1.9 mn pound achieved at a Sale of paintingss from India and Pak

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Bonhmas Auctioneers, the prime choice auction house for buyers and sellers worldwide conducted the sale of an amazing collection of contemporary Indian and Pakistani Art at New Bond Street, London where the total value of the sale was 1.9 million pound.

An unrecognized picture by Francis Newton Souza purchased in a New York flea-market for a few dollars in 1983, sold today for 151,200 pound at Bonhams auction of Indian and Pakistani Contemporary Art in New Bond Street, a release said.

Mehreen Ritzvi of Bonhams Indian and Islamic Art Department, said,'' This picture was almost lost to us but for the fact that it appealed to its present owner as he meandered through a flea-market in New York. He paid almost nothing for it - less than 50 dollars - and had no idea who the artist was.

''The picture is a portrait of a suited man against an orange background and the buyer always referred to it as the Chairman of the Board. It was only years later as Souza began to make a name for himself that the buyer realized what a stroke of luck he'd had in picking up this valuable work.'' The sale attracted a huge crowd and heated telephone bidding for magnificent pieces of art by Souza, Jamini Roy, Gopal Goshe, Krishen Khanna, B Prabha, Syed Haider Raza and Jagdish Swaminathan and many more.

The Bonhams sale showcased more than a dozen works by Souza including a nude image titled Rear view of a female nude' sold for 72,000 pound at the sale. Highest price for a Souza in this sale was for Head of Christ' and 'Still Life', both of which made 173,600 pound. In all there were six Souzas in the top ten prices achieved at the sale.

Treadwell, the owner of the mobile gallery represented another of the Progressive artists, Sadanand Bakre, who lived and worked in London during 1960s. Bonhams offered four notable examples of Bakre's work, all from private sources, and perhaps the best to have appeared at the auction. Prices reflected the level of interest. The top priced item lot 55 sold for 48,000 pound.

Top price in the sale was lot 54 'Mountain and Bird' by Jagdish Swaminathan (India 1928-1993) which sold for 207,200 pound against and estimate of 180,000 to 220,000.