Major collection of Indian paintings and calligraphy to be offered at Christie's

"The forthcoming Christie's sale is dominated by Mughal paintings, dating from the 16th to mid-19th century. Estimates range from the low thousands, some offered without reserve, up to £180,000 for Ascetics Encamped Outside a Walled Town, Haryana (around 1816), from the sought-after Fraser Album, a collection of paintings depicting 19th-century life in India, commissioned by the English civil servants William Fraser and his artist brother James Baillie Fraser."

"The Cowles have been devoted collectors and dealers of East Asian art for more than four decades. Cheney opened the Crane Gallery, specialising in East Asian art, in 1975, and continued to run it until he retired in 2016. Notably, in 2019, the couple made a joint gift of 550 works of Japanese painting, calligraphy, and ceramics to the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Freer Sackler, and the Portland Art Museum."

"It speaks to Frasers' desire to document the world that they found themselves in. It's a spectacular painting, and one that should do well. The sale reflects the Cowles's specific pockets of interest, for example a selection of four works that incorporate European motifs and techniques during the reigns of the Emperors Akbar and Jahangir."

Mary and Cheney Cowles, Seattle-based collectors and dealers of East Asian art for over four decades, are selling their Indian paintings and calligraphy collection through Christie's in London. Cheney operated the Crane Gallery specializing in East Asian art from 1975 until his 2016 retirement. The couple previously donated 550 Japanese works to major museums in 2019 and sold classical Chinese furniture in 2023. The upcoming sale features primarily Mughal paintings from the 16th to mid-19th century, with estimates ranging from low thousands to £180,000. A notable piece, Ascetics Encamped Outside a Walled Town from the Fraser Album, depicts 19th-century Indian life and was acquired by the Cowles in 1988.

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