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Proud legacy of vintage furniture

They are like age-old books that hold vast knowledge waiting to be unfolded, writes SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE

PHOTO: C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM.

NOSTALGIC MEMORIES Indrani Jaggarow amidst her prized possessions .

Caressing the intricately carved wooden handle of an armchair, Indrani Jaggarow, the correspondent of Mrs. A.V.N. College, remarked: "Each of these piece in my house can tell a tale of grandeur and past glory, if only they could speak."

She was referring to the antique furniture that adorned her house for decades and that was passed on to her from three generations.

"Antiques are like age-old books that hold vast knowledge waiting to be unfolded. They descend from generations to generations without much hype and hoopla. They are the silent spectators of the past, and a few who collect them would hold them very close to their heart," she said.

Antique furniture are not only the collector's delight, but also attract the accumulator. Both have one thing in common, the passion to possess and the love to take care of them.

Ms. Jaggarow's collections come under the rare category of heirloom, but she admitted that she had fallen in love-at-first-sight when she stumbled on these antiques stashed away in two large rooms at her husband's ancestral bungalow four decades ago. Right from the coffee table to the dining chair and from the intricately carved ivory chair to the easy chair, everything in her house is an antique. And she personally takes care of them just like a doting mother. Her pride collections are a museum by themselves.

"They are very close to my heart. Most of them were imported by my husband's great grandfather Raja Jaggarow from England and France. He was a traveller and a collector of items. I believe that in those days there was no port or inner harbour. The furniture were brought from different parts of the world in ships and unloaded into catamarans in the high seas and then brought to the shore. If he could take so much trouble to collect them, can't I make an effort at least to maintain them well? They evoke nostalgia and the past traditions."

According to Sivaprasad of Transmit Services, dealers of second-hand furniture, taking care of old furniture is an art.

"Apart from having the passion, one should know how to take care of them and refurbish them from time to time.

There is no replacement for old furniture - the quality of wood, carving and finish are praiseworthy," he said.

In today's world where apartment culture seems to be the viable solution to the urban shelter problem, it is difficult to fix antique furniture in this scenario. "You need a house to place such stuff. The multi-purpose and wall mounted imported furniture are much in demand today," Mr. Sivaprasad said.

Moreover, collection of antique furniture is a different segment altogether.

"It is more of a hobby, and very few people have such a hobby and love for such items. It needs passion, patience, money and taste. And in the current fast track world, only a few people are blessed with such a combo," averred architect Vipin Gupta.

If Ms. Jaggarow has inherited the pieces, a few have the urge to collect them at a price. Krishnamurthy, the owner of Transmit Services, is always on the look-out for such antique stuff. "I am a collector as well as an accumulator. I am into this business since quite some time. I have a few pieces that are over 100 years and priceless. I also give a few tips on how to maintain and refurbish them to people who are interested in buying such pieces."

Antique furniture collectors certainly constitute a rare segment. They are passionately in love with them and like to flaunt their collection like preserved wealth.

"It is a question of pride, legacy, love and satisfaction. There are many people, especially the nouveau riche in the big metros, who like to litter their houses with antique look-alike furniture, only as a status symbol.

They are quite different from the genuine collectors," says Ms. Jaggarow.

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