Ending 29th Mar, 2026 14:00

Olympia Timed: Spring 2026

 
  Lot 48
 


Lot 48 - MOHAMED CHARINDA (TANZANIAN 1947-2021)
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48

MOHAMED CHARINDA (TANZANIAN 1947-2021)

UNTITLED
signed BY. CHARINDA lower right
acrylic on canvas
76.2 x 107cm; 30 x 42in
unframed

Property of a Private Collector, London

The subject of the present work is The Königsberg, which was a German light cruiser that served in German East Africa (modern-day Tanzania) at the start of World War I. It sank the British cruiser HMS Pegasus at Zanzibar in 1914 before retreating to the Rufiji River to repair damaged engines. There, the British blockaded and shelled the trapped ship, which was eventually scuttled by its own crew in 1915.

Charinda was born in Tanzania in the village of Nakupanya, Tunduru District, Ruvuma Region. In 1972, he moved to Dar es Salaam and from 1974 trained under the artist Hashim Mruta. He is one of the earliest and most recognised followers of the Tingatinga school of art, founded by Edward Saidi Tingatinga (1932-72).
Artists of the Tingatinga school commonly depict idealised nature and the people and culture of Tanzania in a colourful, naïve style. Contrary to his fellow apprentices, Charinda's subject matter focuses on Tanzanian history, often portraying warfare as in the present work, the East African slave trade, folk tales and scenes of rural life. He was one of the first artists to introduce different media and techniques to the practice. For instance, he used canvas instead of masonite panels, which allowed tourists to carry them home easily, making the art more marketable.

As a member of the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society, Charinda's work has been exhibited in Switzerland and Paris at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Tresors de L'Islam en Afrique: De Tombouctou à Zanzibar in 2017. His work can also be found in the Brtish Museum and Indigo Arts in Philadelphia, USA.


No Reserve

Sold for £5


 

UNTITLED
signed BY. CHARINDA lower right
acrylic on canvas
76.2 x 107cm; 30 x 42in
unframed

Property of a Private Collector, London

The subject of the present work is The Königsberg, which was a German light cruiser that served in German East Africa (modern-day Tanzania) at the start of World War I. It sank the British cruiser HMS Pegasus at Zanzibar in 1914 before retreating to the Rufiji River to repair damaged engines. There, the British blockaded and shelled the trapped ship, which was eventually scuttled by its own crew in 1915.

Charinda was born in Tanzania in the village of Nakupanya, Tunduru District, Ruvuma Region. In 1972, he moved to Dar es Salaam and from 1974 trained under the artist Hashim Mruta. He is one of the earliest and most recognised followers of the Tingatinga school of art, founded by Edward Saidi Tingatinga (1932-72).
Artists of the Tingatinga school commonly depict idealised nature and the people and culture of Tanzania in a colourful, naïve style. Contrary to his fellow apprentices, Charinda's subject matter focuses on Tanzanian history, often portraying warfare as in the present work, the East African slave trade, folk tales and scenes of rural life. He was one of the first artists to introduce different media and techniques to the practice. For instance, he used canvas instead of masonite panels, which allowed tourists to carry them home easily, making the art more marketable.

As a member of the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society, Charinda's work has been exhibited in Switzerland and Paris at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Tresors de L'Islam en Afrique: De Tombouctou à Zanzibar in 2017. His work can also be found in the Brtish Museum and Indigo Arts in Philadelphia, USA.

Auction: Olympia Timed: Spring 2026, ending 29th Mar, 2026

The sale presents a diverse selection of 521 lots, featuring accessible estimates across many departments including European Works of Art, Chinese and Japanese Works of Art and Modern & Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Art, with a majority of lots drawn from the Antique Arms, Armour and Militaria department.

The lots close 30 seconds apart from each other, but if there is another bid in the final 5 minutes of a particular lot closing, the time of this lot will be extended to 5 minutes..

The office is closed over the weekend, but the enquiries@olympiaauctions.com email is being monitored. Please contact us here if you have any queries.

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PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 22nd March: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 23rd March: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday 24th March: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday 25th March: 10am to 5pm

AUCTION:
Closing from: 2pm 29th March, 2026 

For more information, please contact us | enquiries@olympiaauctions.com | + 44 (0) 20 7806 5541

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