The auction covers every region particularly known for their unique patterns and weaves of textiles- be it Iran erstwhile Persia, Benarasi fabric or Gujarat/Maharashtra specific Pichwais or Kashmiri Pashmina or Jamavar or Herati design of Afghanistan or Shirwan pattern of the Caucasian region, among others.
The mélange of antique and rare textiles to be offered to bid will be held on January 28th & 29th 2020 Following the previous year's exhaustive auctions covering a gamut of vintage pieces, the year 2020 begins with Textiles.
The highlight of a super-exclusive Pashmina Shawl segment; Durokha- Doranga (lot no 79), priced at Rs. 60,00,000/. This shawl is a masterpiece; work of which spanned over a decade and a half, with relentless efforts of eight craftsmen opposed to two to four craftsmen required for a regular shawl. The shawl has exact same motifs on both sides, however, the base grounds of the shawl on the reverse sides are different. The sheer time required to make this one shawl justifies the exclusivity and price of it.
Other Pashminas include Moon & Peacock Shawl (Lot no.55) with Islim Design, The Kani Khatras Pashmina Shawl (lot no 9) with stripes formation makes it appealing, representing the bygone era of manmade shawls. Kani Pashmina Jamawar 17 rows of paisley diagonal motifs (No. 7) and the combination of Nilfur and Islim design makes Kani Jamawar Antique shawl (Lot no 69) look exquisite.
The carpet and rugs segment offers unique range showcasing an entire Hunting scene made of fine Tabriz wool; distinctive wool from the capital city of East Azarbaijan Province in the northwest of Iran (Lot no 20). The fine Qum wool carpet priced at Rs. 13,50,000/- have inclusions of silk as a primary fabric. An Ardabil Design wool carpet, heavily inspired by the juggernaut 16th Century carpet found in the mosque of Ardabil in four centuries later. The carpet is signed by the maker, Makmal Baff and the original of this carpet is a part of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The segment also consists of runners from different regions of Persia.
In the accessory segment, there are few traditional lots like Pichwais of Lord Krishna as well as wall-hangings with motifs belonging to the Jain religion. A lot of elements from India's rich and extensive history such as Hookah base, belt, and throne can be witnessed.
Speaking about the textile auction, Siddhanth Shetty, Vice President-Strategy & Operations shared, "AstaGuru, though having garnered the title as champions the art (Modern & Contemporary) sector, as an organization it also understands the extensive scope and market of rare and eclectic categories. Therefore, over the past decade, the online auction house has widened its catalog to rare timepieces, antique jewelry, vintage cars, and textiles. Considering the diversity of the Indian textile landscape, we have included rugs, shawls, sarees and also the traditional art form of Pichwai in our upcoming auction. We are glad to have seen the potential in this category and look forward to expanding further."
( With inputs from IANS )