Antiquated in August light

The Monsoon Edition of the Art + Antiques Show is back at the Whitefield venue of Bid & Hammer. As soon as one enters the expansive premises, you are enamoured by the sheer number of artworks and collectibles on display.

The very English sounding theme adds to the charm and you are transported into the weekend county markets of England, where you can buy from a selection of quality period furniture, curios, lamp shades, vintage photos, lithographs and ephemera from the days of yore.

What’s more, one can also pick up artworks of contemporary Indian artists and printmakers such as SG Vasudev, Yusuf Arakkal, Jyoti Bhatt, R Raja and Vijay Bagodi among others besides admiring works of the modern Indian masters that are to be featured in the upcoming auction  — these include rare oils by Manjit Bawa, MF Husain, SH Raza, Bhupen Khakhar, GR Santosh and also the Bengal School stalwarts such as Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose to name a few. It is pertinent to revisit the last auction that created quite a stir and eventually proved that the country’s pioneer multi-category auctioneer has the most robust vetting and authentication process.

The moment you enter this silent yet artistic setup in Whitefield, you get a sense of royalty. Exotic lamps, antiques dating back to centuries and exquisite artworks showcase the elaborate and phenomenal collection that has been amassed over several years of mastery.

Speaking of their previous auctions and the passion to exhibit authentic art, they have a team of art scholars, backed by the Dadha family, legally established that business rivals who hoarsely cried “fakes” about unquestionably genuine art works cannot take away the veracity through a media campaign alone.

Those brought in the dock include Dadiba Pundole, Vikram Bacchawat and Samindranath Majumdar against whom warrants have been issued. As the auctioneers pursue cases against the other perpetrators, with the aim of preventing cartels from manipulating the art market in the future, one will have to wait awhile for their next auction.

Until then, not to be weighed down by these tussles, amidst a frantic schedule of shortlisting consignments and negotiating private sales, Ankush Dadha, director of the auction house, also launched bnhshop, a online store for curated home decor and jewellery that will compliment the physical show at Whitefield.

Speaking about the same he said, “In between auctions, we wish to continue engaging our patrons and catering to a new collector base through these endeavours that do not involve the formalities of an auction. No bids, no registration, the works are available at a flat price and you don't lose the advantage of buying through us.”

The expansive art collectible space with a marvelous collection is sure to enthrall antiques lovers. Drop into the space to experience the aesthetics of antiques and limited edition art.

Every Weekend until July 17, at 11, Whitefield Main Road— The writer is an art curator and art expert.