This will be our 68th Republic Day and in all these years we as people in the field of interior design/product designers have seen a big revolution. While we have reintroduced many old designs with new age material and some of our designers today are designing at a global level. This week we celebrate our story of heritage pieces of India that have crossed boundaries of time, things you can never go wrong with world over, all India inspired.
Pic courtesy: Pinterest
Silver furniture:
Rajasthan can just not be missed out when it comes to art and culture of our incredible country. This is also the place where you might find the maximum royal palaces and forts perhaps. With all that royal living comes the royal furniture, which is not just in wood but alot of it was made in silver. Today as well, alot of western designs are being made in silver for the western market.
Pic courtesy: Pinterest
Brass ware:
Metal ware is one of the most imported item in our country today. Brass items do have their place as well. Many so beautiful that we may get to see them only at the Galaries Lafayette or at an international exhibition. There are war masks, idols, armours, sculptures and pieces like madhubani painting screens to name a few. But the list just keeps going on.
Pic courtesy: Pinterest
Block prints:
Starting from Gujarat it spread over to Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. It did go to Europe through the trade route but being manual labour intensive, it is not a cheap task to operate. Our country has all the patterns and colour one could ask for, which even today makes this art in demand and with time it has come back to using natural dyes, which makes it more eco friendly as well.
Pic courtesy: Pinterest
Kashmiri silk carpets:
The beauty of this state is at par with that of their work. Pure silk hand knitted carpets which would take months and months of time to finish. The 100 % pure silk carpets have between 400-1600 knots per square inch. This high number ensures their durability. The most famous motifs being the tree of life. The hunting scene or other nature inspired designs are the ones, that can be found abundantly.
Pic courtesy: Pinterest
Temple pillars:
Our temples are not just places of worship but museums in their own right. Depicting the architecture and the mighty detailed engraving makes them all stand apart. From the southern dravidian architecture to the northern nagara style. We have many in between. In the past wooden pillars were used in either the temples, at the royal building or public places only. The original pieces from these building are up for sale in antique shops all over the country and are exported abroad as well.
Pic courtesy: Etsy
Fabrics of India:
From Maheshwari handloom to Pochampally Ikat, our fabrics are of one the best in the world. Almost every state has one fabric creation of its own or at least a weave technique. This variety is what makes us unique. From a charming cushion on a love seat to a hand embroidered bed sheet we can do it all. Our fabrics have had many designers, India inspired.
India has and still does gives alot to the world which we as Indian don’t even realise. Lets be proud of our artisans and our designer heritage. Do follow us on our Facebook page to see much more or like us on our Instagram. Jai Hind!
