The ongoing showcase by Balaji’s Antiques and Collectibles is a must visit for every art lover

Marking the advent of Balaji’s Antiques and Collectibles centenary year, they are hosting their first-ever
show/sale that ends this weekend. The show will feature midcentury and art deco furniture in teak and rosewood, Ravi Varma lithographs, beautiful Mysore paintings, rare Deccan metalwork, vintage collectibles and much more. Established in 1924, they specialise in South Indian artworks which also include both colonial and ethnic furniture and international early technology like mechanical gramophones, collectible watches and tin toys. To know more about this showcase, we speak to Balaji DG, owner; and partner, Oriole Henry.

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“We are carrying some antiques from Deccan, mainly f rom North Karnataka. Also, we have minimal furniture, which is minimal in style. These are in trend right now. These will be set up in rooms, so people can look at them and imagine how their space would look with this type of furniture. We didn’t want to keep them randomly in the space,” begins Balaji. Oriole adds, “We have a mid-century sitting room, a study room and in the study, we will have many collectibles like cameras, typewriters, pens and things connected to an office table.”

Balaji and his team have been preparing for the event for the past year and when asked about the challenges they faced while working on the showcase, he reveals, “since the whole event is curated by us, the biggest issue was procuring everything on time. We also have to consult a lot of experts to know how such an exhibition should be showcased.” Oriole also reveals that restoring the furniture was a big hiccup.
It took them almost four months.

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When asked about the most interesting pieces from the collectibles, Balaji says, “Deccan artifacts from North Karnataka and Ottoman harem locks, which we acquired from Bidar.” Talking about how her interest in Indian history and culture begin, Oriole reveals, “I was born in Madurai. I studied art and history, so, I was always interested in these objects. Indian history is always interesting and I love learning
about it.” As for Balaji, his shop was the first gramophone shop in Karnataka. His father and Veerendra Heggade were family friends and when they met in the 1970s, they decided to start a museum in Dharmasthala. Since then, he has been working around artifacts and that’s how Balaji became part of the business.

Entry free. On till October 15, 11 am to 8 pm. At BIC, Domlur.

Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com
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