To make the breakfast table, lunch, and dining tables special for the G20, the heads of State and other world leaders will be served on silver and gold-plated utensils, showcasing glimpses of India’s rich culture and heritage.
According to Jaipur-based metalware firm IRIS, from high tea for breakfast in the morning to different style dishes for lunch and beautiful plates for dinner, baskets for bread and beautiful fruit baskets were prepared. Around 15,000 silverware have been crafted by over 200 artisans in around 50,000 man-hours.
This crockery has reached all the big hotels where foreign guests will stay so that all the guests will be served food in this silver crockery. Many artisans have worked hard day and night to create special utensils based on the theme “Fusion Elegance” of India’s “Unity in Diversity”.
Items are made with various themes like peacock, banana half leaf among others.
Designers Rajeev Pabuwal and Laksh Pabuwal of IRIS, who held a special preview of G20 tableware and decor at the India Habitat Centre, said that it was commissioned by various luxury hotels to design made-to-order tableware and silverware which will be used by foreign guests while staying at hotels and for lavish dinners and luncheons, which will be hosted for them.
Most tableware have steel or brass base or a mix of both with an elegant coating of silver, while some wares like plates that will carry glasses to be used for serving welcome drinks have gold plating, Laksh Pabuwal, owner of IRIS said. The firm is run by him and his father Rajeev Pabuwal.
Iris Jaipur said 50,000 man-hours have been spent on crafting these on which craftsmen from Jaipur, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and other parts of the country worked.
“Designs are characterised by meticulous detailing, beaded borders, and a fusion of semi-machined hand craftsmanship with contemporary casting techniques. The electroplated silver finish adds a touch of sophistication, aligning seamlessly with the grandeur of the event,” said Rajeev Pabuwal.
Meticulously curated tableware merchandise bridges tradition and modern aesthetics, becoming the crown jewel of the G20 Summit, said the company. The tableware and silverware designs are a nod to India’s rich heritage and its global prominence, Pabuwal said.
“The tableware and silverware depict the glorious cultural heritage of India, motifs of flowers, peacock, our national animal grace the plates, and other items. And, the silverware will dazzle the Heads of State with their cultural sparkle, and they will see it and exclaim wow,” he said.
“This is all silver-plated and silver is suppose to be more hygienic and were used by the Maharajas in the ancient times. India is very well with the culture even in the best of the best places of the world, these silver plating stuffs have been used. It’s an alloy made up of copper and different material,” Pabuwal said.
The tableware and silverware designs reflect India’s rich heritage and global prominence, according to the manufacturers.
“Earlier, we used to import goods from other countries but all these silverware which you can see has been designed and made in India itself. It is a really good effort to promote ‘Make in India’ and ‘Made in India’. We have created a fusion of semi-machined hand craftsmanship with contemporary casting techniques,” he added.
Pabuwal said special silverware has been crafted for keeping garland and other items which will be used for welcoming VVIP guests.
“There is a peacock as you can see here, motifs of flowers, peacock, our national animal grace the plates and especially banana leafs thali. Everything is highly silver-plated,” said Pabuwal, adding he has created silverware for various key events in the past as well.
