Contrary to popular belief colonial furniture was started by\nPortuguese in the 1500s. When the Portuguese arrived at India they found that\nIndians did not have the tradition of \u2018elevated\u2019 furniture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indians dined and socialized while sitting cross-legged on\nthe floor, either on exquisitely woven carpets, dhurries or other floor\ncoverings. Furthermore, there was no infrastructure at that time to create\nfurniture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Portuguese then started importing furniture from their\nhomelands as they settled in. later, as they noticed that local artisans are\nskilled handicraftsmen they started manufacturing the furniture right here in\nour homeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Figure 1 Indo-Portuguese style dining table <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Indo-Portuguese\nFurniture style<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As you read earlier the Portuguese with the help of local\nartisans started manufacturing furniture in Goa. The Goan craftsmen created a\ndistinct style which is distinguished in the history of furniture. While the\nbasic shape of the furniture has a European origin, the motifs and decoration\nare often Indian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many Goan fruits such as Cashew and Churna can be seen\ndepicted in the design of the handmade antique furniture in Goa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The care and preservation\nof antique furniture:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Keep furniture out of the sun<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n UV rays are extremely damaging to all the antique furniture.\nPieces with a lovely clear finish will go yellow in direct sunlight. To avoid\nthis, it is best that you keep your curtains or shades closed to block out\nharmful rays of sunlight. The sun tends to dry out the wood and cause it to\ncrack and age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Keep furniture away\nfrom Air Cons or Heaters <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is best if you keep your antique furniture away from\nheaters, air vents, and air conditioners. High heat causes furniture glue to\nloosen. They also upset veneer, inlays, and the make-up of the piece.\nHumidifiers are the only beneficial thing for furniture as they keep the air at\neven temperature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although, too much moisture can cause the wood to expand and\ncontract which in turn affects the ease of movement of drawers and doors. It\nalso allows mold to start growing, rot to set in and insects appearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Watch out for\nInsects<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Upholstery made of materials such as horsehair on pieces of\nfurniture made from either wood or leather tends to make an ideal home for\npests and other insects, like termites and beetles. They make their way along\nthe grain of the wood and leave a trail of sawdust called Fras. Some types of\ninsects leave ugly exit holes. The sooner these pests are noticed, the sooner\nthey can be treated by an expert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for the upholstery itself, it can be damaged by small\nrodents when nesting. Obviously, you\nneed to eradicate these animals as quickly as possible before any great damage\nhas taken place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Popular Furniture\nWood<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Furniture woods like maple and cherry were extremely popular\naround the 18th and 19th centuries. To give them the appearance of mahogany\nthey were stained, as it was imported and more expensive, and more in demand\nthan light brown wood. Oil on the furniture will over time turn it black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. The truth about\nFurniture Oil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a fact a lot of you don\u2019t know\u2014wood doesn\u2019t dry out\ndue to lack of oil but due to lack of moisture. Keeping this antique furniture\nin the hot and dry attic is no longer a good idea. Using lots of furniture oil\non your antiques will eventually leave them covered in dirt and dust, although\nit may look good for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is the next best thing? Coat your furniture with\nfurniture wax or butcher\u2019s wax, both of which contain bee wax, that preserves\nthe wood and protects it from any lurking moisture. This layer will protect the\nfurniture and not leave a ring when a wet glass is placed upon it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We hope these tips will help protect your precious antique furniture. If you\u2019re in the market for some amazing fusion yet classy furniture head over to our gallery at Velha Goa<\/a> to discover some of the most unique products and d\u00e9cor for your lovely homes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Indo- Portuguese furniture is the enduring legacy of the creative collaboration between the east and the west. Some of us were lucky to have these pieces of historical artistry passed down to us, while some of us acquired it out of a passion for antique relics. Whatever may be the case, these pieces have probably…<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripnight.com%2Fpublic%2Fthumbs%2Fmonuments%2F4776%2FLluOvxsqIfV2_468_738.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripnight.com%2Fkerala-tourism%2Flite%2Fkochi%2Fdetail-about-indo-portuguese-museum&docid=7mQCZ7maruD6eM&tbnid=OoWGIuFgKS516M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwiu-bHA267jAhVDaCsKHcCPABAQMwh9KDQwNA..i&w=624&h=468&bih=507&biw=1227&q=indo%20portuguese%20furniture&ved=0ahUKEwiu-bHA267jAhVDaCsKHcCPABAQMwh9KDQwNA&iact=mrc&uact=8\")
Figure 2 Indo-Portuguese style – flowery design and geometric carving <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n