Our Family Treasures
Hootoksi Tyabji, Shah Alam, January 2021.
Photos by Robert Tyabji
Our personal belongings that have lasting sentimental value are what have made every house of ours a real home. These are familiar items of furniture, artifacts and memorabilia which moved around with us from one country to the next. They include furniture handed down to us by our families, precious paintings, carpets, bits of crockery, cutlery, saris, books and other things of special value.
We have used, enjoyed, and treasured these and now they will grace the homes of our children and their children; and through them will live the memories associated with the people who owned them and the places they lived in!
Treasure 1: Bombay blackwood Cabinet: This Bombay Blackwood cabinet belonged to my maternal grandparents Tehmina & Jehangir Lalkaka. It’s been in their Bangalore home since I was a little girl.
Size: (hxwxd) 64x48x12 in.
Treasure 2: Hallway Table This beautiful table belonged to Rob’s grandmother Tahira Tyabji.
Size: diameter 32”
Treasure 3: Bentwood Rocking Chair
My favourite rocking chair gifted by my ma, Roshan Pundole who inherited it from Ms Marney, her English teacher in school. I have spent many a night in it, rocking and nursing Michel, Farhad and Adil.
Treasure 4: Indian munshi’s rolltop Desk This little desk was commonly used by Indian accountants who sat on the floor to do their work. This piece was gifted to us by Kali uncle, younger brother of my pa, Noshir Pundole.
Size: (hxwxd) 17x18x15 in.
Treasure 5: Hallway Table with ivory inlay: This is truly a family heirloom as it has been in the Tyabji family for over 150 years. In the center of the tabletop is an ivory monogram bearing the initials RT, for Rob’s great grandmother Rahat-un-Nafs Tyabji. This was gifted to us by Rob’s parents Amin and Alice Tyabji.
Size: (hxwxd) 31x31x2 in.
Treasure 6: Section of Chinese Altar: This was part of a much larger altar. It was bought by my mum, Roshan Pundole in a dusty antique shop in China Town, Kuala Lumpur in the early 70’s, and later gifted to us. 
Size: (hxwxd) 17x18x9 in. (wooden stand included)
Treasure 7: Victorian Love Seat: A family heirloom inherited by my mother from her Uncle and Aunt, Adi Mama and Shireen Mami (Kharas) it is over 100 years old.
“A loveseat derives its name from holding two people close to each other. First invented in the 17th century, they had an S shape and people were facing each other while also being close enough to hold hands. They were perfect for intimate conversations and the name loveseat was developed.” (source: Home Stratosphere)
Treasure 8: Bombay blackwood Cabinet: This cabinet is also over 100 years old. I don’t know who my mother inherited it from! This kind of furniture is seen in many Bombay Parsi homes.
Size: (hxwxd) 48x33x12 in.
Treasure 9: Chinese camphorwood Chest: Bought in China by my mum, Roshan Pundole, and shipped over to Bombay when I was a child. Carved camphorwood chests like this were often used for transporting teas, porcelain and Chinese silks by sea around the world. Camphorwood naturally repels insects. BOOKED FOR FARHAD
Size: (hxwxd) 22x29x21 in.
Treasure 10: Tanzanian Makonde carved Bar and 6 Stools: This bar was custom designed for us by an Irish friend who trained street boys and girls in cabinet carpentry. The panels were carved by a master Makonde craftsman who we found in Dar es Salaam’s Carver’s Market. He was a Rasta from Mozambique. We brought him home and showed him the space where we wanted the bar to sit. We also told him we wanted happy (rather than grotesque) carvings depicting Masai life. He sat and stared at the bar for half an hour without moving, while sipping from a glass of water. Robert asked him to give us an idea of the finished product by sketching something on paper which he did rather reluctantly! The wood used is mninga, the local name for a hardwood tree that grows in Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. This bar is Robert’s most treasured piece of furniture! BOOKED FOR ADIL
Size: (hxwxd) 40x120x24 in.
Treasure 11: European Pedestal: This oak pedestal sat in my maternal grandfather Jehangir Lalkaka’s studio ever since my mum was a little girl.
Height 36 in .
Treasure 12: French Portmanteau: I vividly remember my grandfather Jehangir Lalkaka using this desk in his art studio in Bangalore. He kept many water colours in it and it always smelled of paint. It had a beautiful green velvet under the glass, which had become badly frayed by age. Rob replaced it with handwoven material from Bhutan. The desk has several secret compartments and drawers inside and on both sides.
