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Handcrafted from glass
Exquisite and dramatic...
CAN YOU imagine dining off a glass topped dining table with a pair of very realistic prancing horses as its base; alternatively, a clutch of playful tigers, or even a larger than life bouquet of exotic daffodils? What about coffee tables balanced on fantastic Mohenjodaro panels, intricately reproduced temple freizes or a family of resplendent peacocks? And sofa sets featuring elephants as arm and backrests, occasional tables with the base of a camel family, not to mention a lamp base made up of clambering tiger cubs. Sculpted out of chunks of `cold ceramic', the furniture items, created through a `secretly' held family process by `Pot Pourrie' of Calcutta, are larger than life in concept, size and their sheer baroque drama. There's no minimalism here, hardly any subtlety or straight line and to use architectural jargon "less is (definitely) a bore"!
`Pot Pourrie's' furniture brings in a touch of colour, sheer fantasy and high drama. As well as the history, art forms and mythology of India, Egypt, Europe and ancient Greece and even the language of abstract modern art. Exotic birds of rare plumage frolic on lamp bases and `jungle' murals, and corner tables come alive with a profusion of tropical plants and flowers. Horses and tigers lend their majestic splendour to furniture, trysting couples hold up coffee table tops, and urns and pots display French figurative art, Flemish shepherdesses and Greek art forms! Many of the beautifully executed wall hangings feature Hindu mythological themes such as Ganesha battling with evil as well as jungle scenes, village idylls etc. The exhibition also offers a range of table lamps with pretty floral themes as well as large sized Ganesha icons. The colours of the furniture items range from muted to exuberant and have been executed with chemical pigment colours, again specially developed by `Pot Pourrie'.
Perfectly sculpted...
Every `Pot Pourrie' chemo-ceramic furniture item is meticulously crafted, with an amazing attention to detail, whether of a Mohenjodaro reproduction, a temple freize or the rippling muscles of a horse in motion. Amazing, considering that each piece is shaped entirely by hand sculpting done with hammer and chisel. According to Shri Paul of `Pot Pourrie', about 150 artisans work in the Calcutta unit consisting of traditional stone sculptors, Durga idol makers, formally trained artists and so on. Incidentally, baked at a temperature of 1000{+o} celcius, the furniture is hammer-resistant and virtually break-proof.
The `Pot Pourrie' furniture repertoire can be seen at Rajalakshmi Hall, Dr. M. V. Jayaraman Convention Centre, M.J.V. Towers, Opposite to Ega Theatre, Kilpauk, till February 17.
PUSHPA CHARI
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