A magnificent 19th century State carriage which belonged to the Mysore Maharajas, is set to be auctioned in the United Kingdom by historics auctioneers.
Used exclusively by the royal family of Mysore and to transport European royalty including the Prince of Wales, the carriage is expected to sell for £70,000 to £100,000. This horse or elephant-drawn State carriage is thought to be of British origin and dates from arou-nd early to mid-19th century.
It features an imposing and ornately finished cruciform body with a vaulted, domed roof situated atop double elliptic springs and iron bound artillery patterned wheels. The basic colour is olive green embellished with delicate meander boarders, floral and heraldic motifs and the family coat of arms. Most of the 16 windows offer drop-down, decorated panels and shutters for privacy.
The interior is upholstered in beige damask and the roof has decorative paintwork, carved border moldings and finials.
The exterior houses two seats perhaps used by servants and courtiers and given the detailing and design throughout, could easily be described as a work of art, as can be seen in a wall painting of it at the Mysore Palace Museum. It is thought to have been last used at the Cha-mundeshwari Festival in 1927.
The Wadiyar dynasty, established by Vijaya, ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399. Vijaya took on the name and ruled Mysore, then a small town, from 1399 CE to 1423 CE. From 1760 to 1799, the rule of the dynasty was essentially nominal, with real power in the hands of successive Dalwai, or Commanders-in-Chief, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, who expanded the kingdom aggressively, but clashed with the East India Company.
After Tipu Sultan was killed when the British stormed Seringapatnam in 1799, the Wadiyars were restored to power by the British.
It was offered at auction by an Australian firm, Leonard Joel, on Feb. 22. It is believed to have been offered by a private British collection. It was later exhibited at Sotheby’s Olympia on 1991, and was acquired by historians.
The carriage will be auctioned on Nov. 24, 2012 at the Brooklands Museum in the United Kingdom.
[For more details, contact Dr. Rahul Sharma on email: drrahulsharmaji@yahoo.com.]
source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / Home> Feature Articles / November 07th, 2012