Maharajah Ranjit Singh's painting to be auctioned in UK

• Mystery Surrounds the Property of Queen Victoria’s artefact
• Expected to fetch around Rs.7.5 lakh

UK Auction House Lyon and Turnbull are set to auction a ceremonial jacket and portrait that once belonged to Maharajah Duleep Singh, who was the last Sikh ruler of the Punjab, India. The sale will take place on December 9th in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The jacket with gold braid raised work on a maroon velvet ground is expected to fetch between £60,000 - £80,000, and a pair of shoes worn by him at £15,000 - £20,000. Also under the hammer will be an early painting of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, the father of Duleep Singh which is expected to sell for £8,000 - £12,000. In the painting he is depicted with the wrong blind eye.

Victoria Crake Specialist at Lyon and Turnbull said “It was not uncommon for artists to confuse which eye was blinded and indeed, there is a carved ivory, dating to circa 1830, in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, which shows blindness in the same eye as this painting. The vendor has a history of the paintings dating back prior to the 1930s and contemporary descriptions of the period stated that he was of small stature and was blinded in one eye, but they did not always state which eye and scarred to the face by smallpox, as indicated in the picture.”

Duleep Singh was the youngest son of the legendary Ranjit Singh the ‘Lion-of-the-Punjab’, who ruled the region by the power of his sword and with the fear of his name, a contemporary of Napoleon, who adopted a very European style for his army with an array of Europe’s distinguished Generals.

In 1843, the infant Duleep Singh was thrusted as the Sovereign of ‘Land of the Five Rivers,’ at the tender age of five years, and found himself at the head of the one of the most powerful independent Kingdoms in the Indian sub-continent and a thorn in the advancement of the British Empire.

With misleading ministers and irresponsible guardians, two wars were fought against the British, resulting in the minor Duleep Singh separated from his mother, surrendering the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond and removed from power by the underhand-means of the East India Company.

He was exiled to Britain, where he became an instant favourite of Queen Victoria. He passed his time with the crème de la crème of Victorian high society; shooting regular game with the Prince of Wales at his numerous Highland and English estates, and led a most extravagant and lavish lifestyle often above his means.

Queen Victoria was won over by the Maharajah on their first encounter. She stated ‘He is extremely handsome and speaks English perfectly and has a pretty, graceful and dignified manner’ She commissioned the Italian sculptor Carlo Marochetti in 1856 to create a bust of the handsome Maharajah, which is now in Osborne House.

After trying his hand at writing a West End play, standing for Parliament, playing the field, the deposed Sovereign became disillusioned by his surroundings and sought to make a stand against the tyrannical establishment under the watchful eye and encouragement of the French underworld, and Tsarist Russia. His plans for resurrecting himself failed and he was tragically struck down with a stroke, dying alone and penniless in a Paris hotel room on the 22nd October 1893 far from the riches of the Punjab.

The Royal Jacket on offer is a fine example of the richly embroidered velvets worn by the Maharajah for his formal court events, showing the high quality of workmanship fit only for an Indian Prince.

The sale will also offer an enamelled belt buckle reputedly worn by Saadat Khan who was the founder of the Oudh dynasty of Nawabs, a painting of Maharajah Jagat Singh II of Mewar and a host of other Indian artworks.

About Lyon & Turnbull

Established in Edinburgh in 1826, Lyon & Turnbull are Scotland's oldest firm of auctioneers. In more recent years the innovative marketing, flexibility and dedication to personal service delivered by our team of specialists has helped us to become the fastest growing auction house in the UK, with offices and representatives throughout the country. Lyon & Turnbull are now becoming identified on an international stage, setting world record prices for British and continental paintings along with outstanding results in other areas, such as jewellery, silver, furniture, ceramics, books and decorative arts. More information on Lyon & Turnbull can be accessed at http://www.lyonandturnbull.com/