British designer, artist, natural dyer and occasional pastry chef (going by his Instagram profile) Simon Marks has been working out of Jaipur for years now. But it was a chance meeting with Priyamvada Golcha just before the pandemic that has resulted in a tidy collection of tableware that Instagrammers and the kitchen proud are getting excited about. There are plates featuring hand-painted botanical motifs, inspired by the ‘De Materia Medica’, the Greek encyclopedia on herbal medicine.
There is a handsome white radish, a chilli plant, brinjals and melons, a timely reminder that Veganuary has begun, and you will do well to stock up on veggies. Golcha’s company, specialists in clay and particle technology, initially helped Marks with a kitchen tiles project. The duo found a creative rhythm and soon set up a pottery studio in an old glass factory in Jaipur. They named it Khanoom, after the Egyptian god Khnum, believed to have created humankind from clay.
Khanoom Jaipur’s ceramic works are made with Kaolin clay, sourced from Bikaner and they also make custom glazes. Each piece is biscuit-fired, dipped in a white glaze, and then hand-painted.
The glazes, they say, are lead-free and non-toxic. What caught our eye? For Christmas, Marks had interpreted the Twelve Days of Christmas carol on his plates, with an Indian twist.
The tableware is available via their Instagram page and Le Mill, the Mumbai luxe retailer. The Botanical plates are priced at ₹ 2865/ per piece + 12% GST.
