The exotic beauty of Indian antiques

Rustic vintage wooden chapati boards, heavy stone plates and extravagant painted furniture – Indian antiques bring eclectic and timeless simplicity to interiors

Tom Lightbown, director of Indigo, specialists in Eastern antiques, says Indian antiques tend to be either highly decorative feature items or rustic pieces with beautiful weathering and patina.

‘These antiques are so incredibly eclectic because India has had so many influences,’ he explains. ‘From the Greeks with Alexander the Great, the Mogul empire in the 1500s and Islamic influences from as far back as the 7th century too.’ Many religions influenced Indian design as well, from Hinduism to Jainism.

‘Later, with the British Raj, you see the introduction of British, Portuguese and Dutch style,’ says Tom. ‘Brass-bound military chests and Portuguese almirah cupboards, for example.’ But the weather in India isn’t kind to furniture. ‘Very few examples of painted antique Indian furniture have survived the harsh climate, which makes the beautiful pieces we find and sell all the more special,’ he continues.

All the stock at Indigo is hand-picked on buying trips. ‘We scour huge warehouses in India and only buy maybe one in 500 items,’ says Tom. ‘We’re very selective.’

They stock a huge range of pieces from Rajasthan, Gujarat and south India, mostly dating from the 1700s onwards. Painted Indian sideboards and damchiya dowry chests are particularly stunning, and there are new pieces of furniture available too, crafted from reclaimed teak salvaged from Indian buildings.

‘Our Indian pieces made from sun-bleached reclaimed wood, which is pared-back and appealingly simple, fits in with the fashionable Australian and Californian “beach-living” look,’ says Tom.

For homeware, go to RE where you can pick up colourful paintings on glass, marble bowls and galvanised metal pails. Scaramanga has many rustic pieces, such as ornate doors, faded prints of Shri Krishna and painted benches. Vintage chapatti boards, used for rolling dough, can be found at Greige.

Style ideas

• Bring colour and character to your home with vintage Indian tins. Originally used for tea, cigarettes or medicines, the smaller ones are great for storing matches or business cards, while the larger cylindrical pieces look good as cheery plant pots. Scaramanga has a good range.

WORDS: ELLIE TENNANT