It is often said that a picture
is worth a thousand words. In the same way, it can also be said that a gift
conveys a thousand emotions. From the moment when it is just imparted, to
gradually finding its way into your everyday life, a gift evokes a hundred
feelings and a thousand sentiments. The best gifts always bring something of
value into your life, sometimes beauty, sometimes utility, and sometimes both.
Hand-crafted and one-of-a-kind pieces are now sought after, even more than
those made of precious materials. Items made by hand, that carry with them
stories of how and where they were made, are now preferred to factory-made
mass-produced clones. Ingeniously designed and crafted products that bring a
novelty to even age-old concepts and ideas have become the quintessence of
luxury. Luxury today has strayed from extravagance and excess towards more
sharp and minimal designs.
Today, we feature a brand that
combines the best of beauty and utility and brings it to your doorstep as a
thing of elegance meant to be enjoyed every day. A perfect gift idea,
that can easily pass off both as art or tableware, Ikkis’ collections are a product of
modern art just as
well as that of an everyday kitchen. Cookware and
tableware by Ikkis is the ideal gift idea that will turn the everyday
evening into an artsy ritual.
Ikkis is
bringing the use of traditional Indian
style materials, like terracotta, copper, and brass, to kitchen and dining
tables worldwide. Terracotta cookware finds
mention even in the Ayurveda. The oldest recorded use of terracotta dates back
to the Indus Valley civilization. Terracotta is highly durable and is resistant
to heat, moisture, and microbial growth. It’s visual appeal and easy
moldability is the reason for its popularity. The alkaline nature of terracotta
clay brings a distinct rich earthy flavour to the food cooked in it. Terracotta
is also said to imbibe the cooked food with minerals. They are perhaps the
earliest products made truly in Indian
style.
With their unique designs,
terracotta utensils are even now produced through the same age-old handcraft
techniques. In many Indian style art forms, terracotta utensils are used as a canvas for
story-telling. Copper, too, has its history intertwined with Indian
civilization. In Ayurveda, it goes by the name of Tamra and is said to be an essential mineral for our bodies. Copper
is known for its antimicrobial properties. Copper vessels have long been used
to store water, and are said to imbibe water with healing properties. Brass
offers similar benefits as well.
Ikkis is
using these age-old materials to bring a fresh breath of air into iconic Indian style tableware. The humble
cutting-chai glass is fitted with a golden brass coaster and gets a facelift.
It is sold as a set of 4 and is an excellent gift idea for the chai connoisseur. The traditional Matka (a vessel
traditionally used to store water and keep it cool) is rebirthed in a modern
avatar as a copper-cast-Matka coated with glazed terracotta. The same technique
is used for the Ikkis Matka Tiffin,
the Chai Surahi Kettle, and the original Kullar, too, which is recreated into
fine stemware. The unassertive brass Thali is turned into a work of Rajasthani
tantric art, with its enamelled coloured esoteric forms. Cast in polished
copper into a minimalist form, the Amrit Creamer Set is a modular cream and
sugar set. The cream flask sits perfectly over the sugar pot and its very
design turns high tea into an aesthetic ritual.
Apart from the Indian style tableware,
Ikkis also features a limited decor
series. A collaborative effort with Indian master crafters that takes artforms
from Orissa, Karnataka, and Rajasthan, to a global audience. The Kangan,
Shatranj, and Chuha collections from the limited collection are a signed and
numbered decorative series that is an ideal gift idea
for enthusiasts of traditional arts. Ikkis
calls itself a brand for modern 21st-century living, and its elegant
offerings bring absolute substance to this thought.
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