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Seeded Candelabras

290$

ABOUT

A historical object that was used to hold and sow seeds, the Bilateral Stand is a relic that carries the impressions of age-old craftwork. The high relief work on the side surfaces of the stand feature early tribal iconography. Attached to it are two small ghungroos (bells). 

The antique acquisition finds its roots in agriculture, where it was used by farmers in India more than half a century ago, as a seed holder propped on a bullock cart during the sowing process. It is also known as ‘Bijni’ in hindi. While Bijni’s are usually made of wood, this one has been built in brass owing to the fact that it could have come from a more prosperous household. With a concave pit-like surface on one end and three lateral holes on the other, it doubles up as either a candle stand or a coin holder. 

Originally Sourced from: Madhya Pradesh, India

Height 7.5 cm
Width 14 cm
Depth 14 cm

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FEATURED IN LIFE IN OBJECTS

Karan Shrestha

Karan Shrestha is an artist and filmmaker. Shrestha presents works that are an archive of physical landscapes, political histories, and transient memories, and a speculative world that suspends reality, creating space to contemplate notions of the present.

VIEW LIFE IN OBJECTS

Seeded Candelabras

Cupping my hands to grasp the brass Bijni, the gesture it evokes has significance across cultures. The seed-holder demands openness when carried. Objects from the past come with a weight, and contained within, are stories and sounds. Functional usage apart, the objects speak to materiality, technology, design and history. There’s magic in its ability to transport and stabilize at the same time.

Wonderland Teapot

At school, we were made to draw patterns. Then mirror them, flip them and paint them. Unfazed by the consequences, some of us children scribbled instead. Play, not patterns, brought joy. The set of teapots embodies that spirit of play. The peculiarity of the finial, handles, cover and spout, and lines carved onto the body display vivacious rhythms.

The Meandering Plate

Tactile incisions on the tray indicate a sense of flow. Running my fingers along, certain impressions occur: a plough combing the soil; nerves snaking inside a body, tree-sap compressed between lenticels; a hand smearing red clay onto mud walls; bundled wires connecting computing systems. A hint of blue becomes a window offering glimpses to the familiar.

Sombrero Vase

You’re in the water. The ocean envelops your sinking body. A slow blow out your nose, your ears pop, eyes widen. You surrender to the substance. In the light streaming through, the ocean bed is teeming with flora and marine creatures, of slender curves and crusty shells. This bulbous vase assumes the appearance of those submerged marvels, surfacing to hold flowers to the sun.

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