NCPA to auction Zubin Mehta’s baton, Zakir Hussain’s tabla

Some rare collectables such as Zubin Mehta’s baton used in his performances in India this year, Zakir Hussain’s autographed tabla set, and a cricket bat signed by the Indian team will go under the hammer today

Bid on Zubin Mehta's baton (Source: NCPA Mumbai/Instagram)

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Shortly after noted conducter Zubin Mehta leads the Symphony Orchestra of India in a special concert on Saturday evening, the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) will have an art auction of memorabilia and experiences.

Among them is Mehta’s autographed baton with which he will be conducting the orchestra during both his performances in India, following which it will be delivered to the winning bidder.

“A baton in the hands of Maestro Zubin Mehta is not just a baton. Renowned for his meticulous stick technique, the maestro has churned music out of sheets containing symphonies of Mozart and Mahler, Bach and Beethoven to command world-famous orchestras, in many an unforgettable concert. The baton has been both, a participant in and witness to the Maestro’s artistry,” reads the auction brochure. The starting bid for the baton is priced at Rs 10 lakh plus taxes.

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Another prized possession is a cricket bat signed by the Indian team that played the South Africa ODI Series 2015 (starting bid Rs 10 lakh). Captained by MS Dhoni and featuring a stellar batting and bowling line-up of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and others, it also carries a note that sees cricketers thanking Zubin Mehta, who has gifted the bat to NCPA, for being an ardent fan of the Indian team.

The auction will also see some rare collectables like the father of the Indian nuclear programme Dr Homi Bhabha’s Montblanc Meisterstück 149 with an 18-karat gold nib with a platinum inlay (starting bid Rs 1 lakh) and Zakir Hussain’s autographed tabla set (starting bid Rs 10 lakh) that he will be playing at the world premiere of his upcoming tour. While Dr Homi Bhabha is well-known for his contribution to the field of science, he was also an artist and the upcoming exhibition will see two of his works on auction — one is a self-portrait and the other is a portrait of Dr CV Raman, the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Science and the first Asian to receive a Nobel peace prize in any branch of science. The bidding for both will start at three lakh.

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Besides these, art connoisseurs can also bid for experiences like a dinner with Hussain, sitar exponent Niladri Kumar and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia in London (starting bid three lakh), as well as invite the Symphony Orchestra of India to perform at a location of your choice in Mumbai (starting bid Rs three lakh).

The proceeds from the auction will go towards the education of promising and underserved children as well as procuring musical instruments for the Symphony Orchestra of India.

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