20th May, 2026 11:00
Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026
56
A PORTRAIT OF PRITHVIRAJ RAJA CHAUHAN, MEWAR, PROBABLY UDAIPUR, CIRCA 1810
in opaque colours and gold on paper, the bejewelled figure crouching on a terrace behind his shield and armed with a sword, katar and bow and arrow, within ruled borders and a red margin, image 26.6 x 16.4cm., folio 34.1 x 25.2cm.
Provenance: Collection of Robert Skelton, O.B.E. (1929-2022)
Prithviraj Chauhan was a twelth century warrior king of the Chauhan clan reputed to have ruled the region at the most powerful moment of its history. His defeat at the hands of the moslem Ghurid ruler, Mu-izz al-Din Muhammad ibn Sam, in 1192 is seen by many as a watershed moment in Indian history.
A comparable depiction of Prithviraj Raja Chauhan was offered at Sotheby's, 17th June 1999, lot 50. That example was attributed to Devgarh and thought to have been the work of the court artist Bagta, or possibly Chokha.
Sold for £3,000
in opaque colours and gold on paper, the bejewelled figure crouching on a terrace behind his shield and armed with a sword, katar and bow and arrow, within ruled borders and a red margin, image 26.6 x 16.4cm., folio 34.1 x 25.2cm.
Provenance: Collection of Robert Skelton, O.B.E. (1929-2022)
Prithviraj Chauhan was a twelth century warrior king of the Chauhan clan reputed to have ruled the region at the most powerful moment of its history. His defeat at the hands of the moslem Ghurid ruler, Mu-izz al-Din Muhammad ibn Sam, in 1192 is seen by many as a watershed moment in Indian history.
A comparable depiction of Prithviraj Raja Chauhan was offered at Sotheby's, 17th June 1999, lot 50. That example was attributed to Devgarh and thought to have been the work of the court artist Bagta, or possibly Chokha.
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
