Rare Indian paintings sold for $120,000

Red Elephant by Indian Pop Artist Bhupen Khakhar. Photo / Supplied

Two rare Indian paintings, which surfaced at auction after being found in an Auckland basement, have both sold for almost $120,000 each.

The distinctive works by India's first 'Pop' artist, Bhupen Khakhar, were put under the hammer last night by auction house Cordy's.

The Red Elephant and the Interior Of A Hindu House were bought by the same buyer - a local Indian gentleman present at the auction - for the all-up price of $119,595 each.

Auctioneer Andrew Grigg said it was fantastic the paintings were snapped up by a local, especially as there were determined bidders from the United States, London, India and the Arab Emirates.

Interior of a Hindu House by Indian Pop Artist Bhupen Khakhar. Photo / Supplied

"He was very pleased, and very pleased to be able to keep them together as well," Mr Grigg said.

He said the auction had received "unprecedented interest".

"There was a room full of people, so I think a lot had come to see what was going to happen. I spoke to the family member who was sort of looking after it on behalf of the family. She was ecstatic."

The buyer of the Khakhar paintings also bought three other paintings by the late artist Roy Dalgarno. It was in Dalgarno's Parnell basement that the distinctive Indian works were found.

An album remembering the 1935 All Blacks team which toured Britain and Ireland was also auctioned last night and sold for $850.

The bound book contains 30 signed, black-and-white portrait photos of every team member who embarked on the gruelling five-month tour, with star players having signed their portraits.