I have been flooded with loads of queries about the brassware you often see on my blog ... and so today I decided to take you all with me to my lil' fav. haunt ... and let you peak around the tiny little handicraft store that I find so much fun to go browsing ... on this trip I set my heart on this particular box ... :)
... I have been seeing this beautiful clock for quite some time in a far side of the store ... its origins being from some old Indian palace or Haveli ... you see what I mean ,when I say ...I go peaking into corners ...
... its a small store but Anita ( the owner) ... has an interesting collection ... and I always find myself eyeing something ... love this beautiful bell ... craved on it are different avatars of Goddess Durga ... hmmm ... I was intrigued ...
... brassware from different corners of India can be as different in styles ... as if from two different corners of the world ... this brass box is from tribal areas of Bastar (central India) ...
... and here are two people I love to go and meet ... with their warm smiles ( they are camera shy)... and their absolute down to earth nature ... I go all mush ... when they come up with the next interesting piece ... I can't drive a bargain for nuts and I end up buying more then I intented to ...
... what ever your taste in accesorising your home ... their is bound to be something for you in some corner or some shelf ... and I am definite some abrakophile out their would love this Cheeta in brass ...
... oooH! this deer siting on the floor ... appears to look right at you ... in a lovable sort of way ...
... heres another set of box collection from bastar ... the patina ... of brass is so playable ... shine it up ... pale it down ... darken it with age ... and everyone of them has a different charm ...
... I went all out of focus with this pictre but I had to put it here ... cause some of you wanted to know where I got my Diwali spoon shaped diyas ... well from right here and if you'd be interested in them just contact Anita ( I'll have her details at the bottom of the post) ... she'll ship anywhere in the world ...:)
.... Hmmmm ..........
... these were interesting ... I'm pretty sure plenty out there would love them ... small musical instruments ... well they really are Haldi and Kum-kum holders (used in Hindu prayer rituals) ...
... Umran ... he sure is as passionate about the shop and its treasures as is Anita ... :)
...and according to Umran ... having a lady with a pot, statue ... at home ... is considered lucky ... :) .... 
...ahh! one of my fav's .. the traditional Indian oil lamps ...
... this here looked like another piece with European links ... another auction piece from some old Indian home ... the motifs definitely didn't look of Indian origin ... how interesting ... I love this mish-mash ... its all Indian and some of it is has history beyond India ...
... another piece I loved ... I do think I am getting carried away with the pieces I see ...
... a tribal Indian bullock cart ... and a typical Indian autorikshaw ... any abrakophile ... ooouuuu ... ing ... ;)
... another tribal piece ... I wonder if this is also from bastar or anothr tribal area ... their styles .. definitely distinct ... 
... oh! and this was interesting too ... Umran insists that this is a 200-300 yr old .. Thai piece ... its broken... but I was intrigued to discover, its existence in Navi Mumbai ...
... had it not been for an indulgent pair of sunglasses I picked just the day before ... this elephant was mine ... ;)
... a tortoise box ... from tribal India ...
... Indian wine decanter ... wow... wee... old ... antique ... expensive ... no ... no ... I can't even think about it ...
... this piece at the entrance of the store ... I would love to know more about it ...
... I wonder if you liked some of the pieces ... a lot many of my readers asked me where do you go looking ... well no where particular ... try your local handicraft store ... emporiums ... you'll just get your way going from their ... the Indian brassware is so extensive ... there is so much treaure ... you really must go look ... Hope you enjoyed my lil' haunt for the moment ... and hope it got you into the mood for some more shopping ... do share with me ... your side of the story ... :)
the store details are -
Istika ,Handicraft Shop
33,Bombay Annex C.H.S.,
Sector -17,Vashi,
Navi Mumbai - 400705
Ph. - 022 - 2788 2214
E-mail - umran678@yahoo.co.in
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40 comments:
that deer on the ground, my Mom has two like that one sitting one standing. I love brass, but soo difficult to keep clean, especially if you live near the sea, it gets dull.
