Once again we are in the midst of the holiday season and some of us (as always) are running low on time as to what to get for those who "have everything." Here are some fantastic gift ideas that are not only unique and practical, but are also easy on the pocketbook:
1950's Vintage Perfumed Boxes
We came across these amazing little vintage painted boxes from the 1950's while we were in Lucknow, North India. The boxes range in all sort of sizes and have beautiful old paint and patina on them. What's so special about these small painted boxes, you say? Well, there was quite a tradition in North India back then to apply fragrant oils to the interiors of containers that would hold letters, jewelry or other personal effects. The boxes we found had all been perfumed with sandalwood, jasmine or champa oils. With time the perfume is not as heady and strong as it probably once was, but the fragrance is still there - as is the romance of India. With such an extraordinary romantic history attached to these beautiful boxes, we couldn't resist and tried to acquire as many as we could get our hands on. We find that these little boxes make great gifts since they are all unique and versatile and also come in a range of great prices.
These charming music men hail from the State of Rajasthan in Northwest India. Wearing their traditional colourful garb, they are each playing regional musical instruments such as the bansuri (flute), dholkis (drums), sarangi (Indian violen) etcetera. We acquired these little guys from small towns scattered all over Rajasthan such as Kota, Pali and Bikaner from estate sales and private collections. Perfect little conversation pieces!
Glass Candle Holders
Who can resist these handcrafted little glasses with such an Old World charm! We were introduced to a lovely couple in Delhi who had their entire inner courtyard in their old mansion lit with these amazing glittering lightholders. The soft colourful light imparted by these glasses transported us to another place and we decided that we had to have some for our store back home. We like the fact that these candle holders are rustic looking and the metellic trims are done by hand. They are simple and unpretentious, but are definitely exotic and create quite an atmosphere! These "accent" candle holders come in a variety of colours and textures and are great throughout the year for any part of your living space.
Old Delhi Horses
The fact that we personally love horses made it easy to look for and collect a variety of old wooden horses from North India. We found an amazing variety of graceful old toy horses from Old Delhi from the 1940's. These horses come in a variety of styles, colours and sizes and all have beautiful original paint. These figurines are sophisticated would make perfect gifts for others and for yourself!
Rajasthan Elephants
On our last trip to Rajasthan, we found a great collection of vintage wooden elephants from the cities of Jaipur and Jodhpur from private collections. We love the bright colours and the impressive details of these regal animals and made sure we collected those that have their trunks lifted up for good luck! These elephants are also from the 1940's and some are even older. A fantastic variety of elephants in stock to pick from.
