Taking Stock

What is the connection between a Berkshire mansion and Lutyens’ Delhi? The answer is late British collector Stanley J Seeger. The magnanimous millionaire and recluse, who passed away in 2011, owns the mansion designed by Edwin Lutyens, home to his enormous and eclectic private collection of art, rare antiquities and treasures from diverse civilisations, many of which come from India. “This is a perfect illustration of Seeger’s humour and playful interest in historical resonance. He brought India to a Lutyens’ Mansion in the same way that Lutyens had brought his own sense of style in the early 20th century,” says David Macdonald, Sotheby’s Specialist. 

Macdonald has explored and researched 1,000 objects from Seeger’s collection for an upcoming auction, titled “1000 Ways of Seeing”. The auction will take place on March 5 and 6 in London. Having collected artefacts from across the world, Seeger’s interest in India is seen in objects such as a brass betel leaf casket in the shape of a goose from 18th or 19th century south India, possibly Kerala (estimated between 1 and 1.5 lakh), a carved waterslide in white marble from 19th century (estimated between 2 and 3 lakh), and a painted papier mache and canvas in wood depicting processional elephant and mahout from 19th century Rajasthan (on sale for Rs 51,647- Rs 72,306). The last item, in fact, was placed at the bottom of the staircase at the Berkshire mansion. “The Indian objects reflect Seeger’s sense of style, taste and sense of fun,” says Macdonald.

Seeger’s popular auctions have previously included 80 Picassos for £21 million in 1993, and Bacon Triptych and other contemporary and modern works for $54 million in 2001. Apart from the Indian objects, one will also see Orson Welles’ script for the 1941 film Citizen Kane, a 20 million year old dinosaur egg, late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s armchair and Al Capone’s cocktail shaker, among others.