Size: (hxwxd) 33x31x25 in.
Treasure 13: Bombay blackwood Chair: This chair used to be in my grandmother Tehmina Lalkaka’s home in Bangalore. One of the carved pieces in the backrest was missing and Adil 3D printed a replacement and mailed it to Rob from Canada. We challenge anyone to identify the replaced part!
Treasure 14: Indian chakki Table: We bought this piece in Delhi in 1973. Its original purpose was to hold a circular stone grinding mill for making flour for the family. A small window in the side was provided for the flour to be removed.
Diameter 27 in., Height 13 in.
Treasure 15 and 16: Tanzanian Zoromo peoples’ Chief’s Chairs: Sizes (hxwxd) 52x19x21 and 31x14x14 in.
Treasure 17: Indian peg Table with ivory inlay: Made in Hyderabad and typical of the region’s style. Size (hxwxd) 17x24x14 in.
Treasure 18: Hyderabadi peg Table: Size (hxwxd)18x14x14 in.
The next five Treasures (N-1 to N-5 were purchased in 2024 from Navzar
Treasure N-1:Teak Table & Teak Chairs (two)
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Treasure N-2: Franklin Mint Chess table
Treasure N-3: Kopitiam Table and two Wedding Chairs
Treasure N-4: Sofa Set - one 2-seater Sofa & three Armchairs
Treasure N-5: Wedding Table (two)
Treasure 19: American folding Stool: This was given to us in Delhi in the 1970’s by American friends Peter and Barry Grenell as a parting gift when they were returning home to San Francisco.
Size when open: (hxwxd) 22x25x10 in.
Treasure 20: Yemeni dowry Chest: Size (hxwxd) 19x41x19 in.
Treasure 21:Congolese prestige janiform Stool: Size: height 19 in diameter 13.5 in.
Treasure 22:South African Bust: Size: height 10 in.
Treasure 23: The Pictorial New Testament: This bible was gifted to Rob’s father Amin Tyabji by his English governess in London in 1913 when he was 11 years old. The illustrations are beautiful and uniquely middle eastern.
Size:5x4 in.
Treasure 24: Shakespeare’s Plays This tiny book was gifted to me by Sister Magdalen at school (PCK) in Kodaikanal in 1963. I have never seen another like it. Though the book is miniature, the script is very legible.
Size: 4.5x3 in.
Treasure 25: Tiffany Lamp: This is an original Tiffany which belonged to my grandparents Tehmina & Jehangir Lalkaka. It hung in their bungalow portico in Bangalore.
Size: diameter 19 in.
Treasure 26: 7x Bhutanese Carvings mounted on a frame: We bought these panels in Bhutan in 1983, they were made to be used in the traditional Chodrem (table). We bought them individually and have used them as wall decorations.
Size: width 8.25 in. Total length 72 in
Treasure 27: Persian prayer Carpet From Iran, inherited from my parents Noshir and Roshan Pundole.
Size: 38 x 24 in
Treasure 28 & 29: Dutch/Indonesian Lamps: Antique Dutch lamps from Indonesia – gifted to us by our friends Ram & Inge Sharma who moved to KL from Indonesia and did not have enough space in their apartment to hang them!
Size each: length 44” diameter 13”
Treasure 30: Chinese Umbrella Stand Inherited from my parents Roshan and Noshir Pundole
Size: height 24din. diameter 9 in.
Treasure 31: Persian Carpet (signed) Inherited from Rob’s parents Alice & Amin Tyabji. The carpet was very severely damaged by their cat which peed on it when it was rolled up and completely destroyed a 2-foot section. Fortunately, that part was cut out and the rest restored. It has been in the family for at least 60 years.
Size: 10ft 3in x 9ft 6in
Treasure 32:Persian Carpet Size 5ft 8 in. x 3 ft 10in.
Treasure 33: Persian Carpet 1 Size 7ft 8in x 4ft 7in.
Treasure 34: Tibetan Sword: I bought this at the weekly Sunday Market in Thimphu, Bhutan. Among the fruits and vegetables, one could often find treasures like this! Bits of jewelry, old hand-woven cloth, ornaments - and sometimes a sword or dagger!
