The entrance to the living room of her home at Bishal Nagar proudly holds the portrait of her grandparents and accompanying it is a life-size mirror with an antique glass frame hung on the adjacent wall. Both are the objects of inheritance but exceptional pieces of antique which she claims to be an avid collector of.[break]
“I think my love for antique objects and designs developed as I grew up surrounded by them,” says Singh. However, she feels fortunate that her husband turned out to be equally interested in antiques. They had also dealt with antiques and sold a Louis XV cabinet and a few paintings. “But antique is a difficult business, as most people would not understand its value and for them, the objects will be overpriced,” she shares her experience.
She has now resorted only to personal collection. She has no plans of exhibition or sale anytime soon in future. She adds that she feels proud of being the owner of such valuable and beautiful objects.
“These hold great meanings for me,” says the antique collector. Apart from the emotional attachment she has for the inherited objets d’art, she equally prides herself on the ones she has bought as they are unique and are not easily obtainable.
Paintings have been her newest interest in the list of collection. Shashikala Tiwari’s paintings are on her wish list for now which she is sure will be fulfilled very soon. But her diversion to paintings has not decreased her love for other antique objects. She not only wants to acquire more of those objects but wants to explore them more. “I want to study art, maybe do a course,” says the mother of two.
She believes that interest solely cannot fill in for the collection of art or antique. “The aesthetic value is as much important, but if you don’t understand its art, you can’t be connected to your collection,” opines Singh.
Grandparents’ portrait
Painted by General Samer Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, her grandparents’ portrait with a golden frame is one of the finest in her collection. “Rana families used to get their paintings done in England but this was one done by a native, and that appeals to me more,” Singh says. She adds that she would like to have a painting of her family in a similar way but she doubts that it will come out as beautifully as her grandparents’.
Console tables
Fitted perfectly at either side of her dining hall, these console tables were also inherited by her from her grandparents. The rosewood legs bearing Italian marble gives a brilliant ambience to the room. The mirror above the table adds to the opulence of the table. “It’s above six feet, quite large for a console table,’ she says.
Porcelain collection
The popular Meissen and Dresden porcelain statues find their space on a wide table in Singh’s abode. The German figures are a rare decorative collection.
Marble statue
The Victorian marble statue of a woman sits admirably in the center of the drawing room. The bust was also inherited by Singh from her ancestors.
French clock
Another inheritance, the clock sits proudly on the living room table. Intricately carved around two angels and a firm stand, the clock features Roman numbers on its body. The antique design is one of a piece and serves as decoratively as much as a clock.
Piano
Sitting quietly below the staircase of the living room, the Knake Muster i/W piano has become more of a decorative appointment than a musical instrument in recent days, says Singh. “My mother used to own this,” she says. She adds that she has an emotional attachment to the instrument as her mother learnt to play piano from the same instrument and she reminisces the days when her mother used to play. “I wish my mother played it but she hasn’t stroked the keyboard for a long while,” she shares.
Crystal chandelier
She purchased the chandelier some 25 years ago from an antique dealer. It stands tall as a décor by the piano. The intact crystal design bears antique patterns and elegance sweet to the eyes.
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