Important Notice

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2016
Recycled old Burma teak wood with natural PU polish, no added colour, cotton thread embroidery on all three panels
Height (each panel): 70.8 in (179.8 cm)
Width (each panel): 21 in (50.3 cm)


The following two lots were part of award-winning designer Rooshad Shroff's 2017 solo exhibition 15,556 - the title indicating the total number of labour hours spent in creating the unique collection. Handmade and custom designed, each individual piece from the collection - including the present lots - represents a seamless and sophisticated blend of traditional craft techniques and contemporary design.

By emphasising the importance of handmade production, Shroff highlights the complex personal relationship between the craft and the craftsman. "His decision to title the show by the labour-hours that the craftsmen have contributed... is an indication of this very clear, utilitarian relationship he holds with craftsmen, but as he narrates how he works, or he himself is physically involved in making pieces, you realise that the utilitarian relation holds a clear sense of experimental engagement and exchange - in the true sense of a workshop, a place of labour and experiment, and not a factory where things are only produced without much space for trial and error and keeping wastage to a minimum. The workshop is where wastage... is seen as labour-hours contributing to experimentation - stretching the limits of both the material and the skill sets, and in the process, allowing for ideation and design thinking.??? (Kaiwan Mehta, "Experiments and Arguments in Design," Rooshad Shroff : 15,556 :, Mumbai: Pundole???s, 2017)

Shroff's focus on reviving the legacy of traditional design goes beyond the conceptual, to include the medium as well. Abandoning the use of modern features such as metal fixtures, nails, and nuts and bolts, Shroff relies entirely on traditional wood joinery techniques, accentuated by design elements like embroidery and carving. By doing so, he draws attention to the form in a way that allows the technical aspect of the piece - such as the joinery - to become a fluid extension of the design itself. This even ensures that anyone can dismantle the furniture with careful ease.

The visual design is as practical as it is exquisite. The colourful pattern of radiating whorls and spirals-which, according to Shroff, was inspired by the cores of agates-is composed of finely detailed and complex cotton thread embroidery, and can be easily redone over time if required. Similarly, the use of recycled old Burma teak wood ensures endurance. "The wood, which could be about a century old, is seasoned, having weathered expansion and contraction. That way, the joinery won't be affected... I believe in slow production and certain things take time." (Shroff quoted in Benita Fernando "Rooshad Shroff To Host First Exhibition Of Handmade Furniture," mid-day.com, 11 June 2017, online)

2016
Recycled old Burma teak wood with natural PU polish, no added colour, cotton thread embroidery on all three panels
Height (each panel): 70.8 in (179.8 cm)
Width (each panel): 21 in (50.3 cm)


The following two lots were part of award-winning designer Rooshad Shroff's 2017 solo exhibition 15,556 - the title indicating the total number of labour hours spent in creating the unique collection. Handmade and custom designed, each individual piece from the collection - including the present lots - represents a seamless and sophisticated blend of traditional craft techniques and contemporary design.

By emphasising the importance of handmade production, Shroff highlights the complex personal relationship between the craft and the craftsman. "His decision to title the show by the labour-hours that the craftsmen have contributed... is an indication of this very clear, utilitarian relationship he holds with craftsmen, but as he narrates how he works, or he himself is physically involved in making pieces, you realise that the utilitarian relation holds a clear sense of experimental engagement and exchange - in the true sense of a workshop, a place of labour and experiment, and not a factory where things are only produced without much space for trial and error and keeping wastage to a minimum. The workshop is where wastage... is seen as labour-hours contributing to experimentation - stretching the limits of both the material and the skill sets, and in the process, allowing for ideation and design thinking.??? (Kaiwan Mehta, "Experiments and Arguments in Design," Rooshad Shroff : 15,556 :, Mumbai: Pundole???s, 2017)

Shroff's focus on reviving the legacy of traditional design goes beyond the conceptual, to include the medium as well. Abandoning the use of modern features such as metal fixtures, nails, and nuts and bolts, Shroff relies entirely on traditional wood joinery techniques, accentuated by design elements like embroidery and carving. By doing so, he draws attention to the form in a way that allows the technical aspect of the piece - such as the joinery - to become a fluid extension of the design itself. This even ensures that anyone can dismantle the furniture with careful ease.

The visual design is as practical as it is exquisite. The colourful pattern of radiating whorls and spirals-which, according to Shroff, was inspired by the cores of agates-is composed of finely detailed and complex cotton thread embroidery, and can be easily redone over time if required. Similarly, the use of recycled old Burma teak wood ensures endurance. "The wood, which could be about a century old, is seasoned, having weathered expansion and contraction. That way, the joinery won't be affected... I believe in slow production and certain things take time." (Shroff quoted in Benita Fernando "Rooshad Shroff To Host First Exhibition Of Handmade Furniture," mid-day.com, 11 June 2017, online)