& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

When Decors andCollections Speak of Roots

by Fayza Haq
IF the world seems to be going berserk and you have nowhere else to tra-nquiltsc yourself . you have lust to visit Captain Himayatuddin Chowdhury and his gentle, graceful sophisticated wife, Shefa. at their house at 8/A Dhanmandt. You might envisage that you have come for a tour of a European home, or Somewhere in in the peaceful . environment of Darjeeling or ‘'even the tranquil homes in Sylhet — and you are no longer in a Subcontinental cosmopolitan city.
As you cross the path to the house, where dwell a family of four — the elder son having been married and now staying elsewhere, as is natural and consequential — you come to the landing of a unique house.
"I am a sailor by profession,
I went to sea when 1 was about 15. trained at Dufferin in 1946, completed my course the in 1948, and joined a Brl fish India steam ship company bf the PNO group. While I was at sea I collected a few ships parts such as sextants, compasses. The ones you see In the landing have been collected from and junk yard in Narayanganj," Captain Chowdhury explains.
As you progress to the drawing room you are taken aback by the magnificent black Shields, exhibited in a sophis-' ticated and subtle manner. They are decorated with brass
with windmills and other pat terns of Netherlands origin.
In a shelf, opposite to where the rhinoceros shields arc displayed, is a magnificent wooden show-case, containing interesting souvenirs and which are collector's items, of even 2,000 B.C. There is a piece , a fragment of ochre and
■designs. They arc of pure rhfnocerous hide, and were presented lo his "dad' , while his father was posted in Assam. at the beginning of this century.
There is then the black shelf, which once belonged to his father, not far from the shields, on the adjacent wall. This has a with floral designs on It. It once belonged to his fethcr. Captain Chowdhury has limited notions of Its origin. On them are displayed, al the bottom shelf, a gold dish, presented by his daughter in-law, $amlna, who is a descendant of Begum Rokeya Sultana. The -Other Dutch .items, once be-Ibnglng Lo his father, are obviously Dutch as you see from ;the shape, size and design.
black pottery, given to Captain Chowdhury by the Bangladesh Ambassador to China, Mr. Shafi Sami. Dating back to George V and Edward VI, are medals which belonged to hts father who resigned around '42 as a senior civil servant a commissioner in Assam during the British regime.
There is also a jug. which Captain Chowdhury collected from Nepal, and which could serve either as a tea-pot or a coffee-pot. It is of copper and is designed with the conventional brass dragon patters.
Near the shelf, adjacent to the entrance door of the draw ing room is a wheel. "It must be at least 150 years old because solid brass is very expensive." Captain Chowdhury
elaborated on a container which is close to the wheel. This too, 1 inherited from my father." the captain comments. They were used by the tea-garden officers to chill their drinks, during the British days.
At a corner of the same living room is a delicately designed but firmly made black shelf, which matches perfectly with the decor of the solon. Despite the apparent fragility of the shelf, heavy metal objects are displays, which are again collector's Items. There is the sextant on the top shelf; there is then a ship's trt-com-pass to navigate the ship. There is too a beautifully preserved ship's clock.
"As for the sextant you lake the position of the sun with. The time that you lake a record the position of the sun Is exactly noted- If you are out by four seconds then the ship s position wtH be out by a mile.; You have to be exact and accurate." Captain Chowdhury says. You next see a barometer. This Is used for atmospheric pressure," the sea captain explained to me in his soothing voice, quite unlike that of any of the versions of Captain Bligh of "The Mutiny on the Bounty." You can then calculate when a storm is coming." he elaborated further.
The "hookah" which you see close at hand belonged to Captain Chowdhury's grandfather, as he Informed you. The base is made of crystal and the 'chUjum' is cup is of pure sil-verf Nearby, Is also displayed five Japanese god figurines.
The set originally contained seven pieces. Displayed care fully at the back is the photo of Karina, the captains grand daughter Hung tn the middle of the wall where you find the "hookah' and the god figurines. is the enlarged coloured photo of the captain's gorgeous daughter Tahtya, taken In a ship, when she was a child There Is also a lamp from Mozambique, chose at hand, which Is beautifully carved In a gorgeous style, recalling Roman sculpture. It depicts a lady playing a harp and which is of salmon-pink.
By the side of the lamps arc Buddhist statues, obtained from Gandhara, as recognised by the Graeco Roman features of the head pieces They collected from Pakistan. I had been there for a holiday." Captain Chowdhury says. Between two the sofas on the same side of the solon. Is a ship's lamp, of copper and brass. "It Is used when the ship Is at anchor and it is to guide your way," Captain Chowdhury elaborates.
