The history of Indian Damchiya

Damchiya, "Dowry Chest " Also in English, which I can roughly translate by "Dot 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 story behind these unique handmade pieces. 

Use

Damchiya was made at the request of the family of the future bride in anticipation of marriage. It contains the dowry, which is therefore all the goods that the bride or the family of the bride gives to her husband during the marriage. It is a still widespread practice in India, although officially prohibited.

Traditionally, the dowry could be made up of money, but also value textiles like silk saris, or gold or silver jewelry, or even brass pots. Nowadays, the dowry can very well materialize by the donation of a washing machine, or even a car!

After the marriage, once the bride has moved into the house of her in-laws, the Damchiya was often placed in the new spouses' room, as a discreet reminder of the new arrival in the home. It then served as a storage space for bed linen, or for 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, including sometimes even a stolen door intended to keep the looks of higher value, such as jewelry or money. Some hiding places are even difficult to find! It happened as well as our suppliers, after having bought the Damchiyas themselves to individuals, find in these hiding places or particularly well hidden jewelry. 

Decoration

Decoration level, most damchiyas are fully sculpted. The style differs according to the region of origin, Southern India, Gujarat, Rajasthan or even northern India as the Himachal. Some have bas-reliefs representing tribal women on the sides that carry a water jar on their heads. Often there are also stylized heads of horses at the angles. Rusty metal plates are also often present, as well as small mirrors not larger than a thumb, most of which end up detaching and missing.

Blue is a desired color in India, and there are a lot of damchiyas that are painted in blue, or other bright colors, such as green or red. As these pieces are quite old, often around a hundred years, painting has passed, aged wood. To meet Western demand, however, most damchiyas are sanded, and some are javelled to obtain this trendy light color at the moment.

Damchiyas of Orpai

At Orpaï Studio, our Damchiyas are original pieces, not new replicas to which the appearance of the old one would have given. This is why the brands of time are often visible on our furniture, because we have chosen to keep them voluntarily to keep an authentic appearance. The furniture was cleaned, sometimes repaired, then waxed. I selected them, then brought back to France in order to be able to 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 furniture tells a story, and like any quality old furniture, they can be transmitted, whether to your family or their new owners, many times I hope!

This article is open to modification. I would be delighted to chat with you if you have more knowledge of the Damchiyas!