At the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), “Objects Through Time” encourages people to engage with five categories — Technology and Appliances, Utensils, Security, Seating and Surface Design. “Through storytelling, we’ve attempted to show everyday design,” says Thakur, adding, “For instance, for the longest time, we imagined that elevated seating came with the British. But our research showed how pedestals and asans were always around, even if it was a privilege of the royalty. Through coins and sculptures, we have shown spontaneous forms of seating.” Classic designs are edged by contemporary designers including Sandeep Sangaru’s bamboo chair, Sahil Bagga and Sarthak Sengupta’s Katran chair, Nikita Bhate’s Planters Chair, and Rooshad Shroff’s stainless steel chair.

“The primary purpose of any design is to fulfil a function. If it doesn’t do that, then the object is an indulgence and belongs to the realm of art. That distinction needs to be clear,” says Thakur. This belief belongs to the ancient Indian notion of sustainability, one of the eight “pillars of thought” in India’s history of design. Concepts such as these are presented in “Ideas Through Time”, the show at the Gallery Max Mueller Bhavan (MMB).

“Traditionally, before we made an object, we always considered whether it was really necessary. Even decoration is superfluous if it doesn’t serve a purpose; it needs to give rise to certain emotions or thoughts in the person looking at it,” says Thakur. She believes that designers, in India and abroad, must allow these values to guide their work.

But “Objects Through Time” does not provide the viewer with a cogent explanation of how these values are at work in the items on display. Between familiar objects such as transistor radios, hand-held embroidered fans and heavy iron trunks, the exhibition does little to encourage people to think about why these objects were designed in specific ways.

However, certain exhibits do offer intriguing insights, especially those that were not made in India; many have been modified, adapted or repurposed in our homes. For instance, the tiffin box, a British invention, came with two long spoons attached to its sides — hardly a utensil any Indian would have used at the time. The ceramic bharanis that now store memories and pickles were used during British India to transport sulphuric acid to industries. It was later appropriated to suit domestic use.