By Sara Chan | Sep 17, 2009
A Mosaic of Indian Heritage
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| “I first met my wife when she was my customer in Bombay. She bought antiques from me and now that she’s married to me, she owns them all!” jokes Mr Moorthy. |
Conveniently along the main road of Jalan Maarof, Bangsar and directly in front of Bangsar Shopping Complex lies Colonial Mosaics, a little gallery with an antique Indian heart. Featuring antique furniture and collectibles from the Indo-Portuguese, Dutch and British Colonial eras, Mr and Mrs Moorthy have been in the antique business for over 30 years. The name "Colonial Mosaics" was derived from the notion that the showroom would display a mish mash of the colonial paraphernalia found in their birth country of India. Most of their antique collection date back to the late 18th or 19th century.
The antique business is not what Mr Moorthy had in mind for a career. Descended from a family of furniture makers, he started admiring and collecting antiques as a personal hobby. It was only when he could no longer house the precious pieces without knocking something over that he decided to place them up for sale to a good owner. Placing a tiny advertorial in the Indian newspaper, he received numerous enquiries for the pieces even after they were sold. Since then, he has been collecting, restoring the pieces expertly and selling them internationally to the United States, United Kingdom and countries in Europe. Antiques are not the only thing Mr Moorthy acquired over the years. “I first met my wife when she was my customer in Bombay. She bought antiques from me and now that she’s married to me, she owns them all!” he jokes.
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| “Each box and chest was made for their individual owners in the olden days where they kept their money, jewellery, letters and personal items” says Mr Moorthy. |
Guided By Fate
Establishing a shop in Malaysia wasn’t exactly part of the plan either. After spending a holiday in Malaysia, the Moorthys were so in love with the country that they thought of a way to make their visit a little more permanent. Now open in Kuala Lumpur for 4 years, their clientele includes a number of prominent figures such as Raja Datuk Kamarul Bahrin and Tan Sri Dato’ Lim Kok Wing. “Antiques from India are different compared to other Asian antiques because a lot of the time, they are handmade to suit the personalities of the people who use them” says Mr Moorthy when asked about his attraction to colonial antiques from India.
“One of the most difficult things to do for this business in Malaysia is to get people to appreciate the value of the antique pieces” says Marion who has been working with the Moorthys for over a year. He added that many people often find it difficult to justify the price paid for the item. “They do not understand that when an antique piece has been restored expertly, it will almost last forever”.
Mr Moorthy’s favourite antiques in his collection are the boxes and chests. “Each box and chest was made for their individual owners in the olden days where they kept their money, jewellery, letters and personal items”, he elaborates. Chests and boxes required a lot of imagination by its maker; producing beautiful inlays using a myriad of materials such as mother of pearl, brass, silver, ivory and various exotic woods. It is the most varied form of furniture, combining many different styles in crafting the boxes and chests.
Today, the Moorthys travel back to India occasionally to discover more antique pieces and to keep an eye on their team of 60 expertly trained employees specialising in various aspects of antique restoration. The restorative process of an antique can vary depending on its condition, requiring expert handling and care in carpentry, polishing, rattan work and upholstery. “An antique’s value hinges on proper restoration” says Marion, who has learnt to appreciate the beauty and story behind each individual piece. “My favourite piece is the Partners Desk in our gallery. It is a unique desk that allows two people to work facing each other on the same desk, and it captivates me when I start to imagine who sat on this desk; whether they were British colonels or some high-ranking officer in the military”.
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Colonial Mosaics
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603 – 03-20954190 / 20954196 |
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c-mosaic@streamyx.com |
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182, Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, Opposite Bangsar Shopping Complex, 59000 Kuala Lumpur
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