Heritage furniture displayed for auction in Mumbai.DESPITE A communication by the Chandigarh Administration to the Maharashtra government and the Ministry of Home Affairs to get the auction of city’s heritage furniture at Mumbai stopped, all the three artworks went under the hammer late in the evening on Thursday. The auction which was held at Hotel Taj in Mumbai began at 7 pm and the three lots were opened for bidding at 9 pm.
Within three minutes of each of the lots, designed by French architect Le Corbusier and his associate Pierre Jeanneret, being opened for bidding, they were sold out for a whopping Rs 80 lakh.
The lounge sofa set which had its estimated reserve price between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 18 lakh was auctioned for Rs 36.25 lakh.
A pair of “kangaroo chairs” which had its estimated reserve price between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 10 lakh was sold for Rs 21.25 lakh while a periodical bookcase which had its estimated reserve price between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 25 lakh was sold for Rs 22.50 lakh.
A letter to Chief Secretary, Maharashtra, Ministry of Home Affairs and Enforcement Directorate was faxed by the Chandigarh Administration on Thursday by Home Secretary Arun Kumar Gupta.
As many as 59 artworks were auctioned by Sotheby in its first-ever auction in Mumbai, of which three lots included those designed by French architect Le Corbusier and his associate Pierre Jeanneret.
When contacted, Principal Secretary Home Arun Kumar Gupta did not say anything on the smooth auction but said, “We sent the communication today morning only. We had faxed our letter.”
Ajay Jagga, a member of Heritage Protection Cell, had also written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on November 24, requesting him to get the auction stopped which was scheduled for Friday.
“The matter is pertaining to financial loss, loss of prestige and heritage and violation of the ban of MHA on sale and export of heritage furniture designed by Pierre Jeanneret/ Le Corbusier,” his letter had stated.
Reacting to the auction despite advance intimation even by the UT Administration, Jagga said, “It is highly painful that the authorities couldn’t get the auction stopped which was taking place in India.
