'Kanaka' Jar Set of 2 in Printed Wood

Provenance

The Kanaka jars belong to the North Indian tradition of decorative woodware — wooden forms treated with surface print and sealed under a waterproof finish, here with a brass-knob lid completing the form. Each jar is individually worked in wood, its surface printed with a multicolour ornamental pattern and sealed under lacquer; the brass knob is fitted to the lid. 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.

The printed wooden storage jar sits within the broader North Indian tradition of the decorated domestic vessel — the object that holds and stores daily things while carrying ornamental weight. The brass knob that caps each jar belongs to the Indian tradition of using brass as the metal of the domestic threshold: the same warm gold-toned material used in puja vessels, door fittings, and kitchen implements. Kanaka in Sanskrit names this quality — pure gold, the luminous metal, the material that is both functional and auspicious. The brass knob is small but consequential, lifting the jar from plain printed woodware to something more considered.

The waterproof surface suits everyday domestic use — for dry goods, small accessories, or display. Each piece is individually handcrafted; print placement and colour tone may vary slightly between pieces.

Disclaimer

• These jars 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 the brass knob finish should be understood as the signature of individual craft, not a defect.