Bring home some peonies

The pieces are sourced from local stores and exhibitions

Did you know that peonies symbolised prosperity, good fortune and love at first sight? Inspired undoubtedly by some of these attributes, college friends Sikkim-based Sangay Tashi and Mumbai-based Anahita Nair, set up their Instagram store, The House of Peony, for homeware made by craftsmen from the northeast. The challenges faced by artisans and businesses of the region during the pandemic led to the flowering of this initiative.

Tashi and Nair source porcelain products along with upholstery from Gangtok, Sikkim, and other small towns in West Bengal and the India-Bhutan border. They offer a range of ceramic items, which include noodle and soup bowls, dinner and snack plates, serving bowls, mugs with and without lids, tea sets, saucers, condiment pots, chopsticks and centre bowls.

The designs are influenced by Tibetan, Japanese and Chinese art, some bearing dragon and phoenix prints representing strength and good luck. "We never choose a design we are not aesthetically satisfied with ourselves. All our products are hand-picked by us after a thorough check of the design and quality. We choose items which could be used daily without much fuss. A USP of these products is that they are microwave-safe," says Nair.

Anahita Nair and Sangay Tashi

The House of Peony delivers across the country and packs their consignments in handwoven bamboo baskets sourced from weavers working in rural areas. These can be reused and help control waste, endorsing the duo's belief in sustainable consumption and living.

What: Homeware from the northeast
Where: @thehouse ofpeony, Instagram
For: Rs 500 and above