20th May, 2026 11:00
Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026
32
A LETTER CARRIER, LUCKNOW, CIRCA 1815-20
watercolour and black ink on paper, the standing figure in profile before a hilly landscape, ruled margins in black ink, pink and pale yellow washes, image 15 x 11.4cm., folio 22.4 x 18.4cm.
Inscribed in black ink in a nineteenth century European hand, below the mount, 'A Hurkarah, or Letter Carrier'
Provenance: The property of a Yorkshire gentleman collector, bought from London dealers in the 1950s. The majority of items were purchased from well-known dealer and collector Herbert Rieser who had a gallery at 49 George Street, Marylebone.
This painting would have originally formed part of a much larger set containing images of different occupations or activities in the city. One such album, containing fifty three paintings, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, acc. no. AL.7970:27. This album is in a very similar style to this painting and with the same borders and dimensions. It seems reasonable to suggest that they come from the same Lucknow workshop.
Sold for £1,100
watercolour and black ink on paper, the standing figure in profile before a hilly landscape, ruled margins in black ink, pink and pale yellow washes, image 15 x 11.4cm., folio 22.4 x 18.4cm.
Inscribed in black ink in a nineteenth century European hand, below the mount, 'A Hurkarah, or Letter Carrier'
Provenance: The property of a Yorkshire gentleman collector, bought from London dealers in the 1950s. The majority of items were purchased from well-known dealer and collector Herbert Rieser who had a gallery at 49 George Street, Marylebone.
This painting would have originally formed part of a much larger set containing images of different occupations or activities in the city. One such album, containing fifty three paintings, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, acc. no. AL.7970:27. This album is in a very similar style to this painting and with the same borders and dimensions. It seems reasonable to suggest that they come from the same Lucknow workshop.
Auction: Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026, 20th May, 2026
The sale includes the collection of Robert Skelton OBE, curator of Indian Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It comprises some exquisite 18th and 19th century Indian paintings and drawings as well as a fine group of modern Indian paintings with works by Shiavax Chavda (1914 - 1990), Francis Newton Souza (1924 - 2002), K Laxma Goud (B. 1940) and Jayashree Chakravarty (B. 1956). Tiles, Indian bronzes, thewa boxes, a silver gilt ewer, a ‘Koftgari’ pen box and a Mughal carved black jade dagger are also among the lots in this collection.
Also in the same sale is 10th -12th century Persian pottery, a monumental pair of 19th century doors, Persian and Syrian ceramics including tiles, also Iznic tiles from Ottoman Anatolia. Other lots include Indian bronze figures, small furniture, textiles and rugs.
Auction Location: London, UK
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 17th May: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
CONTACT
indianandislamic@olympiaauctions.com + 44 (0)20 7806 5545
