Ranjit Singh’s bust auctioned for 1.1 lakh pounds

A 19th Century stunning marble bust of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, the erstwhile ruler of Punjab, was auctioned for 1,10,400 pounds at Bonhams Indian and Islamic Sale. The bust sculpted in India was estimated to sell for about 50,000 pounds to 70,000 pounds at Bonhams, one of the oldest and largest auctioneers of art in the world.

Clare Penhallurick, head of Indian and Islamic Art at Bonhams, said “We are delighted to offer this magnificent sculpture for sale, particularly as last year we sold a bust of Ranjit Singh’s son, Duleep Singh, for 1.7 million pounds.”

Ranjit Singh had built an empire which stretched from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayas and he is revered by Sikhs as the last effective ruler of independent Punjab. Within 10 years of his death, his empire was in the hands of East India Company and many of his treasures, including the priceless Kohinoor diamond, had become Queen Victoria’s property.