Length 23 in
Treasure 35: Afghani Carpet: I bought this in Lahore, Pakistan, during one of Rob’s business visits.
Size 6ft 5in x 4ft.
Treasure 36: Kashmiri Carpet Size 7 x 5ft
Treasure 37: Pakistani Carpet Size 6ft 6in x 3ft
Treasure 38: Yemeni Runner This Caucasian runner has a story. I bought it from an elderly carpet seller in the Old Suq in Sana’a. When I said I was looking for a special rug for my husband’s birthday, he closed his little shop and, cheek bulging with Qat, said “Yalla!”and indicated I should follow him. Off we went into the bowels of the Suk, in and out of tiny backstreets till we came to a large wooden door, the entrance to his home. He led me up some rickety stairs into a large room and asked me to pick one of three rugs. This runner was my pick; his special carpets were sold only from his house!
Size (lxw) 9ft 6in x 3 ft 3in
Treasures 39, 41, 42, 43 & 44: Paintings by J.A. Lalkaka These are very special as they were all painted by my grandfather, Mr J A Lalkaka one of India’s foremost portrait artists. The Potter’s Village was one of his earliest paintings. TREASURE 39 BOOKED BY MICHEL.
Sizes: Potter’s Village 40x32 in; Mother and Child 37x27 in; Portrait of Roshan Pundole 21x17 in; Darjeeling 18.5x14 in; Rajasthani Women 22.5x18 in.
Treasure 40: Painting – Zarathustra (copy) by J A Lalkaka: Size 20x17 in.
Treasure 45: Painting - Woman Praying by M F Husain: Size 3ft x 2ft.
Treasures 46 & 47: Sketches by M.F. Husain: I found these in my mum’s autograph book after she had passed.
Size: 6 x 4 in. each
Treasure 48: Tibetan Thankha Size 2ft 3.5in x 21in.
Treasure 49: Painting - Kalimpong Woman: Size 18x14in.
Treasure 50: Painting - The Cobbler by Chavda, 1934: Size 21x17.5in.
Treasure 51: Painting – Movement and Motion by a Bhutanese artist. The artist was a DSCD employee in Thimphu when Rob headed that organization. He completed it for us when we visited Bhutan in 2002. Size 3ftx2ft 5in.
Treasure 52: Item removed
Treasure 53: Painting - Tanzanian Tinga Tinga Size (wxh) 27.5x28 in..
Treasure 54: Kalimpong Embroidery Size 12inx15in
Treasure 55 & 56: Paintings by Badri Narayan Size 15x15in. each
Treasure 57: Painting by Raza, 1957 Size 20x15 in
Treasure 58: Lithograph, limited edition no. 165 of 299 – Sri Ganesha, Navigator by Badrti Narayan Size 2ft 4.5in x 2ft2in.
Treasure 59: Painting – Masai Herders by Kiswanta Size 3ft x 2ft
Treasure 60, 61 & 62: Lithographs by M F Husain Sizes 26.5x21.5in. ; 36x29 in ; 21.5x15 in. respectively
Treasure 63: Painting – Malaysian Kampung Family by Kuen Stephanie Size 4ft x 2ft 6in.
Treasure 64: Painting – Sarawakian Iban Warrior by Tan Wei Kheng Size 3ft 7in x 2ft 10in
Treasure 65: Burmese Kalaga wall Hanging Size 5ft 4in x 3ft
Treasure 66: Thankha – White Tara Size 2ft x 18in.
Treasure 67: Parsi prayer Beads (Sakri) These amber prayer beads belonged to Mr Naval Pocha known to me as “Masa”, and were passed down to my Pa, Noshir Pundole. He used them every day, twice a day and whenever I picture him in our home, I see him with these beads in his hands. I now use and treasure them.
Treasure 68: Tibetan Thankha Size 2ft 3.5in x 21.5in.
Treasure 69: Chinese Candlestand I bought this in Old Delhi in 1977 – written in Mandarin in the front it says, “I can never tell you with my lips what is in my heart” It was my birthday gift to Rob on his 31st birthday.
Length 8.5 in
Treasure 70: Bhutanese Thankha Size 2ft 9.5in x 2ft 2in
Treasure 71: Painting - Tanzanian Tinga Tinga Size 2ft 9in x 2ft
Treasure 72: Painting by Azura Tyabji 2007 Size 12x9 in
Treasure 73: Painting by Jagraj Mehta Size 18x13in.
