SOLD - Taxi Driver's $60 Flea Market Painting Fetches $132,000
A "bad day" flipped right-side-up
Scene depicts Harmandir Sahib (Source: Roseburys)
April 19, 2016
By James Massey
LONDON - Roseburys reports a painting purchased for $60 (£40) by a taxi driver at a flea market, has fetched $132,000 (£92,250, after premium) at auction.
The 19th century painting (23 x 33 inches), known as a large Indian miniature painting, depicts the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) in the the walled town of Amritsar. The site is considered to be the holiest Gurdwara of Sikhism, in Punjab, India.
Owner having "a bad day," and then...
According to Roseburys press release and auction listing. The London taxi driver who owned the painting, had consigned it with a pre-sale estimate of $700 - $1,400 (£500 - £1,000). Apparently, the news of the ($132,000) sale completely flipped a bad day, right-side-up, for the owner.
"Director and specialist Peter Greenway phoned the vendor after the auction, “It was great to tell the vendor how well his picture had done. It is the moment we all strive for as auctioneers to be able to deliver a positive result. What made it even better was the vendor told me what a bad day he was having as his taxi had a flat tyre and he wasn’t able to go to work. Having heard the news he decided to give himself the weekend off!”
Auction Sparks Worldwide Bidding Bar
The heavily contested auction pitted bidders in the room against seven telephone bidders from across the globe. When the dust settled, an anonymous telephone bidder walked away the winner. The online auction listing can be seen here.
Video: Painting of India - The Delicate Beauty of Miniature. (source: Doordarshan National).
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