CURIOS

A collection of curios and tokens inevitably becomes a repository of stories. With stories, there comes a sense of belonging to all those places one has visited, or perhaps, dreamt of visiting but couldn't, and had to make do with only a curio from that place. An object becomes the representative of desire, love, warmth, longing and nostalgia. This is what we call material memory. 

Shyamal Kumar travelled across many places in the country in his youth and collected specimens of craftsmanship from those places. 

Here, we showcase a modest portion of the collection with a diverse range in aesthetics and history.

Vintage Porcelain Figurine. Collected in 1970s. Source unknown.

Vintage Beach Pig Figurine made by Enesco. Ceramic & Porcelain. 2-3 inches tall. Collected in 1970s. Source unknown.

Vintage Beach Pig Figurine made by Enesco. Ceramic & Porcelain. 2-3 inches tall. Collected in 1970s. Source unknown.

Japanese casket box. Collected in the late 1970s from New Market, Kolkata. Gifted to Shyamal Kumar's daughter on her birthday. 

This is a small red music box with a ballerina made in Japan circa 1970. Commonly called Lady Mate jewellery box. There is a mirror under the top and another one inside where the ballerina dances that makes a Kaleidoscope effect when the music is on.

Ivory cigarette-holder. Collected in 1970s.