LONDON: A 19th- era, 2.5- metre- large timber type of the Qutb Minar as it looked in 1828 with six storeys is going under the nail on Wednesday at UK auction house Dreweatts, with an estimate of Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh.
The product was a private collection of the late Roman count Count Manfredi della Gherardesca, who had a wealthy Roman heritage and passed away in 2022 at the age of 60.
” This type represents the dark sandstone tower, the Qutb Minar in Delhi, built in 1193- 1230 for Qutb ud- Din- Aibak, the second Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate… to put the shadow of God over both west and west”, states the auction brochure.
Its origins can be traced to a 2000 sale at Christie’s of Christopher Gibbs ‘ collection. Although it was made of teak, it is believed that it could have been produced in India because Gibbs is not known where it came from.
An anonymous buyer bought it from Gibbs, who then put it up for sale at Christie’s in 2018, where Manfredi bought it.
Manfredi told me that when he entered the gallery, it was in the middle and that he simply felt the need to have it. It is so beautifully constructed and has such a great presence. Manfredi was aware of the uncommon model that Gibbs possessed. There is only one other model known to be in existence in the UK”, Joe Robinson, head of the Manfredi sale, said.
The model that Gibbs purchased replicated the minaret before Firoz Shah rebuilt the upper stories between 1288 and 1293. After Colonel Robert Smith added a controversial cupola to it in 1828, the anonymous buyer added the upper stories to reflect how it looked, creating a sixth storey. The hammer is being used here.
That cupola was then taken down from the structure in 1848 and reinstalled on the ground, where it is known as” Smith’s Folly”.
What you see is a fusion of Islamic architecture with the Hindu craftsmen who actually made it, in contrast to the Middle East mosques at the time. It is a very symbolic and significant structure. It’s about how India came to be and how it’s structured right now,” Robinson said.
