June 2004 - Issue 6
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Indian Culture
Sociables
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'Sociables', such as this, are typical of the Victorian legacy which still resides in India's old colonial mansions. The seat was designed so that two ladies could sit and gossip without creasing their skirts.
Planter's Chairs
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Planter's chairs are now found throughout India. They are indicative of European colonial influence. They were designed so that the weary plantation owner could stretch his legs out on the arms of his chair as he rested on the veranda with his gin and tonic.
Swing - Jhoola
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Another popular seat is the swing, variously called jhoola, hindola or zhopala. Often used in Hindu rituals as the to-and-fro movement is said to signify a state of bliss and detachment from the everyday cares of the mortal world.
Cubist Style Chair
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The Dutch first settled in India in the 1500s, and brought their own stylistic influences and designs. India, in typical magpie fashion, synthesised these readily. This chair is based upon a 20th-century (Rietveld) cubist idea.
Wrought-Iron Chair
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The consummate skills of Indian artisans and craftsmen allow them to turn their hand to any style. This wrought-iron chair was commissioned to complement Dean D'Druz's bold interior schemes at Nilaya Hermitage in Goa.