If an Englishman’s home is his castle, an Indian’s is his vault. Not just of precious belongings, like jewellery or currency but more so ofmemories.

Our stories, tell of India’s love of storing all things special.

SANDOOK: Before the arrival of cupboards and suitcases, we existed as wooden chests, to store household items.

Our name comes from the Arabic ‘sanduq’ meaning savings box. As Indian chests, we were an important export item, much sought after along the Arab trade route – from the Persian Gulf to Zanzibar and Mombassa, along the east coast of Africa. We were were bought by wealthy merchants and regular seamen alike, and were understood as status symbols in the Arab community. We were varyingly used as travelling trunks, jewellery strongboxes and dowry chests.

One could read regional, cultural and religious influences into our design forms, since styles differed greatly depending on where and when the chest was produced. Constantly adapting to changing tastes and time, we served as practical furniture for many centuries. Every Indian home, elite and humble, once featured pataras (iron-clad, wheeled variety), chests and boxes of different sizes, storing everything from utensils and mattresses to heirloom drapes andintimate memories.

By the 19th century, metal safes began to replace wooden chests. These were meant to be tougher, more durable and fireproof. The needs of the trade economy in Europe fuelled this development wherein better security systems became crucial to store personal wealth.

Today, we have found renewed expression in a cleverly designed bio-metric safe for everyday valuables.