As affluent Indian homes become sleeker, buyers are looking to acquire objects with history. But when does something old become valuable, and what should a first-time collector know before buying?
That painting hanging in your grandparents’ home, an old photograph of a city that no longer looks the same, a handwoven textile, an illustrated book, a carved wooden chest or a sculpture that has travelled through generations may possess something even the most expensive newly manufactured object cannot acquire: a past. And increasingly, that past has currency. So what makes an old object valuable? Age, certainly. But age alone is not enough.
“There is no single, rigid definition of ‘vintage art’ in the Indian market in the way there is for categories such as Modern or Contemporary Indian art,” says Sunny Chandiramani, Director, Client Relations & Art Specialist at AstaGuru Auction House. She uses the term broadly for older works that predate or sit around the emergence of Indian modernism. These range from late-18th and 19th century colonial-era paintings, Company School works and visual documentation to early 20th century academic painting and artists associated with the beginnings of Indian modernism. That makes for a remarkably broad universe: Thomas and William Daniell, Raja Ravi Varma and M.V. Dhurandhar at one end; Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose and Jamini Roy at another. The boundary between vintage and modern, Chandiramani points out, cannot always be drawn by date alone.
The Art Of Living Heritage
One way to understand the appeal of vintage is to see what happens when the past is allowed to live comfortably with the present.
Take the case of BrijRama Palace in Varanasi, a sandstone palace on the banks of the Ganga. Its architecture and interiors carry different periods of its more than two-century-old history. The original structure was built in 1812 by Shridhara Narayana Munshi, associated with the Nagpur estate. Maharaja Rameshwar Singh Bahadur of Darbhanga acquired it in 1915 and added another architectural and artistic layer.
“The most accurate way to describe BrijRama Palace is as a layered heritage property,” says Manish Singh, General Manager, BrijRama Palace, Varanasi.
The idea of holding on to the old also has a personal resonance for the family behind Brij Hospitality. Singh talks about Babu Brij Pal Das, founder of the Clarks Group of Hotels, and a hospitality legacy that has continued across four generations. The family has preserved Banarasi silk sarees that are around 150 years old. The philosophy at BrijRama has been similar: restore rather than rebuild. “You can see that in the palace. Its earlier Maratha character survives in the carved sandstone pillars, floral and betel-leaf motifs, semicircular bastions and stonework. The Darbhanga period brought Greco-Roman influences, including sculptures and river-dolphin carvings. Different periods sit alongside each other rather than competing with one another,” shares Singh.
There is a lesson here for contemporary homes too. Vintage does not have to “match”. An old painting can hang above a modern console. A textile can become wall art. A vintage photograph can sit next to contemporary art. A carved chest can work with a minimalist sofa. Sometimes the contrast is what makes a room interesting.
What gives the historic elements at BrijRama their character is also their connection with the property. They were not simply brought in later to make the hotel look “heritage”. They belong to different chapters of the building’s own story. Guests are curious about those stories. Singh says visitors stop to look at the frescoes, mirrorwork, sculptures and carved stone details and ask about their history. Younger travellers are interested too, especially once they know the story behind an object or a particular part of the palace. That says something about the appeal of vintage today. You do not need a house full of antiques. Sometimes one object with character, history and a good story is enough.
History Written on Walls
Vintage is not restricted to paintings hanging on walls. Sometimes the walls themselves tell the story. Dr Shruti Nada Poddar, curator of Raj Se Swaraj Tak: From Colonial Rule to Freedom, Through the Eyes of Shekhawati, has brought together a fascinating range of objects that document another India. The display includes art, manuscripts, telegrams, newspapers, letters and maps, alongside Raja Ravi Varma oleographs, Manchester textile labels, coinage, currency, games, freedom-related pictures and other objects.
Many of these were everyday objects in their own time. Today, put together, they tell us how people lived, communicated, consumed and experienced a country that was changing rapidly. Shekhawati’s frescoes tell an even bigger story. “Shekhawati’s fresco art is completely distinctive because it encompassed the world and its elements as it witnessed spirituality, culture, colonial influences and Swaraj,” says Poddar. The subjects can be wonderfully eclectic. Film stars, imagery associated with Raja Ravi Varma, scenes of everyday life and even erotica appear on the intensely frescoed walls. They capture the influences that were moving through India during colonial times as well as the changes before and after Swaraj.
Keeping them alive, however, is another matter. The wall frescoes have faced almost two centuries of wear and tear. Poddar says the frescoes of the early 1800s have proved particularly resilient because of the deeper ala gila technique, where painting was done on wet lime plaster. Frescoes that have escaped excessive moisture and light can still retain their brightness. Bad restoration can sometimes do more damage than age. Poddar cautions against “so-called restoration” using chemical paints on dry walls. In some cases, the original fresco is simply painted over. “That amounts to actual destruction, rather than conservation of fresco art,” she says.
