Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, April 24: A collection documenting the 1940 enthronement of the 14th Dalai Lama will go under the hammer at Bonhams auction house in London on June 4, 2025. The Collection and Archive of Sir Basil Gould, the British diplomat who represented the British government at the ceremony, is expected to draw attention from around the world.
The auction’s centrepiece according to The World Art News, includes 40 watercolours by Indian artist Krishna Kanwal, estimated at £180,000–250,000 ($228,060–$316,750). These works capture Sir Basil’s mission to Lhasa and provide a record of the enthronement proceedings.
The items include two portraits by Kanwal: one showing the Dalai Lama as a boy before his enthronement (estimated at £70,000–100,000) and another displaying the ceremony (estimated at £150,000–200,000).
The collection features Sir Basil Gould’s archive, including seven photograph albums with over 1,500 images from his 1936-1937 British Mission to Lhasa and 16mm Kodachrome footage that was screened for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral in 1937.
Other items include Gould’s diplomatic uniform, medals, decorations, and Tibetan manuscripts and books. The sale will offer pieces of Buddhist art, including an 18th/19th-century Buddha figure set and a Ming Dynasty incense burner. “This is a collection of importance,” said Giles Peppiatt, Bonhams Group Head of Pictures. “These items have not been seen on the market, and we expect interest from collectors, institutions, and historians.”
His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was enthroned at age four on February 22, 1940, following a search to identify the reincarnation of his predecessor, who passed in 1933. The four-year-old spiritual leader was enthroned in a grand ceremony in Lhasa’s Norbulingka Palace. Sir Basil Gould, as the British government’s official representative, bore witness to this historic occasion, later remarking on the child’s extraordinary presence and wisdom beyond his years.
The enthronement came after a meticulous search process that began shortly after the 13th Dalai Lama’s death. Following Tibetan tradition, various signs and omens guided high lamas to the remote village of Taktser in Tibet’s north-eastern province of Amdo, where they found young Lhamo Dhondup (the Dalai Lama’s birth name). The search party conducted a series of tests, including asking the child to identify possessions of the previous Dalai Lama, which he reportedly completed successfully.
Ahead of the auction, a public exhibition of these extraordinary works will be held at Bonhams New Bond Street from 1 to 3 June 2025, offering an exclusive glimpse into a pivotal moment in Tibetan and British diplomatic history. With its blend of historical intrigue, artistic significance, and diplomatic legacy.
