After the encouraging response to its inaugural auction in January, Bangalore-based full service auction house Bid & Hammer (www.bidandhammer.com)will host its second auction of ‘Modern & Contemporary Indian Art’on the 15th of June, 2008 at ITC Windsor Sheraton. Thepreview of thecollection is being held at the Bid and Hammer Preview Hall, Jayanagar, Bangalore till June 14, 2008. The collection covers101 works of art from 85 artists includingYusuf Arakkal, Aparna Caur, J Swaminathan, F N Souza, Jamini Roy, Raza and others.

“Indians are indeed warming up to auction houses on the lines of the international players and our USP lies in the fact that we intend to unearth the potential of not only modern & contemporary Indian art, but also other fine art categories in the southern Indian market by providing an efficient, competitive and trustworthy service to our clients," says Mr. Dadha, Chairman and Managing Director, Bid and Hammer Auctioneers (P) Ltd. Bid and Hammer's total offerings for its upcoming auction, comprising 101 lots, is pegged at around Rs 7 crores.

India has proven to be the fastest growing wealth base in the Asia Pacific region with Bangalore being the third largest centre for high networth individuals. Today, Indian modern & contemporary art is being recognized as a worthy investment option among the nouveau riche both nationally and internationally.

A brainchild of Mr. Maher Dadha, a passionate art connoisseur and former Director of erstwhile ‘Tamil Nadu Dadha Pharmaceuticals Ltd’, Bid & Hammer’s clients are able to take advantage of an auction house offering a wide spectrum of expertise (authentication, provenance, valuation, conservation, restoration, etc) across all major categories of fine and decorative arts and antiques - an arrangement currently unavailable in India.Mr. Maher Dadha is also the Chief Consultant of Dukan - Fine Art & Antiques, a gallery based in Bangalore.

Bid and Hammer plans to hold two more auctions this year with an Antiquarian Books, Maps, Prints & Photography sale slated for September 2008 and a Works of Art & Modern and Contemporary Indian Art sale slated for December 2008.

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About Bid & Hammer

Established in 2006, Bid & Hammer Auctioneers (P) Ltd is India’s first homebred full service art & antiques auction house based out of Bangalore. An initiative of Mr. M. Maher Dadha, Chief Consultant of the well known Bangalore based gallery ‘Dukan- Fine Art & Antiques’, Bid & Hammer’s clients are able to take advantage of a wide spectrum of expertise which includes authentication, provenance, valuation, conservation, restoration etc across all major categories of fine and decorative arts and antiques - varying from modern and contemporary Indian art to furniture & glass to silver , jewellery and photography and a range of other collectables.

The team of patrons & experts comprises H.H Nawab Mohammed Ali (Prince of Arcot), Dr. Mohan Lal Nigam (former Director of Salar-Jung Museum), Savita Apte (formerly head of Sotheby’s South Asian Art Department), Venkat & Madhavi Singh (Dharohar Art Conservation, Lucknow), H.H. Gaj Singh II ( Maharaja of Jodhpur), Charu Sharma (Auctioneer) and Vijay P. Chordia (prominent Chennai based financier) amongst other distinguished personalities.