Namaste,
The first one is my favourite piece.
I already have a few pieces that I purchased when I was living in Mumbai.
But I do not have one of those cute spice holders :-) any idea on where I can buy one?
Merci beaucoup,
Leeann
Hi Rajee,
What a facinating store, I just love the clock and the reindeer, they are gorgeous.
Have a great week and I look forward to hearing from you.
xxxxx Coty
oh wow!! such lovely treasures.. I love the boxes.. the musical instruments.. the list is endless.. Can I give you my list??
hey this is super cool! i mst make a trip to mumbai...thanks!
awwwwwwwwww they are lovely!! I want to come to navi mumbai rt away!!! loved all the pics! what a treasure trove really! :)
n u have snow flakes (effect) on ur blog!!! Cool. feels all christmassy already!!
oi!! love the clock and the first four pics in general. Cool stuff...
Awesome! Especially loved the bell with carvings of Maa Durga , Indian oil lamp, the musical intsruments and the sitting deer..
Thanks for sharing Rajee!!
Oh..n forgot to mention..the lady with the pot
I guess..i can go on with this :)
What a treasure trove! I am eyeing the horses behind the cheetah, and the other antique pieces. This shop is on my list on my next visit to Vashi!
P.S: Love the snow :)...makes me want to burst into Christmas jingles..
Lovely finds Rajee in Mumbai..
All the collections are awesome.U wanted to know more about the back structure kept on religious entrances.Have copied and pasted what i put on my blog from the blog post "Design Classic-Abode of the Creator"
In detail about "the brass or the bronze back of the God"
MINIATURE SINGHASANS
* A singhasan is essentially a chowki with a back.
* Miniature versions of life size singhasans or royal seats.
* A brass back has been mounted on the wooden platform.
* The back has a yali head on top below which is a makartoran (alligator gate-a mythological depiction generally seen in most religious entrances)
hope u will read the article more and find pictures too..
Lovely :)
What a lovely store! I love the way it is packed with goodies. That bell is great and so are the lamps. So are the ... oh, everything!
@ Rajee
Excellent pieces and each one full of so much of passion and culture. I loved your this post.
Between, I came first time on your blog directly from the BlogAdda link. Heartily Congratulation! For being picked for Tangy Tuesday Pick.
Perhaps, you are a very creative and inspiring woman! Your effort through this blog has been and shall be aspiring all.
It has definitely left a great impression on my mind though! Wish you all luck, health and creativity in life.
Having wished all that…I also loved watching your pics present at the bottom of the Page!
Keep the spark Alive..
Rajee,
I loved them all.If only brassware was not so very expensive,I would have them all...I wish,oh how I wish!
Hi! My first time here... courtesy BlogAdda.
Congrats on the tangy pick!
Wonderful post! A veritable treasure trove!
I have a huge interest in handicrafts... esp. tribal art: dokra, bastar crafts, et al.
Following you...
Beautiful art pieces. Almost all of them look like antiques. The tiny antique and craft shops can contain so many treasures.
simply beautiful, i could spend hours looking at these stunners.
I want that bullock cart ! and also that Auto.
Thanks for sharing this treasure trove Rajee. Would definitely visit this shop when I next visit Bombay.
Hi Sakala,
I think I am a lil' or may be a lil' more than lil' cuckoo in the head ... I agree with what you say ... but having lived all my adult live by the oceans and sea's ... I haven't learnt that lesson ... gosh ... I already have that more brass stuff to buy list on my table right now ... ;)
Hey Patricia,
Send that list over ... would love to go shopping for you ... :)
Hi Leeann,
I agree ... I love the firat one too ... still have drag myself away from that store everytime I think of it ... :)
The boxes you are talking about are easilly available in the Indian emporiums ... but they are more of wire work brass ... wonder if you could use them as spice boxes ... though I know a creative person as you are can come up with some wonderful use for these pieces.
