"This kolambi (spittoon) could be as old as my grandmother; I remember seeing it at my ancestral home," one man said.
"No, this antique is even older; my great-grandmother had a similar one," replied the other.
The two middle-aged men continued their guessing game to determine the age of the kolambi, neither claiming a definite victory.
While this venue filled with immortal antiques may not have been as quixotic as Stephen Hawking's cocktail party for time travelers, it was alive with playful chatter and anecdotes from the past.
Curated by Wilson Vengayil - Willi's Dream World - it primarily featured antiques from Kerala and beyond. This event held recently in Chennai as part of 'Malayali Margazhi Maholsavam' by Asan Memorial School celebrated the rich history and traditions of Kerala.
“Everything is truly magical in this exhibition. It takes me back to the time when I grew up in Kerala,” said Gopalakrishnan, who is from Palakkad and has been settled in Chennai for several years now.
Forty-seven-year old Wilson, affectionately called Willi, clad in a traditional Kerala mundu and white shirt stood at the entrance of the tent as he welcomed visitors to his dream world. Hailing from Koodallor village in Kottayam district of Kerala, Wilson is the quintessential everyman —approachable and always up for a friendly chat.
Upon entering this dream world, visitors are instantly greeted by the ghosts surrounding the antiques of a bygone era. Much like the Grecian Urn described by poet John Keats, these timeless pieces tell the tale of the cultural practices and narratives of the past. Perhaps, the kolambi is representative of this.
The kolambi is a bronze spittoon traditionally used in Kerala for spitting chewed tobacco and betel. More than just a relic of the past, the kolambi also gives a glimpse of the complex socio-political history of Kerala.
"Back in the days, a person would be hired just to walk behind the aristocrats with this kolambi," explained Philip John, one of the visitors. This practice underscores how the kolambi was intertwined with class and social hierarchies.
Apart from different types of kolambi of various shapes and sizes, Wilson also has a collection of different types of vilaku (lamp) such as eratta vilaku ( two-tier lamp), mannenna vilakku (kerosene lamp), vanjivilakku, madambi vilakku; agricultural tools; weighing machines; different types of telephones of which a transparent landline phone particularly stood out; election ballot boxes used in the early election days; British canon; British, Malayalam, Braille typewriters -- some with keys old, worn and stuck...
Antique collector Wilson owns a provision store back home and this presents him with an opportunity to meet and connect with a lot of people. Often he encounters people who are interested in antiques and willing to gift or sell him one.
"I often receive these antiques as gifts or I will personally go to the homes of people I know and ask them if they like to contribute," said Wilson.
This, he quotes, is the best way to collect antiques as purchasing through dealers always carries the risk of deception.
Antiques can also be acquired through WhatsApp groups and societies that frequently conduct auctions. However, Wilson views this as an option reserved for wealthy participants as auctions often involve higher priced items and competitive bidding.
History behind the antiques
Wilson's usual visitors are typically individuals aged 30 to 50, and most of them express familiarity with the antiques.
Philip John, who spoke of the kolambi, expressed his fascination with the thadi vaalu displayed at the event too.
"Back in the day, we used to say that the livelihood of four families depended on thadi vaalu," he recalled.
As the name suggests, this giant vaalu is used for cutting wood and requires significant manpower; four people would take turns using it, and so it was believed to be supporting four families in the process.
Philip was also quick to notice a giant bronze lunch box with several tiers displayed on the stand, breaking into another story about how those who used thadi vaalu were often regarded as people who also consumed the most rice or ate the most due to their physically demanding work. He then pointed to a slightly smaller bronze lunchbox and explained how women labourers typically ate from it.
Gopalakrishnan and Indira, the couple from Palakkad spoke about the brilliance of the exhibition and how the pakida grabbed their attention. Pakida is a game of dice, usually played by two players, involving strategic movement similar to a chessboard.
"Some of the antiques are new to me; while some such as aavana palaka and chilambu are familiar to me," said Indira. Aavana palaka is a wooden platform to place idols, while chilambu is an anklet worn by dancers.
Edakoodam is another antique piece which caught several eyes. It is an intricate wooden puzzle consisting of interlocking wooden sticks. The challenge for players is to disassemble and then reassemble the toy, which can be quite difficult due to its complex design.
"Edakoodam is extremely difficult to arrange; I had a 4 x 4 back home but I haven't succeeded in putting it together," said Wilson’s 17-year-old son Edwin Wilson as he spoke about his father's unique antique piece.
Edwin, like his father, is interested in collecting antiques and is a proud owner of coins and currencies from 250 countries.
Everything started with a 'Malaysia's 20 ringgit' coin
Although Wilson spoke out his mind about his antique collection, one might be quick to notice that his real affection lies in his coin collection. He has a collection of around 3000 coins and 2000 different currencies.
"I have a coin collection of coins from around 400 countries and a currency collection from more than 220 countries, which obviously include the dead countries," said Wilson.
Dead countries are nations that no longer exist as recognized sovereign states.
"This whole pursuit of collecting antiques started with me finding Malaysia's 20 ringgit coin on my mother’s table," recounted Wilson.
He spoke about how his father's cousin was a nurse in Malaysia and accidentally left the Malaysian coin on his mother's table. This incident, which took place around 35 years ago, sparked his interest in coin collection. Coins remain his personal favourite and he also finds it easy to maintain, carry around and display.
Wilson's unique collection includes Russia's 500 ruble, Bamboo coins from China, Zimbabwe's 100 Trillion - which is the largest denomination in the world and bullet coins of Nepal made from bullet casings, among others.
According to Wilson, the endeavor of coin collecting is easier now compared to 30 years ago, primarily because of the extensive Malayalee network one can tap into across the world.
A dreamer who knows where to draw the line
"Anyone who collects antiques will agree with me that there is a tendency among people to call us madmen," said Wilson.
Wilson remembered how his initial collection of 50 coins boosted his confidence. However, having just 50 coins made him feel smaller In comparison to other collectors, who boasted huge coin collections. He spoke about how that feeling later helped him build his collection.
"I noticed that people often got bored of coins; however, other antiques easily caught their attention," said Wilson.
He wanted to offer something for everyone and it drove him to start an antique collection eight years ago.
Wilson's first exhibition in his village in 2019 was well received and he quoted this as a motivational factor which helped him move forward.
Wilson believes he has a long way to go in his journey of collecting antiques.
"Although I don't see myself buying antiques, I will keep searching for people who are willing to contribute to my collection," he said.
He admitted that convincing people to donate has always been a challenge and people often turn a blind eye when he asks for antique pieces. He stated that his top priority has always been to provide for his family and he can't afford to make expensive purchases.
"I will keep asking people, that's the least I can do; whatever is meant for me will reach me," he said, as we took leave of him.
