Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Oct 31: The grand legacy of one of Bombay’s 19th-century merchant princes, Sir Mangaldas Nathubhai, came alive once again as rare treasures from his family’s two-century-old estate went under the hammer in Mumbai this month. The auction, conducted by Prinseps, marked the first public sale of movable assets belonging to the famed Nathubhai family — known for their immense wealth, philanthropy, and contribution to the city’s growth.
The sale, which included porcelain artifacts, clocks, books, and furniture, collectively fetched over Rs 46 lakh, according to auction house estimates. The highlight of the event was the sale of rare books and manuscripts, including James Forbes’s Oriental Memoirs (1813) and Rupavali (1939) by Nandlal Bose, which together brought in Rs 22.36 lakh.
Earlier this month, a collection of 38 porcelain pieces from China and Japan — including exquisite Satsuma vases — sold for Rs 15.51 lakh, while 18 vintage clocks and timepieces fetched another Rs 8.91 lakh. “These are historical artifacts that cannot be exported. They would have likely fetched ten times more in China,” said Indrajit Chatterjee, founder and curator of Prinseps.
An ongoing auction of British colonial and Art Deco furniture is set to conclude on November 5, followed by upcoming sales of silverware and rare coins from the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal eras.
Sir Mangaldas Nathubhai, who was knighted in 1875, was a towering figure of colonial Bombay’s mercantile elite — known not only for his business acumen but also his civic involvement. He was an early industrialist, founding the Bombay United Spinning and Weaving Company during the American Civil War, and a prominent voice in the Bombay Association, which protested against colonial taxation policies.
His family estate, which once included vast properties along Grant Road and Girgaum — areas that still bear traces of his name — represents a vital part of Mumbai’s mercantile heritage.
Among the prized pieces auctioned were Qing dynasty Nanking crackleware vases, each nearly two feet tall, painted with intricate battle scenes. These fetched Rs 1.8 lakh and bore apocryphal Kangxi marks, offering collectors a direct link to 19th-century trade between India, China, and Japan.
Other items, such as Japanese Satsuma ceramics from the Meiji period, fetched Rs 2.2 lakh, while a French Japy Frères mantel clock depicting a turbanned horseman sold for Rs 1.2 lakh.
Professor Mita Sujan, a descendant of Sir Mangaldas and current Woldenberg Professor of Marketing at Tulane University, reflected on the emotional weight of parting with her ancestral heritage. “I was very sad, because it meant I was dismantling an era,” she said.
The auctions not only rekindle interest in Mumbai’s forgotten mercantile history but also shed light on the refined taste and cosmopolitan spirit of the city’s early industrialists — a legacy that continues to shape Mumbai’s identity even today.