Walking back to the showcase which holds the family's prized possessions, and which has been written about earlier In the article, you sec an ash tray and cigarette holder, pre sented by a Dutch ambassador, when he visited the "lord of Ihe manor,” when the said dignitary had taken a river cruise.
One of the shelves, In the same, room is made of black timber, collected by Captain Chowdhury' father. It bears the design of an angel with outspread wings. This would be al least a hundred years old." Captain Chowdhury informs y°uThe piece de resistance of the captain is an ivory dagger in the showcase "It had been presented to my father by Sir Michael Keane, who was then the governor of Assam. The handle of the sheathe is made of ivory.” Captain Chowdhury points out this is carefully arranged witH original Gandhara sculpture places from Pakistan. Captain Chowdhury's father's picture is displayed on top of the showcase, which contains the most precious items in the living room.
The salon has suave green and blue curtains and has a floral lacy screen, behind it, as is often seen in Europe. The comfortable fabric sofas have floral motifs with wooden hand rests. Yet another interesting piece in the living room is a brass sitting stool with geometrical patterns, with three elegant legs. Ship's anchor lamps ard noted al the entrance of the drawing room, as you sit and sip your tea on cof-
by the daughter, Tahtya. On the two sides are large exotic conch shells, which the cap-. tain had collected from Mau ratius Island.
Also placed tn the sale a manager, adjacent to the salon is a gourd. It has beautiful figurines carved in to it. It has a crescent room, a buffalo, a swan, various types of birds. It has geometrical patterns lo highlight the figurative work.
There is also a replica of famous statue of Napoleon's sister Pauline. It was bought when he visited Paris in 1963. Two elephants are tastefully placed along with It, which are from Colombo dating 52. More antiques in the sale a manger are the antique oil lamps, with"
been handed down lo him by his father. There are the old curry bowls, "One is of Dutch origin and the other one is Chinese.' Captain Chowdhury explains to you. The Dutch piece is royal-blue and white. The other is vermilion and has geometrical pattern on lop. It is coloured with red, blue and green colours. It contains Chinese scripts on II. It has white chrysanthemum in white. These are at least a hundred years old". Captain Chowdhury says. There 1s also a China Jug, which was used to kept in the toil in the old days,” he added.
In the dining-room is also a roast-dish with floral motifs. "It has grooves in it," the sea captain points out. "I have the history from a British lady Garret Copeland and the company. Spode New Fane, that made the dish and exist from 1832-1837”, he adds. In the center
of the wall of a side of the dining place are two ivory tusks with a silver base Theses too have been handed down lo me by my father”, the captain says There is also an old painting which he has collected In his sea going days II depicts a Eu ropean port and has a faded gold frame.
As the couple, captain and Shefa Chowdhury take you for a guided tour, you enter the daughter Tahiya s bed-room which is carefully curtained. This contains an an ancestral bed with a foot post, mosquito net posts, and a head piece. It Is carefully carved with geometrical patterns and floral motifs, and has been well preserved. It Is covered by a bedcover which I* a replica of a -Nakshikatha-
Captain Chowdhury is a descendant of Sulaiman Khan, a Pathan. who had been a army officer in 1,500 A.D. The captain can trace his roots for fifteen generations. He has manuscripts of his great grandfather who was a lawyer around 1850. This is his great grandfather's transfer letter In I’crsian, and Is signed by Mr. J. R. Collin, a judge tn Calcutta and is dated 1851. He has even the original regret letter from Nawab Sir Salimullah to his father's marriage.
As the finale for a visit of a family friend, you notice the magnificent bed that < aptain
and Shefa Chowdhury pomes. It resembles beds of royal ort gin, displayed at the Dhaka museums — which in turn — Impress you and your friends from oversea*. The head piece contains a heart pattern, with leaves and flowers. There are designs on the sides posts and begs Flower pots with large leaves spread out at headpiece Similarly, the rest of its "accoutrements' are graceful and chic
Aa the ftnalc for a visit of a family friend you notice the magnificent bed that captain and Shefa Chowdhury poors' It resembles beds of royal orl. gin. displayed at the Dhaka museums — which tn turn — Impress you and your friends from Overseas The head piece contains a heart pattern, with leaves and flowers.
As the finale for a visit of a family friend, you notice th< magnificent bed that captain and Shefa Chowdhury possess It resembles beds of royal orl gin, displayed at the Dhaka museums — which tn turn — Impress you and your friends from overseas. The head piece contains a heart paltern. with leaves and flowers. There are designs on the sides posts and begs. Flower pots with large leaves spread out at headpiece Similarly, the rest of Its 'accoutrements' are graceful and chic.
Such an interesting visit of a home, tucked in the city, serves as both a tranqulllscr and a pep pill for you when you maybe disenchanted with life.