New York: Christie’s announces property from India House, a private club that has been a fixture of downtown Manhattan since the early 20th century, will be offered in the September Asian Art Week and January Americana Week sales in New York. The collection encompasses over 60 lots of maritime paintings, books and manuscripts, and Chinese, Indian & Southeast Asian works of art.

Tina Zonars, Christie’s Co-Chairman, Asian Art comments, “With its rich, distinguished history, the property from the India House Club is sure to excite collectors. The variety and quality of the works speak to the sophisticated and eclectic taste of the Club’s founding members as well as to the Club’s stately atmosphere that was enjoyed by generations of New Yorkers.”

Founded in 1914 by James A. Farrell and Willard Straight, India House was conceived as a meeting place in lower Manhattan for the interests of foreign trade, and its name paid homage to the Dutch West India Company. Farrell and Straight envisioned that “New York should have a place, maritime in spirt, purpose and atmosphere, where those interested in rebuilding a merchant marine worthy of America could meet.” In this vein, many leaders in foreign trade and worldwide commerce have since gathered at India House, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Hopkins, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., James Byrnes, W. Averell Harriman, George C. Marshall, Henry Cabot Lodge and Cyrus Vance.

A group of 23 works will be offered across the Asian Art Week live and online sales in New York in September. Highlighting the collection is a large 17th-century silk painting of Guandi, the God of War, which will be offered in the Important Chinese Ceramics And Works of Art Sale on September 23 (estimate: $30,000-50,000). The painting was formerly in the collection of the India House co-founder Willard Straight and is set within a spectacular, elaborately carved gilt-wood frame crafted in Guangzhou (Canton) or at the turn of the 20th century.

The selection of maritime works to be offered in January 2022 is anchored by William Bradford’s Northern Light ($40,000-60,000) which is thought to be one of only 10 from the artist’s clipper ship series.