, and remarkable state of preservation, as well as for the clarity and strength of its facial modelling.

Winning bid
$26,667
Rs 24,00,000
(Inclusive of buyer's premium)

Lot 2 Details

Spring Live Auction 17 March 2026

An Important...

Kushan Dynasty
Mathura region,...

View Dimensions Mathura emerged as one of the principal artistic and religious centres of northern India under the patronage of the Central Asian Kushan rulers during the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. The region’s workshops produced some of the earliest anthropomorphic images for the Buddhist, Jain, and Brahmanical traditions, typically carved in the distinctive mottled red sandstone native to the area.

This imposing standing male figure is depicted in Central Asian courtly attire, wearing a long tunic with deeply incised vertical pleats, which reflects the cultural synthesis of the Kushan Empire, where artistic and sartorial traditions from the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia intersected. It is carved on both sides, with a secondary figure on the reverse, indicating that it was originally intended to be viewed in circumambulation. Such double-sided treatment is rare in Mathura sandstone sculptures, and its presence strongly suggests the work may represent a donor or noble patron. Its deep pink colour, characteristic of this region, enhances its visual appeal. The museum-quality work stands at the threshold between presence and absence as a fragment that is surprisingly modern in its abstraction. The loss of the head and limbs shift one’s focus from individual identity to form, allowing the jewellery, drapery, and sculptural mass to attain prominence.

Winning bid
$53,333
Rs 48,00,000
(Inclusive of buyer's premium)

Lot 3 Details

Spring Live Auction 17 March 2026

Stele Of Vishnu

Pala Dynasty
Bihar, Eastern India,...

View Dimensions The Pala dynasty (circa 8th-12th century AD) ruled much of eastern India, particularly present- day Bihar and Bengal, and was among the most important patrons of Buddhist and Brahmanical art in the Subcontinent. This stele depicts Vishnu standing in his canonical four- armed form within an architectural prabhavali (arched aureole), adorned with flowing foliage and celestial attendants. In his upper hands he holds his principal attributes, the gada (mace) and chakra (discus), while one of his lower hands carries a shankha (conch) with the other in varada mudra, the gesture of benevolence and compassion.

He is embellished with jewellery, including a beaded necklace, a yajnopavita or sacred thread, armlets, anklets, and a finely detailed dhoti secured with a girdle. At the base Laxmi and Saraswati flank him on either side. A kirtimukha or “face of glory” is seen above his crown while two celestial beings descend in flight to garland him. The sculpture’s most striking feature is the refinement of the face. The smile radiates a sense of divinity, and the serene expression is accentuated by gracefully arched eyebrows and elongated eyes with a stylised eastern aesthetic.

Its exceptional quality is further evident in the depth of the carving, placement and stance of the attendant figures, and its near immaculate condition with all arms and attributes well preserved barring minor chips and losses commensurate with age. The sculpture possesses a refined and precise presence, resembling a carefully chiselled ivory icon in its delicacy and finish.

Winning bid
$113,333
Rs 1,02,00,000
(Inclusive of buyer's premium)

Lot 4 Details

Spring Live Auction 17 March 2026

Devi

Chera Dynasty
Kerala, Early 12th...

View Dimensions Kerala bronzes have long fascinated collectors and historians, with early research undertaken by eminent historians such as Douglas Barrett, former Keeper of the British Museum, and Stella Kramrisch. Far fewer in number than their Chola counterparts, they are highly sought after for their relative rarity. They are also smaller in scale, with early classical examples usually measuring 5 to 8 inches and 12 inches considered full-sized. Icons dating from the 17th century onward are larger and more common but lack the quality and finesse of earlier bronzes.

This magnificent bronze Devi would have originally been part of a pair flanking a main stone or bronze sculpture in the centre, together framed by a prabhavali (arched aureole). Stylistic traits typical of Kerala bronzes are evident in the stance of the sculpture, prominent breasts, and ornamentation. However, the more elaborate, fluid decorative treatment of slightly later works remains absent. The Devi’s expression is solemn, and her left hand holds a lotus bud that’s missing its tip. The bronze has acquired a highly desirable dark patina with a greenish hue. At over 15 inches in height, this sculpture is larger than most early Kerala bronzes, a distinction highlighted by comparable examples in prominent museum collections worldwide.

Ref 89535 Details

Tyeb Mehta

Diagonal

Oil on canvas

68.5 x 40.5 in

$2
Rs 150

Ref 89534 Details

Tyeb Mehta

Untitled

Drawing on paper

25 x 19 in

$90,910
Rs 80,00,000

Ref 89533 Details

Tyeb Mehta

Untitled

Drawing on paper

25 x 19 in

$90,910
Rs 80,00,000

Ref 89115 Details

Tyeb Mehta

Trussed Bull

Oil on canvas

36 x 50.25 in

$560,000,000
Rs 49,28,00,00,000

USD payment only. Why?

Ref 89093 Details

Tyeb Mehta

Kali - II

Oil on canvas

67 x 54 in

$9,090,910
Rs 80,00,00,000

Ref 89034 Details

Tyeb Mehta

Bull - Torso

Bronze

View Dimensions Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)
Width: 20.5 in (52 cm)
Depth: 21 in (53.5 cm)

$1,704,546
Rs 15,00,00,000

Ref 89032 Details

Tyeb Mehta

Three Head...

Acrylic on canvas

View Dimensions

$3,409,091
Rs 30,00,00,000

Ref 89031 Details

Tyeb Mehta

Crucifixion

Charcoal and watercolour on paper

29.75 x 22 in

$193,182
Rs 1,70,00,000