Treasure 74: Painting by Adil Tyabji, 5 June 2007 Size 12x9 in
Treasure 75: Painting by Mary Swingwa Ms Swingwa was Farhad’s 5th grade teacher at the American School Mogadishu. Size 18x15 in
Treasure 76: Wood Carving of Sarawakian royalty Length 3 ft.
Treasure 77: Mahjong Set in bamboo and ivory This set belonged to my grandmother Tehmina Lalkaka. She played mahjong with her friends several evenings a week at the Bowring Club in Bangalore. The set is over 100 years old.
Size of box (hxwxd) 7x10x7. (not including 4 stands)
Treasures 78 & 79: Paintings - Tanzanian Tinga Tinga Sizes 14x11 in and 27.5x28 in respectively
Treasure 80: Dutch/Indonesian Lamp This antique Indonesian lamp has a story. In 2003 when we were looking around to buy a house in Kuala Lumpur, we saw a place owned by an Italian lady. The house was pretty but too small for us, so we were not interested in it, but I noticed this lamp hanging in the hallway and asked the lady if she planned on selling it; she was not. A few months later, we found a house we liked in Shah Alam and bought it but could not move in immediately as it needed renovation first.
One morning I was walking around some shops in the Ampang area and wandered into a shop selling antiques.
To my amazement I saw a woman sitting at a table, sobbing. I hesitantly put an arm around her and asked if I could help, and then spent a couple of hours listening to the lady’s sad story. As she was talking, I realized that this was the same Italian woman whose house we had seen several months earlier. Her name was Cinzia and she had been diagnosed that very morning with 4th stage cancer. Her anguish was over the fact that she had been estranged from her Italian family for over 20 years, and now she feared she would never see them again. I persuaded her to call her mum, which she did, and over the next few months she visited Italy and her family again. A year later she insisted on gifting this lamp to me.
Cinzia passed away in 2006, I spent many of her last days with her. She said repeatedly that I was the angel she had been praying for in her shop that day.
Length 5ft Diameter 3 ft
Treasure 81: Painting by Rosa Costanza Tyabji Shah Alam, March 2005 Size 14x13 in
Treasure 82: Ming Jar This Ming Jar belonged to my grandparents and was in their home in Bangalore. It is well over 150 years old!
Height 26 in Diameter 13 in
Treasure 83: Iranian silver Tray This tray with the crest of the Shah of Iran was gifted to my parents Noshir and Roshan Pundole by the Shah himself on their visit to his palace in Iran sometime in the ‘60’s.
Size 12.5 x 9 in
Treasures 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91 & 96: Chinese ivory Figurines and Artifacts All these artifacts were given to my ma Roshan Pundole by Naval Pocha (masa) who traded with China. I remember him as a kindly old man with a goatee beard who lived by himself in an apartment above a bakery in Nanas Chowk, Bombay. In the early sixties one of the ovens in the bakery on the ground floor exploded, sending iron and concrete raining down on masa who was asleep at home. He was killed by that explosion.
Treasure 87: Brass Lota I bought this in Old Delhi in 1974
Treasure 88: Chinese porcelain Jar fragment This is a piece of an old Chinese jar found in a shipwreck in the South China Sea. My ma, Roshan Pundole, bought it at an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur.
Size: Height 11in (with wooden stand) Width 6in
Treasure 88a: Chinese Ivory Lamp Carved with an animal scene. Height 11 in
Treasure 92: Makonde Boat Men – carving in African hardwood Size 17.5 in length x 5.5 in height
Treasure 93: Susan Susan was brought from England by my grandfather for his only granddaughter at the time, my sister Shehernavaz. She is a walkie talkie doll and came in a huge blue box that was rolled down the gangplank as Jehangir Lalkaka walked off the ship. I inherited her from my sis!
Size 18 x 14 in
Treasure 94: Herman This is my first teddy bear, called Herman. My ma bought him for me in Germany when I was seven.
When we were leaving Thimphu, an American family came over to pick up a few things. Dee Kelly and her husband worked as nurses at the hospital down the road and they had informally adopted a Bhutanese boy Purba who must have been around 5 at the time. Purba took a fancy to Herman and refused to let go. He wanted to take the bear home and threw a tantrum, so I let him have it. That was in 1984.
