Mystery surrounds the secretive buyer who stunned the art world paying £1.7M for the sculpture of Maharaja Duleep Singh auctioned by Bonhams of London on 19 April.

The portrait bust of Maharajah Duleep Singh made in Rome in 1859 by the Welsh-born Royal Academician John Gibson provides a tantalising glimpse into the story of a lost kingdom - and of the man who tried to win it back.
The circumstances of its making, on a trip to Italy in company with the Prince of Wales, found the subject at perhaps the happiest time in an otherwise turbulent life. And a letter from his royal protector shows just how enamoured Queen Victoria still was with the ‘pretty and graceful’ Sikh prince when the sculpture was created.

The times of India has reported that the mystery buyer was a London based Sikh with substantial business interests in the UK. This report is unsubstantiated and Bonhams have, naturally,  refused to deny or confirm this.

Julian Roup, of Bonhams, said there was “unprecedented” interest in the statue of the Sikh hero, who was the last Maharajah of the Punjab and owner of the celebrated Koh-i-Noor diamond.

“It was one of those auctions where people were in disbelief and were holding their breaths. We had a lot of interest from the subcontinent and people were asking to be photographed standing alongside the historic figure, which shows the devotional aspect of this.”

“We were surprised when it went past the half a million mark. When the hammer fell, cheers broke out. It is one of the best prices we have had this year,” he said.

But after a tug of war between nine bidders at the Bonhams Indian and Islamic sale, a UK private buyer spent £1.7m in a few minutes to keep the sought-after lot in Duleep Singh's adopted country.

The sculpture of the Maharajah wearing a turban, kaftan and pearl necklace, was made by renowned Royal Academician John Gibson, in Rome, between 1859 and 1860. It was valued at £5 in 1926 following the death of his second son Prince Frederick, who had kept the bust at his Blo Norton Hall home, near Diss.

It was sold again at Sotheby's in 1985 for £4,200, and had belonged to a London-based “lady of title” until yesterday.

The mystery former owner said after the auction: “I suppose what has happened here today shows that you cannot put a price on history.”

Archive of News stories related to the bust :

Royal Bust Bought by Sikh : Khushwant Singh, Times of India, 22 April 2007

Duleep Singh's bust goes for £1.7M : Rashmee Rosham Lall, Times of India, 20 April 2007

Maharajah's bust is a £1.7m stunner : Adam Gretton, Eastern Daily Press, 19 April 2007

Duleep Singh’s bust: SGPC’s move to buy it draws flak : Varinder Walia, Tribune News Service, 13 April 2007

PDF file of the sale catalogue entry for the bust