Osian's Auction Catalogue ABC Series III | March 2007

ABC Series III 136 151 Poet of the East and Chughtai (Amle Chughtai) Introduction by Justice S. A. Rahman Text in English and Urdu Lahore: A.R. Chughtai, 1968 First Edition Slipcase: 14.6 x 12.0 in (37.7 x 30.5 cm) Book: 14.0 x 11.4 in (35.6 x29.2 cm) Book: Maroon rexine with gilt embossing on covers and spine and printed dustjacket. Presentation copy from the Former President of Pakistan General Zia-ul-Haq. The inscription in calligraphy, on the reverse of the frontispiece reads: ‘With my very best wishes to Mr. Kazuo Miyamoto, Zia Ul Haq / 24 August 1981’. The front pastedown of the book also bears the ticket of a Japanese bookseller. 395pp / 39 hand-tipped col plates, 24 b/w photogravures, 8 calligraphic plates and 1 etching (Each painting / photogravure has the facing page carrying its interpretation in English and the English translation of a quatrain by Iqbal on which it is based.) Binding: Hardbound (original) Condition: Good Chughtai embarked on this book project in1953 but it took 15 years to achieve publication, after many nancial problems. The Government of Pakistan approved a grant towards the book but paid only part of the sum promised. The nal cost was Rs. 300,000 and it was priced at $315 at the time of publication in 1968. A number of copies were taken by the Government of Pakistan for gifting to visiting dignataries and therefore it is extremely rare to nd a copy on the market. This book also set the highest publication standards for a book on any artist of India or Pakistan. The photogravures and the colour plates were engraved and printed in England while the calligraphy and the Urdu printing was carried out at the Nisar Art Press, Lahore. The book has 72 works by Chughtai and none of them is accessible elsewhere as he painted many of them specically for this book after 1950. INR 500,000 – 625,000 USD 11,300 – 14,100 152 The Golden Book of Tagore A Homage to Rabindranath Tagore from India and the World in Celebration of his Seventieth Birthday Edited by Ramananda Chatterjee Calcutta: The Golden Book Committee, 1931 Unnumbered copy of a limited edition of 1500 copies 11.5 x 8.7 in (29.2 x 22.2 cm) Cover: Half leather and maroon rexine with title in gold on the spine 424pp / 12 col hand-tipped, 4 sepia-toned and 9 b/w plates; 7 photographs and 100 b/w illustrations Binding: Hardbound (rebound) Condition: Fragile and brittle INR 100,000 – 125,000 USD 2,250 – 2,800