Her advice is to do less. Gently cleaning away dust may be enough. If there is greater damage, she advocates using traditional techniques, painting on wet lime plaster with mineral or plant-based natural colours. It is a useful rule for anyone who owns something old. Restoration should not mean making it look new. Sometimes leaving well enough alone is the smarter choice.
The Value of Vintage
So when does old become valuable? For collectors, that is the million-rupee, and sometimes multi-crore, question. “Age creates scarcity, but it is the work’s artistic significance, provenance, rarity, historical narrative and continuing relevance that create value,” says Chandiramani.
Collectors are also looking beyond the usual names. As prices and entry points for established modernists have risen, Chandiramani says buyers are exploring earlier and less frequently encountered areas of Indian art history. Colonial visual records, academic painters, folk and vernacular traditions and works documenting the emergence of an indigenous modernism are finding buyers alongside established modern artists.
Vintage, she says, is moving beyond being purely a passion purchase and is also being considered for its investment potential.
Recent auction results show the range. A circa-1930 Santhal Woman by Jamini Roy sold at AstaGuru for ₹32.15 lakh in 2025 against an estimate of ₹15-20 lakh. Archibald Herman Muller’s circa-1930 mythological painting Surya fetched ₹1.86 crore against an estimate of ₹15-20 lakh. The category goes well beyond paintings. A set of 35 handwritten letters and 14 envelopes by Rabindranath Tagore sold for ₹5.90 crore at AstaGuru in 2025.
Why would someone pay crores for old letters? Because what is being bought is not simply paper. Manuscripts, correspondence and illustrated books can offer a direct connection with an important historical figure. Rarity, provenance and cultural significance can turn something once intensely personal into something highly collectible.
Raja Ravi Varma offers another interesting example of why some old art continues to matter. “Look at where his paintings travelled, from Kerala and Travancore to all over India, even to the Himalayas,” says Raja Rama Varma, a descendant of Raja Ravi Varma. “What is remarkable is his connectivity with people across classes. It wasn’t only kings. His paintings and oleographs connected with common people.”
That ability to cross class and geography was unusual. Ravi Varma’s imagery travelled beyond royal patrons and private collections through oleographs and found a place in ordinary Indian homes.
It is also a reminder that the value of an old artwork cannot be separated from its context. Who made it matters. So does who owned it, how rare it is, what was happening when it was created and the place it occupies in our cultural history.
Buying Vintage Art? A First-Timer’s Checklist
For someone entering the market, Chandiramani recommends looking at four things together: authenticity, provenance, condition and art-historical significance.
- Authenticity
Is it genuinely by the artist claimed? Ask what evidence supports the attribution. - Provenance
Who owned it before? A documented ownership trail can strengthen credibility and value. - Condition
Check for damage, repairs and restoration. Ask for a condition report and details of previous interventions. - Significance and rarity
Old does not automatically mean important. Where does the work sit within the artist’s career? Is it rare? Has it been exhibited or published?There are red flags too: unclear ownership history, inconsistent dates or attribution, undocumented restoration, questionable condition and claims of “rare” or “important” that are not supported by research. Chandiramani cites Raja Ravi Varma’s The Little Prince of Courage, which sold at AstaGuru for ₹30.88 crore. Age alone did not determine its value. Authenticity and provenance had to be established, while its rarity and place in art history also mattered. In other words, buy the history, not merely the age.
The Cost of Keeping the Past
Buying vintage also means taking responsibility for what happens to it next.
At BrijRama, humidity, moisture, temperature fluctuations, sunlight and dust all have to be considered when caring for frescoes, mirrorwork, wood, stone and other historic materials. Cleaning an old surface cannot be approached in the same way as cleaning a contemporary finish. Specialist artisans may be needed for traditional work. Singh’s principle is simple: “Preserve what is original, intervene only when necessary, and ensure that any restoration respects the craftsmanship and character of the palace.”
The same common sense applies at home. Sunlight, moisture, careless cleaning or inappropriate restoration can damage something that has survived for decades.
Wabi-Sabi Approach
For years, luxury was synonymous with perfection: immaculate surfaces, flawless finishes, everything gleaming and new.
Vintage turns that idea on its head. Here, imperfection may be evidence. Patina can be desirable. A faded pigment can reveal age. A documented ownership trail can matter as much as appearance. An object that has survived for generations carries something no reproduction, however beautifully executed, can replicate.
At BrijRama, the challenge is to preserve the past without freezing it. “BrijRama Palace is not a museum. It is a living palace where guests dine, stay, celebrate and move through these spaces every day,” says Singh.The same approach works well with vintage art at home. It does not have to sit behind glass or be restored until it looks new. It can simply become part of the present, carrying its age and imperfections with it. In a world where almost anything new can be ordered at the click of a button, the ultimate luxury may just be owning something that cannot be made again.
