Dadiba Merwanji Dalal | A Justice Of The Peace
A Diplomatic Corps uniform belonging to Dadiba Merwanji Dalal (1870-1941) and made by Hill Brothers of Bruton Street will be offered in our Homes and Interiors (including Asian Art and Militaria) on 24 November with an estimate of £400-600. Merwanji Dalal was the second man to be appointed High Commissioner for India and the first of Indian Parsi origin.
Lot 2
A Diplomatic Corps uniform, belonging to Dadiba Merwanji Dalal (1870-1941)
Estimate - £400 - 600
A Diplomatic Corps uniform belonging to Dadiba Merwanji Dalal (1870-1941) and made by Hill Brothers of Bruton Street will be offered in our Homes and Interiors (including Asian Art and Militaria) on 24 November with an estimate of £400-600.
Merwanji Dalal was the second man to be appointed High Commissioner for India and the first of Indian Parsi origin. Succeeding the first High Commissioner Sir William Stevenson Meyer in January 1923, his visit to London in April prompted the Spectator to note.
“[This is] 'fresh proof of the British Government's wish to conciliate Indian opinion...the fact that an Indian will now represent India in the heart of the Empire shows that the process of 'Indianizing' the Services in India is no empty phrase.”
His tenure in the role was brief: knighted in the 1924 New Year Honours List he retired at the end of the year and was succeeded by Sir Atul Chandra Chatterjee.
Uniform as listed by Hill Brothers, London Ltd
The full dress uniform, dated 28-12-1938, comprises a sword, boots, white stockings, gold lace trousers, a coat, gloves, a cocked hat, belt and other garments all within a trunk. It belonged to Dala’s daughter Gooli, who was disowned by her family after a romantic relationship with the seller's uncle.
Click here to find out more information about our Homes and Interiors sales.
Recent News
The HALO Trust: Clearing the Path to Peace
Through a compelling series of photographs, this exhibition shines a light on The HALO Trust’s work in communities affected by conflict, capturing both the danger of landmine clearance and the hope that follows when land can be safely used again.
3 September 2026
Scenes of a Changing India
The term ‘Company School’ refers to a genre of painting that emerged in India in the late 18th and 19th centuries, flourishing under the patronage of British East India Company officials, their families, and other European residents in India.
28 August 2026
The James Birch Collection
Art dealer, curator, gallerist and author James Birch has spent more than four decades championing artists and staging groundbreaking exhibitions. This October, approximately 300 works from his private collection come to auction at Sworders, tracing a remarkable career from the King’s Road to Moscow and beyond.