In 2017, 34 years later I received an email from a lady who said found my name on the internet, and asked me if I was the same Hootoksi who had been in Bhutan in the eighties. When I confirmed this, the lady told me she was Dee Kelly, Purba’s mum and that she had kept the teddy bear safely and would like to return him. I told her we lived in Malaysia but visited the US every so often and would get in touch with her on our next visit there.
In 2018 Herman arrived in a large UPS box at Michel’s house in Los Angeles!!
Size 17 x 12 in
Treasure 95: Portuguese antique Crucifix This ancient crucifix was gifted to us by our dear friend Philomena D’Cruz. It had hung in her ancestral home in Goa for several generations. NO LONGER AVAILABLE. We gifted this piece to the Peters family - Innocent, Gaye and Jennifer - on moving to their new home - April 2023. Size: 13.5 x 6.5. GIFTED TO GAYE
We gifted this Treasure to The Peters family - Innocent, Gaye and Jennifer - to grace, bless and protect them in their new home.
Treasure 96: Chinese ivory Puzzle One has to arrange the pieces to fit into the box. There are two layers. It looks easy, but it’s not!
Treasure 97: Photo - Zarathustra by J.A. Lalkaka The original of this painting hangs in the Vatican in a hall along with paintings of all the prophets of the world.
Diameter 6in.
Treasure 98: Meissen porcelain Parrot Size (hxw) 13x6 in
Treasure 99: Bhutanese porcelain Padmasambhava Height 12 in
Treasure 100: Bhutanese sword Length 27.5 in
Treasure 101: Tibetan hunting Knife Length 10in
Treasure 102: Nepalese gold plated Buddha with engraved history We bought this Buddha in Kathmandu as a gift to ourselves on our 30th Wedding Anniversary.
Size: (hxw) 17 in x 13 in
Treasure 103: Tanzanian stick Figures x 7 Length 5ft 4in
Treasure 104: Bhutanese Garuda dance Mask Presented to us by Lyonpo Dawa Tshering, Bhutan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Size (lxbxw) 19x14x10 in.
Treasure 105: Bhutanese wine Flasks in wood and buffalo horn We found these at the Sunday Market in Bhutan. Millet, rice, or buckwheat is fermented to make a brew called “Chang” which used to be carried in these flasks. Very few are seen today! THREE GIFTED TO MICHEL, FARHAD & ADIL
Length (wood flask) 11 in (horn) 21 in.
Treasure 106: Makonde ironwood Figure We call him ‘Mchecha” (old man). We bought him when on safari in Tanzania years before we were posted there. He weighs 26.5 Kgs (58 lbs) so after the euphoria of the purchase we had to figure out how to get him home to Yemen as it would have cost a fortune to fly him with us! Steve Watson, a dear friend, had a colleague who flew in and out of Dar for work. Steve asked him to carry it back on his next trip, making it out to be “just one of those African statues!” Poor man had no idea what he was letting himself in for when he agreed to bring it over!
Height 3ft 6in
Treasure 107: Christofle monogrammed Cutlery Set We own a part of this 24-table setting Christofle cutlery set. Each piece has grandfather Mohsin Tyabji’s initials monogrammed on it.
Treasure 108: Parsi Ses Silver, comprising a tray and 5 pieces
Treasure 109: Tanzanian wooden Fish x 4: Sizes between 7 and 8 in.
Treasure 110: Sculpture by Tony Read This work was inspired by Modigliani and made specially by Tony Read (Clara’s ex) for my 60th birthday. It was one of his first pieces.
Height 12 in.
Treasure 111: Sculpture by Rina Kochar Made for my 60th birthday by my old school friend Reena. She is an accomplished potter and sculptor and this is her very first glazed pottery piece.
Size (hxw) 6 in x 8 in.
Treasures 112 & 113: Moorcroft pottery Saucers My cousin Neville Pundole gifted these to my parents who passed them on. Moorcroft pottery is highly prized and valued in England.
Diameter 4.75 in.each
Treasure 114: Ceramic Foo Dogs: These were placed near the entrance of my parent’s home in KL. Foo Dogs are symbolic, protective statues, actually representing lions – one is female and the other male. The female represents yin and symbolically protects the people dwelling in the home, while the male represents yang, and protects the house itself. They should be placed at or facing the entrance to the home, looking outward, with the male on the right.
