OBJECTS OF EARTH & HAND
We live surrounded by things. Yet so few objects hold us in return.
Most are passive — background actors in our lives. But some?
Some objects have presence.
Presence isn’t about beauty alone.
It’s about relational value—how an object draws us into deeper connection:
→ With the hands that shaped it.
→ With the land that birthed its materials.
→ With the moments we invite it to witness.
These objects don’t shout. They ground. They turn rituals into reverence, and utility into connection.
Like these, born from ancient landscapes and human hands.
The Doon Kul Keeper Vase
Where Wood Holds Time
In Srinagar, fallen Doon Kul walnut trees become vessels guarding more than blooms. They keep alive a 600-year dialogue between chisel and wood. A vessel of continuity:
→ Its grain air-dried by 12 months of mountain wind.
→ Its raw edges honor the human hand—flaws retained as marks of its journey.
→ Its etched Chinar leaves map rivers, borders, resilience—love letters to Kashmir.
Feel grain deepened like memory. Hold wildflowers.
The Khasi Ember Plate
Where Women Shape Earth
From Meghalaya’s women artisans—guardians of standing pottery—comes clay coaxed into form without wheels. Fired in open bhatti kilns, baptized in Sohlia bark, its surface tells of fire’s dance with forest.
This platter carries matrilineal wisdom:
→ Colored by forest alchemy—Sohlia bark gifting russet, charcoal, smoke.
→ Shaped standing, dried under mountain sun.
Serve warmth on forest-stained clay.
The Monumental Cake Stand:
Ancient Stone, Hand-Carved Grace
Carved from Makrana Marble—the Taj Mahal’s stone—this stand holds 400 million years of resilience. Unsealed. Unapologetically weighty. A monument to steady grace.
- Cool stone naturally chills cheesecakes and cheese boards.
- Candlelight gives it an ethereal glow, turning dessert into ceremony.
- Its substantial helf (9.3 lbs) holds towering cakes without wobbling - won’t shift when guests reach for slices.
Slice sweetness on cool, eternal stone.
The Quiet Power of Objects with Presence
These pieces share a thread:
- They command stillness—never merely occupy space
- They transform use into ritual (arranging flowers, sharing food, nurturing connection).
- They carry the imprint of origin — walnut’s memory, women’s standing labor, marble’s ancient weight.
This is the opposite of clutter.
Clutter distracts. Presence returns you to yourself.