The history of Indian damchiya

The Damchiya, "dowry chest" also in English, which I can roughly translate as "dowry chest" is a traditional Indian piece of furniture that the bride brought to her in-laws after her union, and which therefore contains her dowry. I will try to tell you in this article a little of the history behind these unique handmade pieces. 

Usage

The damchiya was made at the request of the bride's family in preparation for the wedding. It contains the dowry, which is therefore all of the property that the bride or the bride's family gives to her husband during the marriage. It is a practice still widespread in India, although officially prohibited.

Traditionally, the dowry could consist of money, but also of valuable textiles such as silk saris, or gold or silver jewelry, or even brass pots. Nowadays, the dowry can very well take the form of the gift of a washing machine, or even a car!

After the wedding, once the bride had moved into her in-laws' house, the damchiya was often placed in the bedroom of the new spouses, as a discreet reminder of the new arrival in the home. It was then used as a storage space for bed linen or clothes. 

Manufacturing

They are made of solid wood, with exotic wood species easily available in India, such as teak (sagwan in Hindi) or rosewood (sheesham in Hindi ).

Most damchiyas contain one or more compartments, sometimes even including a back door intended to keep more valuable items, such as jewelry or money, out of sight. Some hiding places are even difficult to find! It has happened that our suppliers, after having bought the damchiyas themselves from individuals, found gold or particularly well-hidden jewelry in these hiding places. 

Decoration

In terms of decoration, most damchiyas are entirely sculpted. the style differs depending on the region of origin, South India, Gujarat, Rajasthan or even northern India like Himachal. Some have bas-reliefs of tribal women on the sides carrying a jar of water on their heads. Often, we also find stylized horse heads at the corners. Rusty metal plates are also often present, as well as small mirrors no larger than an inch, most of which eventually become detached and missing.

Blue is a sought-after color in India, and there are many damchiyas that are painted blue, or other bright colors, such as green or red. As these pieces are quite old, often around a hundred years old, the paint has faded and the wood has aged. To satisfy Western demand however, most damchiyas are sanded, and some are bleached to achieve that light color that is so trendy at the moment.

The damchiyas of Orpaï

At Orpaï Studio, our damchiyas are original pieces, not new replicas that have been given the appearance of the old ones. This is why the marks of time are often visible on our furniture, because we have chosen to voluntarily preserve them to maintain an authentic appearance. The furniture was cleaned, sometimes repaired, then polished. I selected them, then brought them back to France so that I could offer them to you here. Their ethnic style will immediately warm up the room. These are unique pieces that will bring originality to your interior. These pieces of furniture tell a story, and like any quality old piece of furniture, they can be passed down, whether to your family or to their new owners, many times, I hope!

This article is open to modification. I would be happy to chat with you if you have further knowledge regarding damchiyas!