Incase you can't find them anywhere else ... e-mail at the shop ( I gave that at the end of the post)... the lady at the store assured me she'll ship anywhere in the world.You can definitely try with her.
Leeann ... as always ita lovely to hear from you... :)
Hi Coty,
Love to hear from you ... sorry about this late response ... my latest post would probabaly tell you why.
Oh! I love those two pieces too... infact I am eyeing a pair of storks in the Delhi... brass wholesale market...:) guess I'll have to wait till I move into my own house in a few months time. Will sure have loads more to share then...:)
Thanks for leaving me your comments ... :)
Hi Sharon,
You really must ... or atleast you'll remember another treasure of a store ... I find discovering these places such fun.
Glad you enjoyed too... :)
Hi Praji,
Dito ... lets plan a trip to Dariba together ... I buy you cart ... what you say ... I design your space for free ... ;)
Do we see a deal here... :)
Hi MM,
Glad you so liked the shopping spree with me ... ;)... Oh! yes... I am praying soooo hard for it to get cool by Christmas ... warm Christmas are no fun... the snow is just to start getting into the feel ... what are your plans ... :)
Hi Priya,
I am so happy to have you cover good load of the stuff in your 'I love list' ... :)its so much fun sharing all these goodies ... thnks for taking the time to leave me your thoughts and comments ... special as usual ... :)
Hi Lakshmi,
Oops, now how could I forget ... but ofcourse I had read that post of yours ... no wonder it felt like I had seen it some where oh, it was on your blog ... silly me ... love you ... thanks for reminding me...:)
Hi Bhavna,
Make a trip to Dariba ... your shopping will be even more thrilling ... better still lets plan that together ... what you say ...
Ah! the snow ... lady your holiday itenary has all snow and snow in it ... all the best ... :)
Hi Monika,
Glad you so enjoyed it ... :)
Hey Sunita,
Its lovely to hear you drooling all over these pieces ... now I know I am normal ... :)
Hi Rachana,
Wow... I can't believe all the lovely things you say and wish for me ... thankyou soooo much ... and for Tangy Tuesday ... will sure hope to have loads more to keep you coming over to my blog more often. And do share your thoughts everytime you are over here... :)
Hi Roshni,
Welcome to my network of friends ... hope to hear more from you on the blog... that'll be lovely ... I do owe blogadda a great deal for all the times they feature my posts and the blog ... I get lovely readers like you... :)
Hi Sangitha,
What's the fun in shopping if you don't have to hunt for a great bargain ... ;)
HiIniyaal,
Not just contain so many treasures ... but I think that store also has some strange geo magnetic pull ... i just am completely powerless everytime I pass by ... and then the most unexplainable phenomenon happens ... I end up shopping ... ;)
Hi Rekha,
All I can say to that is ... that's just what 'I DO' ... ;)
Hi girls at Allem Studio,
Great to hear from you .... I knew their'd be some abrakophile out there drooling over these pieces ... :) they are interesting ... hope you really enjoyed them ... :)
Spectacular collection. I do visit only Delhi and not Mumbai. Any leads where I could find such stuff in Delhi>
Hi Ritzy,
Mumbai is good ... Delhi is the market to go to ... for a quick pick ... do Mehrauli road ... Sundernagar (expensive)... when you have the time ... Dariba(Chandani Chowk) ... that's the wholesale market ... you'll love it.
Hi Rajee,
Huge fan of your blog and your style. Unfortunately discovered your blog only this summer - after that making a daily pilgrimage :) -reading all your archived blogs... Came across this today - new respect for you- not many people share where they get their treasures from, and you are very generous with that kind of info. Keep going, and pls open your store- drooling after those vajris... And your brass box.. And your lotus teapots.. And your huge painting.... And the bastar horse... OK i'll stop now...
Your way of blending east and west sensibilities is really nice... You are my new secret :) keepnthose wonderful pics and blogs coming!
Best regards
Lavanya
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