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AN AESTHETE'S VISION (15-16 MARCH 2016) : ABOUT THE AUCTION

Mahendra Doshi: Master Restorer

“Mahendra Doshi was perhaps one of the most important antique dealers India has ever had.” This opinion, offered by columnist Gaurav Bhatia in Architectural Digest magazine, was one echoed by many who interviewed, met, and knew the master restorer of antique furniture. With his extraordinary eye for “turning old into gold” (Dhanishta Shah, “Old Stuff in New Places”, The Address, Times of India, 11 November 2012), Mahendra Doshi – or “Mahendrabhai” – as he was often called, had built a stellar reputation for transforming a badly damaged piece of furniture into a work of art.

It was more than that, however, as those who knew him can attest. Doshi was a risk-taker, and his gambles almost never failed. In the same Architectural Digest interview, nephew Anand ‘Chiki’ Doshi recalls his uncle taking him on an expedition to Chor Bazaar in Mumbai, where he bought old, broken down pieces of wood from a dealer for an exorbitant sum. What emerged out of them once Mahendra Doshi had worked on them, was a beautiful jackwood and ebony Dutch bureau cabinet, standing tall at 100 inches.



“Once he was presented with something, it was a veritable game of ‘hide and seek’. The furniture did its best to disguise itself; however Mahendra Doshi looked right into the heart of the piece, captured it and blew life into [it].” (Relin H, “A Tribute to Mahendra Doshi”, The Inside Track, 15 July 2010, p. 12)

Mahendra Doshi was born in Rajkot in 1943, where he was surrounded by 19th century antiques and objets d’art in his grandfather’s colonial bungalow. Growing up, he considered these pieces as his “subliminal orientation”. (Gaurav Bhatia, “A Cabinet of Curiosities”, Architectural Digest, May-June 2013, p. 120) In the 1960s, Doshi’s family moved to Mumbai where his father started a construction business. A decade later, Doshi joined him. It was during this time, in the mid-1970s on a construction site visit, that Doshi saw a French-style Lady Petit bungalow in the affluent Breach Candy locality of Mumbai being demolished. “Something called out to him as he saw beautiful Baccarat chandeliers, a large billiard table with ivory balls, a mini theatre with fabulous Chinese embroidery-work curtains being ripped apart and sold to the jari puranawallas (junk dealers).” (Bhatia, p. 120) As someone who loved antique furniture, he felt the need to intervene. From the ruins of this house, he rescued a sculpture of the Roman God Neptune. And thus began, Mahendra Doshi’s first step into the world of restoration.





From there on, Doshi made frequent trips to Chor Bazaar, salvaging neglected, dusty and broken down pieces of period furniture. He often approached dealers and asked them to go to different parts of the country and recover hidden treasures of furniture for him. Over time, Doshi built a strong network of antique dealers, that today “spans from West Bengal to Gujarat and Goa to Kerala”. (Roshni Nair, “From Here to Antiquity”, DNA India, 28 September 2014, online)

Doshi’s first foray into restoration began with his own house. In Chor Bazaar, he had discovered a plethora of old, rejected furniture for his new apartment, which he hired a small team of carpenters, led by one Karsanbhai, to repair. “Once his flat was ready, Mahendrabhai realized, much to his chagrin, that it was too small to house his painstakingly restored treasures. He placed a small ad in the papers about antique restored furniture for sale, and the response was overwhelming. ... Soon, his wavering interest in the family’s construction business led him to do small projects for friends. It was Karsanbhai who then encouraged Mahendrabhai to make it a full-fledged business, a fact that Mahendrabhai has always credited him for.” (Bhatia, pp. 120, 122)



Doshi and Karsanbhai’s partnership lasted 35 years, during which the latter became Doshi’s right hand man and head carpenter. “Together, they set new standards of craftsmanship in the antique furniture business.” (Relin H, p. 12)

Doshi’s second successful break came in 1979, while he was still working for his father on a seven storied building in Gamdevi area of Mumbai. Once again, he had acquired and restored a large collection of furniture. Before handing over possession of the building, he decorated every floor of it with pieces from his collection. This was his first exhibition of sorts, to reintroduce the concept of antique furniture to the market. Initially unhappy with his son’s passion for what was otherwise considered junk, Doshi’s father changed his opinion at the opening of the exhibition. “When he saw the crème de la crème flocked to grab these beautifully restored pieces, he apologized for all his taunts and criticism, giving birth, with that gesture, to the many stories of a bespectacled little man who carved his own niche in the architectural and design history of India.” (Bhatia, p. 122)



“Be it original antique furniture, restored art deco, colonial or traditional Indian treasures found in little crooks, Mahendrabhai soon became the last word in antiques, restored period furniture and high-quality reproductions.” (Bhatia, p. 122) Doshi was no mere vendor; he created relationships with his clients, lending them his experience and expertise. “Sharing his time and knowledge with them, he did more than just restore antiques, he created connoisseurs.” (Relin H, p. 12) Chiki Doshi, who considered Doshi his mentor, has said, “Mahendrabhai didn’t sell furniture, he sold stories. It was part of the clients’ experience and they loved it, getting lost in a fairytale. He knew every piece he sourced and the story behind it.” (Bhatia, p. 120)

Doshi passed away in 2010. In his time, he established the House of Mahendra Doshi in 1974, which now has two branches in Walkeshwar and Wadala in Mumbai, filled with exquisite period furniture and decor. His legacy is carried on by his cousin Anand Gandhi, and nephews Chiki and Asim Doshi.

“Mahendra Doshi was a teacher, a friend and an institution in himself who has shared his knowledge not only in the field of antique furniture but also on how to be better human beings. According to Chiki Doshi, the legacy he has left behind will always be carried out with panache and passion, just as he wished.” (Relin H, p. 12)

The lots in this sale are from his collection and carry forward his legacy. See the auction catalogue to browse through the lots.


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