Height 15.5in.
Treasure 115: Thai lacquer Cutlery Set This is a fine example of Thailand’s famed cutlery with hand painted handles made of horn. It was presented to us on our wedding by my parents Roshan & Noshir Pundole.
Case size: 18 x 15 x 5 in.
Treasure 116: Chinese Cloisonne enamel Jar This was bought in China by my mum in the 1970’s which she later gifted to us. Cloisonne is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with coloured material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire, normally of gold (Wikipedia)
Diameter 8.5 in.
Treasures 117, 118, 119 &120: Chinese ceramic jars. Various sizes 5 – 7 in.
Treasures 121,122 & 123: Bead and silver Purses Hootoksi inherited these from her ma, Roshan Pundole. Real ancestral property!
Treasure 124: Granny Tahira’s Glassware These exquisite glasses, bowls, teacups, and jugs were especially ordered from Morano in Italy for Rob’s grandmother Tahira Tyabji, when she gave birth to his dad Dr Amin Tyabji in 1902. We own part of it and Ursula (Rob’s sister) owns some. Many pieces have been broken. We have the original bill!
Treasure 125: Fine bone china Stag Height 8 in.
Treasures 126 & 127: Cut Glassware and crystal Sugar Shakers This hand-cut Czechoslovakian cut-glass was inherited from my mother Roshan Pundole and grandmother Tehmina Lalkaka.
Height 6.75 in. each
Treasure 128: Royal Doulton Teacups x 4
Treasure 129: Moorcroft Vase Diameter5.5 in.
Treasure 130: Indonesian Figurines x 2 in tropical hardwood Height 12 in each
Treasure 131: Balinese Figure in tropical hardwood Height 17 in.
Treasures 132 & 134: Bronze dancing Shiva and set of 3 Mogul ivory Miniatures We inherited these from Rob’s parents, Alice & Amin Tyabji.
Sizes: Shiva (hxw) 10x 6in.;Large miniature 12 in, small miniatures 7 in. each
Treasure 133: Makonde Family Tree in mpingo (African blackwood, an ebony). This is a good example of Makonde carving style depicting the family and is known as the Tree of Life. The Makonde are master carvers. They are a Bantu people who originally lived south of Lake Nyassa and later migrated to their present location on the Mueda plateau in northern Mozambique. A great many also migrated across the Ruvuma River during colonial times to work on sisal farms in Tanzania, where they remain.
Treasure 135: 12 Mogul ivory miniatures in frame Painted on Ivory, the detail on these famous monuments is quite incredible. They belonged to my grandfather Mr J A Lalkaka. GIFTED TO MICHEL
Size: 14.5 x 11.5 in.
Treasure 136: Tibetan sword Belt The metal parts are intricately inscribed
Treasure 137: Ghanian Colon ‘Colon’ is French for a ‘settler’, or could also mean a ‘local colonial or brown sahib’. These are from Ghana and were gifted to us by our dear friend Andrea Singh. As a genre, colon statues originated in West Africa on the Ivory Coast. They are characterised by pith helmets, suits, official uniforms, pipes and are painted in bright colours” - Wikipedia.
Height 12 in
Treasure 138: Yemeni Sword Gifted to Rob by a Yemeni friend in Sana’a. Length 23 in
Treasure 139: Robert’s UNICEF retirement Plaque
Treasures 140, 141 & 142: Somali Barkins Somali camel herders traditionally used these as pillows. They needed to raise their heads off the ground to keep insects away from their ears. Height 6 -7 in
Treasure 143: Wooden Buddha We found this thrown in the back of The Bong Gallery, an antique shop in Kuching, Sarawak, and bought it for a song because it was infested with woodworm. Rob painstakingly injected turpentine into each tiny hole and was able to restore the statue to its full glory!
Size: (hxwxd) 24 x18 x 10 in.
Treasure 144: Congolese chief’s Stick: Purchased in Dar es Salaam. Length 38in.
Treasure 145: Ghanian Colon ‘Colon’ is French for a ‘settler’, or could also mean a ‘local colonial or brown sahib’.
Height 11 in.
