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Its sandstone columns have been cast in silver. The 560 feet expansive circular edifice of the Indian Parliament has been reduced to an eight-inch structure weighing 2,110 grams,but in the precious metal,the historic building does not fail to impress. Made in the 1950s over two decades after the Herbert Baker-designed building was inaugurated in the Capital the replica has a lid with the National emblem on the knob. It is a significant replica made by T Manickam Chetty & Sons. The Chennai-based jewellers were extremely renowned at that time, says Ankush Dadha,director,Bid and Hammer auction house,who sourced the rotunda representation of the Parliament from a Mumbai-based Parsi collector earlier this year. It will be one of the 197 works that will come under the hammer at the auction houses first auction dedicated to hallmarked English,Continental and Indian silver.
Even before the hammer comes down on the existing set of works at The Imperial on August 26,Dadha is preparing for another auction comprising works in silver,slated next year. We are certain about its success. We have a tradition of being partial to precious metal,and silver antiquities are bound to attract attention. It will also prompt people to take out their old silver and look at it as a valuable possession, says Dadha,pointing out that silver pieces included as part of larger auctions of artefacts by the auction house,have received an encouraging response. The sale price has always been much higher than the estimate. For instance,at our 2008 auction a three-piece silver set sold for Rs 1.4 lakh,when the estimate was between Rs 45,000 and 60,000, notes Dadha.
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