Indian miniatures including a set from Mughal era get £3.1 million at auction

A set of Mughal miniatures and fine paintings of the Rajasthani and Pahari Schools has raked in nearly £3.1 million at a Sotheby's auction in London, more than doubling the pre-sale expectations.

The auction of the Khosrovani-Diba Collection was led by an elegant depiction of Radha consoled by Krishna in a forest, an illustration of a romantic night scene from the "Lambagraon" Gita Govinda series of the private collection, which sold for £353,000 at the auction on Wednesday.

"Formed over four decades, every work in the Khosrovani-Diba collection had been handpicked for its exceptional quality and this was reflected in the steep competition that propelled the outstanding success of today's sale," said Edward Gibbs, Sotheby's Middle East and India chairman.

"Together each beautifully-preserved piece tells the story of the development of Indian painting from the technical excellence of the artists to the centuries of cultural exchange. Today's result continues the tradition at Sotheby's of presenting museum-quality collections of Indian miniatures," he said.

The auction was part of Sotheby's Art of the Middle East and India week in London and was followed by Arts of the Islamic World, which brought in £4,656,125.