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You could not miss it. The carved rosewood center table with a variegated white marble top from the estate of Muncherji N. Cama displayed at auction house AstaGuru’s Opulent Collections drew a lot of attention from viewers when Parsiana visited, just before the Collection went on sale on January 27-28, 2022. Dating from c 1870, the 32” tall table, 78” in diameter had a pierced-work apron with floral carving and rested on a base carved with fruit, floral arabesques and four winged-dragon feet. "At the present point in time, center tables of this size and opulence are rare,” stated the rich catalog of the 154 collectibles that were on sale. With a reserve price of Rs 10,00,000 to 12,00,000, the item emerged as the topper, value-wise, in the list of items sold, fetching nearly three times that amount, Rs 32,48,275. Erstwhile Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustee, philanthropist and co-owner of Mumbai Samachar, Cama had passed away on July 3, 2021 (see "King Cama,” In Memoriam, Parsiana, August 7-20, 2021).
"About 60 to 70% of the items on sale belong to Cama’s estate,” mentioned the helpful AstaGuru executive Rushaad Dastur who showed us around. All the items that went on sale from Cama’s estate were collected by Muncherji during his lifetime, his brother Hormusji revealed to Parsiana a few days after the sale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spread over three storeys at ICIA (Institute of Contemporary Indian Arts) Building on Rampart Row, on display before the online sale were Satsuma plates, Imari bowls, Japanese jars, Anglo Indian davenports, hallmarked cutlery, carpets, glass painting, candelabra, floor chandeliers, time pieces, art nouveau cabinets and camphor chests among other items. Bids could be placed online, via phone, on their app or in writing; bidding for pre-determined lots closed at different times on January 28, to avoid bunching and last minute rush.
A pair of large porcelain Cantonese famille-rose vases from Cama’s estate, also featured in the top 10 items sold at Rs 18,78,527, revealed the post-auction analysis shared by AstaGuru with Parsiana. In predominantly pink over-glaze enamel, the show pieces had multiple panels in a rose-medallion design and depicted oriental figures in day-to-day pursuits. The shoulder of the vases had a band of floral designs, interspersed with birds and butterflies. "Both vases have lizards and fu-dog embellishments executed in gilt,” according to the catalog.
Among the other items on display and which fetched bids over their reserve price were candelabras, chandeliers and other crystal decorative items by renowned crystal maker F. and C. Osler.  Their "creations were highly prized by various princely palaces of British India and now are highly sought after by collectors at auctions,” stated AstaGuru’s press note. An eight-light floor candelabrum, surpassed its higher estimate and realized Rs 30,25,383. A crystal table by Osler sold for a winning bid of Rs 18,21,600.
"The success of the second edition of our Opulent Collectibles auction that took place last month indicates a growing interest among collectors for different categories,” AstaGuru chief executive officer Tushar Sethi communicated to Parsiana via Dastur on February 7. "Connoisseurs want to celebrate their culture and own a part of the history that is associated with antiques and artefacts… We are pleased with the results of the (auction) and look forward to presenting many more well curated catalogs for this category,” he noted. Of the 154 lots that were on sale, 114 lots were sold, fetching Rs 6.63 crores, stated the press release from the auction house.
AstaGuru was conceptualized in 2008 "with the sole purpose of creating a safe and secure platform to conduct online auctions for Indian, contemporary and modern art,” according to their post-auction press note. The name is a conjugation of Asta, which means auction in Italian, and Guru, meaning master. "AstaGuru has strived to successfully bridge the gap between prospective buyers and consignors by transcending the limitations of live auctions,” they stated. Their portfolio includes categories such as jewelry and silver, timepieces, textiles, memorabilia, books, philately and cars.
Always having been an online auction house, they had no issues concerning their work during the pandemic. They conducted seven auctions in 2020 and nine in 2021. As stated AstaGuru’s chairman and managing director Vickram Sethi in their annual review 2021, "During the lockdown we facilitated landmark sales… starting with Maqbool Fida Hussain’s Voices that sold for Rs 18.5 crores and Amrita Sher-Gil’s portrait of her husband Victor Egan that fetched Rs 11 crores…It was a sign that no matter how bleak the time may seem, human beings will always find a way to express their joie de vivre and resilience through the creative arts.”