June 2004 - Issue 6
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Indian Culture
Goan wood and cane Divan
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Antique wood adds character to many Indian homes. A dramatic, curved plinth laid on an old tiled floor supports a baithak (figure 01)and a church altar made into a mirror (right) reflects a Goan wood and cane divan.
Quilt maker's mansion, Bombay
Grand Divan
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Geeta Khandelwal, an award-winning quilt and patchwork artist, lives in an ancestral home in a sought-after and leafy areas of Bombay (Mumbai). Behind the unassuming gates of her property lies a jewel of a mansion, built in stages between 1898 and 1962, almost completely obscured by flowering trees that are constantly full of the sound of happy songbirds.
The main door to the private apartments opens to reveal a succession of arches and windows. An old wrought-iron balcony with a green mosaic-floored terrace leads off from the drawing room.
Mansion of Geeta Khandelwal
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A grand divan, more than sixty years old and of colonial Goan design, crafted out of curved wood and woven cane, dominates the drawing room. It is perfectly placed to catch the cool breezes that waft through the tropical garden outside.
The colors of an Indian summer are captured in this elegant room. One side is a perpetual invitation to a game of shatranj (chess) the other a perfect place to relax amidst a row of polished brass vessels and a pastel-colored quilt (right) on the wall. Looking on in silence is a 300-year old wooden Maharashtrian statue.
Beautiful Homes of Ahmedabad
Figure6- Cushions
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Ahmedabad in Gujarat has some of the most beautiful homes in the country. And one such house, a wooden porch ushers visitors into the living room where the seating is in the form of a swing, shield back chairs and a carved bench inlaid with old floral tiles. The color and working of the wood are accented by the deep red, mirror work floor cushions which are grouped around a low, square, centrally placed table.
The swing in this home is flanked by tall pillars, square or round, that are completely engulfed by detailed carving. Etched glass lamps in pink or blue tints recall an old world ambience, and swathes of embroidered fabric or some brass parrots make a lively mobile at the entrance to an adjoining room.
Figure7- Cushions
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Features like the eclectic assortment of cushions (figure 6) and burnished metal ware (figure 07) add to the swirl of color, pattern and texture in both these rooms.