Years inside one object
According to the signed declaration of the artist's grandson, The Vase was completed in the 1970s after some four to five years of handwork. Imagine the seasons passing over a single frame; every flower a small decision of colour and direction, every decision patiently repeated until a garden appeared.
The subject is as old as art itself. The making is not. Flowers overlap, turn and lift from the dark ground until the picture seems to breathe.
Silk and stone
The declaration speaks of pure silk, emerald cabochons, rubies, pearls, turquoise and other gem materials, and gives an estimate drawn from family records and oral history of more than 5,000 carats in all. These are the family's words, offered here as their account.
Shams. Agra. India. A name stitched into the garden itself.
Kept in private
Faizan Uddin, the artist's grandson, records that the work was commissioned and acquired by a private collector and later passed to his son. His declaration states that The Vase has remained in private care, and has never been publicly traded or auctioned.
A question of worth
In his declaration of 23 February 2026, Faizan Uddin offers a personal opinion of value in the region of £5 to 10 million, pointing to rarity, craftsmanship, materials and historical significance.
That figure is the personal opinion of the person who gave it. It is not a formal valuation, an asking price or an auction estimate.