Author Archives: Nisha

Strange things happen sometimes…

RainTree Carpets

On the 3rd day of the exhibition I didn’t get a chance to answer my phone and when I did check there were 9 missed calls! Oh no – someone was lost and I was going to need to get them to Raintree. Nothing could be worse. I have difficulty with spatial awareness, the kind that means if I have to drive anywhere my husband draws me a simple map which I have to turn in the direction of travel in order to read. (Like from London to the Mars office in Waltham in the UK –  for those who don’t know it’s straight up one road!) When I did return the call, I spoke to someone who was visiting from abroad and who had heard about us having ‘unusual things’ through an acquaintance. He came, he saw, he bought. Three gorgeous carpets – an Iranian Gabbeh, a northwest Persian

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The carpets from Morocco are here!

Moroccan Carpet

Unpacking has never been such fun. There is something very earthy about Moroccan carpets, which is possibly what attracts me to them generally, and especially those made by the Berber tribes from the Ait Ouaouzguite region in the High Atlas. Most of my collection are Tazenakhts – the carpet capital of this region – known for their interesting borders and stylized central motif. The new sheep wool ones are from Mrirt in the Middle Atlas. Enjoy!

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Never forget the e-sugam!

Moroccan Carpet

I knew this could happen so have been diligent about sending an e-sugam form to my vendors so there is no hassle when the goods enter Karnataka. I forgot to do this for my Uzbek ceramic consignment (yes the one I ordered in February finally arrived in December – at least it got here in the same year) being sent by the clearing agent in Delhi. My phone rang at 6:38am and I was told by a Sales Tax Officer that my goods had been ‘abandoned’ at the check post at the airport as the documents were incomplete. I needed to come with the invoice, e-sugam and pay a fine of 3 times the actual VAT. When I said that sounded absurd (I am not very articulate without my first cup of tea, but even in that state I thought 3 times was ‘extravagant’) he made it 1 times. I

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Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for 2012

I started out on something just a year ago based on asking ‘why not’ instead of ‘why’, and what a journey that has led me on. I have met many interesting people, learnt a lot about running a trading business, spent time understanding what is important to me and been humbled by the unwavering support of my family and friends. And today a service provider to the company I previously worked for said to me ‘In a world where people tend to be “ruthless” to get on, you manage by being the opposite and working on the goodwill that generates. There is hope in this world of ours.’ I don’t know if he knows it but he made my day. I hope someone makes your day special. Merry Christmas and best wishes for the year ahead.

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    A curated collection of rare and beautiful products from mystical lands and exotic bazaars on the ancient silk route and beyond.

    In desert souks and tribal villages; at ancient ruins and chance encounters; we've handpicked treasures that are authentic, exquisite and masterful. From gorgeous handmade carpets to striking objets d'art and fascinating tribal jewellery, each piece is a collectible with a story.

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