Bid it, buy it and don’t look at quick returns

Walk in to an auction house with a free mindset and auctioning will be lot more than an just bidding says Ankush Dadha, director of Bid & Hammer, who spoke to DNA about their upcoming auction.

Many of us still believe that auctioning is a indulgence of high society or that it is meant only for art connoisseurs and collectors. But hang on, it may not be so. “Anyone and everyone can be part of an auction. It is meant for all those who are interested in art, art as an investment and in its aesthetics. The Bid & Hammer auctions also have witnessed participation from corporates, doctors and even those who want to just pick pieces for their homes,” opens Ankush Dadha, director of Bid & Hammer, a fine art auctioneer that is all set to unveil its 11th edition of auctioning in the category of carpets, rugs and tapestries.

“My father was in the pharmaceutical business which required him to travel a lot. He loves art and used to collect it during his trips to various places. He has been collecting for 30 years. Then he thought, why not make a living out of it. In fact, back then, he was even offered to be on board of one of the most popular auction houses in the country. He declined and decided to set-up his own auction house. A house that will cover the entire gambit — artefacts, antiques, textiles and many other pieces that have aesthetic, heritage and archeological appeal. We have many auctioneers in India who deal only with paintings and jewellery. But we wanted to be different. We also feature paintings, but are very selective because 70 per cent of our revenue comes from the non-painting category,” adds Ankush.

The company has a history of auctioning across categories such as modern and contemporary art, paintings, jewellery, pottery and porcelain. And this auction, to be held on June 11 will feature varieties of carpets, rugs and tapestries which are over 100 years old. “Majority of the collection is from a single collector, who has travelled and collected pieces from auctions held in UK, US, Central Asia for over 30 years. We also have pieces that are 100-150 years old and are from regions which are known for weaving. The collection includes tribal carpets from the Caucasian mountains which are between the Black and Caspian Seas, the Kurdish enclaves of Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. Almost all the weaving groups from these regions were nomadic and migrated for climatic reasons, so the pieces they produce are a fantastic potpourri of many diverse ethnicities, tribal lifestyles and indigenous customs,” explains Ankush, adding, “We have our own team, individual galleries, collectors and consigners from whom we purchase consignments. We have a huge network that we have expanded over the years. There were people who wanted to bring their works to India, but didn’t have an outlet. These are the people who have approached us.”

So how do you conclude on the value of an item, we ask. “We stand by what we sell and let people decide the value. But we also have a panel of experts who have been following these works, their historical records and the demand and supply scene in the market and then decide on which is the most feasible and competitive price,” says Ankush, adding that the auctioning trend is slowly picking up in India. “International auction houses hold more than six auctions in a year featuring over 300 pieces. We still have only 200-240 pieces. We are holding talks and doing a lot of other activities to create awareness. We hold three auctions in a year. But this time we plan to have four and hope to increase the frequency in the coming years. Four years ago, we couldn’t have thought of it. But now, the trend is steadily increasing. There are newer collectors coming in and there’s definitely a market. There used to be an auction house in India about 10 years ago, but they stopped holding auctions after a point. And for a long time there was nothing happening in this sector and now you have players coming in,” expresses Ankush.

Talking about what people love in India, Ankush says, “Antiquarian, books, maps, prints and photographs that are pre-dominantly based on Colonial time in India are very popular. Apart from these, Indian and European silver and continental porcelain which we featured last time were a hit. And this is why in our next auction we plan to display Hallmarked English, Continental and Indian silver.”

And a live experience is always better than an online auction feels Ankush. “The traditional way is where people are on the floor and know what’s happening. It is more open and is an experience in itself — you come for preview shows, see what’s on display, consult the experts sitting there and understand the whole procedure face-to-face, unlike in live online auctions which has its own disadvantages,” signs off Ankush.