'Champa' Jar in Wood and Metal

Provenance

The Champa jar belongs to the North Indian mixed-media workshop tradition — turned and printed wood bodies combined with cast metal figures and stone elements to produce ornamental accent objects. The wood body carries a floral surface print on an antique gold ground, sealed under lacquer; the cast metal figure caps the lid. The tradition comes from workshops in Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh where multiple craft skills combine in single objects.

The surface ornament on Champa draws from the floral vocabulary of Indian ornamental tradition — the dense, warm-ground flower forms that appear in the painted interiors of Rajasthani havelis, in Mughal manuscript borders, and in the surface decoration of lacquered court objects. The antique gold ground gives the floral motifs a quality of aged warmth — the colour of old gold, the tone of surfaces that have been used and valued over time. Champa is the Sanskrit name for the champak tree (Michelia champaca), whose intensely fragrant, small yellow-gold flowers are among the most celebrated in Indian botanical and poetic tradition — the flower of warmth, fragrance, and the domestic offering.

The waterproof surface suits display use. Not airtight. Each piece is individually handcrafted; minor variations between pieces are expected.

Disclaimer

• These jars combine hand-printed wood, cast metal, and stone elements. Variations in print tone and metal finish are natural features of the process.
• Minor surface imperfections are characteristic of handcrafted work and are not defects.