'Bela' Coaster Set of 6 in Printed Wood

Provenance

The Bela coasters belong to the North Indian tradition of decorative woodware — wooden forms treated with surface print and sealed under a waterproof finish to produce objects that are functional and decorative in equal measure. Each coaster is individually cut in wood, its surface printed with a floral ornamental pattern and sealed under lacquer. The tradition comes from workshops in Delhi NCR and western Uttar Pradesh, where the vocabulary of India's painted and lacquered woodwork is adapted to contemporary domestic forms through print techniques.

The surface print on Bela draws from the floral ornamental vocabulary of the North Indian decorative tradition — the repeating flower and vine forms that appear in Mughal stone inlay, block-printed textiles, and the painted borders of court manuscripts. The golden ground gives the florals warmth; the multi-colour print allows each flower to read individually against the field. The Gulmohar (Delonix regia) is the Indian summer tree — its crown of flame-orange blossoms one of the most dramatically botanical presences of the North Indian hot season. Bela — the jasmine — names the domestic counterpart to this extravagance: the small, white, intensely fragrant flower of the household threshold, threaded into garlands for daily offering.

The waterproof surface makes these decorative coasters suited to everyday use. The set of six handmade coasters is supplied in a matching printed storage box. Each piece is individually handcrafted; print placement and colour tone may vary slightly between pieces.

Disclaimer

• These coasters are handcrafted in wood with a printed surface. Variations in tone and colour are a natural feature of the process.
• Minor differences in print registration or surface texture should be understood as the signature of individual craft, not a defect.