My Story

Vivek Singhania

VP Marketing & Ecommerce

I like to think my story begins in the early 20th century when my paternal grandfather ran a large furniture business in Calcutta (Kolkata), India. He would buy the finest Teak wood from Burma (Myanmar) and partner with Chinese artisans living in Nimtala Ghat to make the best furniture in the world. Later, during the bombing of Rangoon in World War II he had to escape from Burma overnight and return to his hometown of Shekhawati, Rajasthan.

Shekhawati is a large bustling town but also a gateway to Thar Desert since early 1600s.

The town was on the caravan trading route transporting silk, spices, and opium across Asia. This brought immense wealth to the town that traders spent on building large havelis (palaces) with beautiful fresco painted walls. As a kid when visiting my haveli, I would marvel at these beautiful walls painted with scenes from Hindu mythology or Mughal Period.

Growing up I was very fortunate that my parents loved to travel.

Twice a year we would pack our bags and leave for weeks to new locations. My favorite memories are visiting hill stations where I could be in awe of the majestic Himalayas at Darjeeling or just enjoy the sights and sounds as the train chugged through the Nilgiri mountains at Ooty. But one thing I loved most about all these travels were the local toys my parents would buy for me. We would always visit local bazaars where the street vendors would sell these beautiful and very functional hand-crafted toys like a wood-carved train or a brass etched canon. I still own some of these beautiful pieces.

As an adult I continued my passion for travel and love for finding beautiful and rare pieces. As a marketer, associated with large global companies such as Coca-Cola, Target and Rockwell, my work has allowed me to travel around the world. And during these trips I always carve out some time to visit local markets in search of hidden treasures. I cherish my collection ranging from the beautiful terracotta soldier statues from Xi’an, a sandalwood carved elephant from Mysore to a miniature canal house from Amsterdam.