At Bristol, the United Kingdom a small steel bowl known as ‘Katori’ in Hindi, two wooden spoons and a wooden fork which formerly belonged to Mahatma Gandhi would be auctioned on January 10 at an opening price of GBP 55,000 which would be around 55 lakhs in Indian currency.
The highest estimate thought by the auctioneer is GBP 80,000 which would be around Rs. 2 crores in India. But, bids can even go two or three times the highest estimate predicted by the auctioneer.
Gandhi’s legacy like letters, photographs, portraits, books, sandals, spectacles captivates both individual collectors and institutions all over the world. The bowl and cutlery to be auctioned have excellent history; it comes from a one- time shipping tycoon Sumati Morarjee, a devotee of Mahatma Gandhi.
“The set was used by Gandhi during his incarceration at Aga Khan Palace in Pune (1942-1944) and at the Palm Bun House in Mumbai. The bowl of simple metal construction, stamped 208/42 to base, with a scalloped form leading to a flat base (approx. 21cm diameter). The cutlery comprising a wooden fork and two carved wooden spoons are also of a simple form, in the traditional manner (approx. 16cm long)”, according to the East Bristol Auctioneer’s catalogue.
All these items were used by Gandhi on regular basis and in the first place came from the Sumati Morarji’s collection who was a dear friend and supporter of Gandhi. The items are recorded in the book Sumati Morarji Felicitation (1970) and Vithalbhai Jhaveri’s epic film biography ‘Gandhi’; it even includes history and a letter of provenance.