Spoon Rack

Chettinad (Tamil Nadu)

Wood

A decorative wooden spoon and ladle holder (agapai koodu) from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. The knotted spoon holder has a latticed design with diamond shaped cutouts to balance the utensils. The panel is crowned with a finial depicting a pair of symmetrical parrots.

Chettinad is an area situated near the temple town of Madurai, where are large number of ornate mansions were constructed in the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth century by the Nattukottai or Nagarathar Chettiars, a traditional merchant group of traders and financiers. The Chettiars made their fortune as traders and agents of credit in Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia during the nineteenth century and returned with their profits to India, where they began constructing the elaborate mansions to proclaim their position within society. By 1945, with the rise of Nationalism through South-east Asia and looming Indian independence, the Chettiars sold their foreign interests, and returned to India to try their luck in business. As a result many of the families established new residences across the country, leaving many of their ancestral properties unused. Consequently by the 1960s and 70s, many of the Chettinad mansions, unable to raise sufficient funds for repairs, fell into decay. Many of the mansions were sold or dismantled as a result.

Size (cms): 71(H) x 16.5(W) x 12(D)
Size (inches): 28(H) x 6.5(W) x 4.5(D)