146: Nepali Picture Frame: Size (hxw) 25x16 in
Treasure 147: Grandma’s Tawa This cast-iron chapati tawa has been in my family for over 100 years!!! It belonged to my grandma Tehmina Lalkaka, who gave it to my mum Roshan who gave it to me. I use it regularly.
Diameter 10 in.
Treasure 148: Tanzanian Artifact 22x7 in
Treasure 149: Princess chiming Clock Purchased from Mr. Murtha, a collector and restorer of all kinds of timepieces, in Queen Anne, Seattle. Size (lxwxd) 36x11x5 in.
Treasure 150: Schoolhouse chiming Clock: A very old Ansonia in good working condition. Purchased in 1973 in Bombay’s Chor Bazar. Diameter 15.5 in.
Treasure 151: Tanzanian traditional Combs x 2 Carved in African hardwood. Length 10 and 11 in.
Treasure 152: Chinese Foo Dogs x 2 Gifted to us by my brother Kershasp Pundole on one of his visits to Malaysia. Foo Dogs are symbolic, protective statues, actually representing lions – one is female and the other male. The female represents yin and symbolically protects the people dwelling in the home, while the male represents yang, protects the structure itself. They should be placed at or facing the entrance to the home, looking outward, with the male on the right.
Size (hxl) 6x8.5 in.
Treasure 153: Leather Bedouin Head Length 10in.
Treasure 154: Nepali Window Size 21x15 in
Treasure 155 & 156: Handwoven Yatha I bought these in Bhutan around 1983
Treasure 157: Antique handwoven Sash A Bumthang Yatha sash worn with the kira
Treasures 158 - 163: Fine Chinese, Cambodian and Vietnamese handbags Various sizes
Treasure 164 & 165: Embroidery cutouts of an antique Jamavar shawl We place these on the dinner table on very special occasions
Treasure 166: Kira woven on a backstrap Bhutanese loom
Treasure 167: Brass Ganesha Bell Purchased in Nepal in 2003. Diameter 8in. Length 14 in. Length of chain 32 in.
Treasure 168: Grandpa Lalkaka’s Bell Used to hang outside his Bangalore home. Diameter 6in Length 8 in - GIFTED TO MICHEL
Treasure 169: Tibetan Incense Burner Brass. Diameter 4.5 in Height 4in.
Treasure 170: Chinese antique Chalice an intricately embossed brass chalice. On an amazing visit to the Minority Villages in the Guizhou area of China, I chanced upon this gem. It was sitting on a table in a vegetable market along with chillies and all sorts of strange looking tubers. It was black and covered in dirt, and I bought it for next to nothing. It has now been cleaned up and polished. One day we would like to get it dated, we suspect it is incredibly old!
Height 7.5 in.
Treasure 171: Brass Ganesha Length 7 in Height 5in.
Treasure 172: Nepali brass Urli Uruli ( ഉരുളി) is a traditional cookware extensively used in Kerala and some neighbouring states and Nepal. Also used in Ayurveda in the preparation of medicines.
Treasures 173 - 176: Chinese Meow minority tribe Jewelry I brought these and the Hairpins (below) back from China after a tour of the Meow area around Guizhou.
Treasures 177 - 182: Meow minority tribe Hairpins
Treasures 183 - 185: Aluminium Tinga Tinga painted storage Bins Decorated by Rashidi, a well known Dar es Salam Tinga Tinga artist. Diameter 11, 10 and 9 in.
Treasure 186: Sarawakian Stand Height 32 in. Diameter of top 12 in. - BOOKED FOR FARHAD
Treasures 187, 189, 190 and 191: Tanzanian wooden animals Sizes: Elephant Height 10 in; Giraffe mother and calf Height 46.5 in; Hippo Length 10 in; Tortoise Length 10 in.
Treasure 188: Malaysian wooden Iguana This was spotted by Robert in a shop in Kuching, Sarawak. He is made of a lighter wood than the others. Length 23 in.
Treasures 192, 193 & 194: Dancing Masks Sizes (lxw): Zimbabwe Shona mask 47 x 12 in; Bhutan mask 21 x 12 in; Zaire mask 18 x 12 in
Treasures 195 & 196: Hardwood paper weights, inlaid with ivory floral design, monogrammed with Rob's grandfather's initials MBT. Size (lxwxd) 3.5x2.5x1 in.
Treasure 197: This was the train for Hootoksi's wedding gown. Lace on silk.