Travel_LeisureIndiaSouthAsia-January_2017

TRAVELTRAVEL ++ LEISURE LEISURE / JANUARY 2017 / JANUARY 2017 4341

COURTESY OF ANITA LAL(4); LIU KUANXIN/ALAMY(CENTRE)

O

ne can often catch Anita Lal

musing on designs she fi nds

during her travel expeditions,

the outcomes of which refl ect

beautifully on her product line:

Farah Baksh from the legacy

of Kashmir’s gardens and crafts,

Ratnakara from the cultural

infl uence of India on the islands

of the Indian Ocean, and

Samarqand from the legendary

crossroads of the Silk Route.

For Shambala, she set out to

discover the art and craft of the

following cities.

CORE POTTERY

Jingdezhen, also known as the

Porcelain City, is the heart of

China’s pottery region. It has

a history of over 1,700 years

in porcelain-making including

the famous blue-and-white

Ming pots. Today, pottery and

hand painting thrive in small

apartments in narrow alleys here.

Potters then send their products

to a community kiln for fi ring.

In Jingdezhen, Lal worked with

local artisans to create a line of

hand-painted blue and white jars,

platters, and bowls.

STAPLE HARVEST

In Beijing, Lal picked one of

the earliest Chinese weather

forecasting rituals for inspiration.

Here, the arrival of summer is

predicated by the fl owering of

the plum tree in early spring.

Not much later when the rains

arrive, the plum ripens over three

weeks, hence the term ‘plum rain.’

The golden clouds and fl owering

plum trees on her hand-painted

papier-mâché bowls and trays are

punctuated by real gold leaves.

PURE BROCADE

The Gyasar brocade from

Varanasi, a silk-weaving tradition

that connects India and China,

is derived from a silk fabric of

TEA TRAILS

The Chinese culture takes much

from nature. Visit Liu Xian Guan Tea

House (28 Guozijian St, Dongcheng

Qu; +86-10/8404-8539) for a

customary Chinese tea ceremony,

where you are served a range

of fragrant teas in tiny teapots

and miniature cups.

the Kinkhwab structure with

extra layers of warp threads.

This rich ceremonial brocade,

which typically comes in

metallic gold and silver, has

vivid imagery of dragons and

oversized flowers that are often

seen in Buddhist monasteries,

especially those in Ladakh and

Tibet. The signature Shambala

designs are derived from this

Gyasar weave.

–AS TOLD TO AROMA SAH ANANT

Clockwise from above:

Anita Lal, creative

director, Good Earth;

dinnerware from

Shambala collection;

Anita Lal has taken

inspiration from the

Silk Route for one of

her collections; Good

Earth’s Gyasar Brocade

cushions; an artisan

handpainting

on crockery.

Silk En Route

A trip through the Silk Route has inspired designer Anita Lal, creative

director, Good Earth, to create unique patterns for Shambala, a new collection

of home décor products for the brand.

Field Notes