An important painting of a Great Indian fruit bat or flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) with its 1.5 meter wingspan sold for £458,500 at Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art sale in London yesterday [8th April]. The sale achieved a total of £4.5 million. This pen and ink, watercolor with gum arabic, heightened with bodycolour, on watermarked paper, from the Calcutta Collection of Lady Impey and painted by the artist Bhawani Das, had been estimated to sell for £80,000-£120,000, but its final price was four times higher than expected.

Read More: Painting of Fruit Bat from Impey Album Leads Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art Auction