Tiger skin, mounted by Van Ingen & Van Ingen of Mysore, c.1940 – £14,500 at CSK.
Christie's pruning of their smaller, specialist sales over recent years means that such pieces no longer have a niche of their own, and can find themselves pictured between a chandelier and a labrador in a glossy magalogue.
In CSK's Style & Spirit sale on September 22, a c.1940 Indian taxidermy tiger skin, mounted by Van Ingen & Van Ingen of Mysore, was the subject of much interest.
The 10ft 2in (3.1m) long skin, with cloth and velvet backing, was stencilled to the reverse for Van Ingen and Van Ingen with serial number 28345.
A decent size, it also benefited from exceptional colour and good overall condition, helping it pass a £6000-8000 estimate to sell for £14,500 to a London-based European buyer.
The buyer's premium was 25/20/12%
