The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Rare’ collection on display

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Sunday, Mar 15, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Rare’ collection on display

Staff Reporter

impressive: A painting which is part of Rare’s collection.

Bangalore: D.G. Balaji, owner of Rare, an antique store on Avenue Road, believes that nothing is rare. “If you want to find it and if you have enough desire, you will [find it],” he says.

Indeed, Mr. Balaji has sourced everything from antique maps to Ravi Varma prints for his customers as well as agents and collectors all over the world. Rare has the distinction of having supplied director David Lean with all the props he needed for his film, A Passage to India; everything from old newspapers to cars.

Rare’s fascinating collection of art went on display at Raintree, opposite Windsor Sheraton, here on Friday. The exhibition includes original Ravi Varma lithographs, engravings, antique furniture, Mysore paintings, antique maps, and artefacts made of porcelain, wood and brass.

The antique store was started in 1924 and was the first in Karnataka to sell gramophones. It was originally called Hindustan Musical Mart. It was Mr. Balaji’s grandfather who began to diversify the business and supplied D. Veerendra Hegde who was then setting up a museum in Dharmasthala. He found and sold Mr. Hegde vintage cars, gramophones, trains and even aircraft.

The exhibitionis on till Sunday, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

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