“The auction room, as anyone knows, is an excellent medium for sustaining fictional price levels, because the public imagines that auction prices are necessarily real prices."
Last year Sotheby’s made a killing at their auction in London of a painting by Rabindra Nath Tagore that fetched £144,500, nearly ten times more than its pre sale estimate. This has hotted up the potential of art works of the Bengal school. Not many Nandlals and Tagores are in circulation, more so since the Government has allocated the National Treasure tag to these works that makes them non exportable. Christie’s, the 240 year old auction house is researching the art heritage of the state, with pointed focus on Tagore’s legacy. Dr Hugo K Weihe and Deepanjana D Klein of Christie’s visited Kolkota to bring to the forefront the rich legacy of the Bengal school. Hugo K Weihe was quoted to have said, “The English artists realised the richness that Kolkata harboured long back. They also perceived that the city enjoyed a market for art. Together with names like the Daniells and Zoffany, there were so many others who arrived here. There was always a great deal of artistic exchange here. The renowned Bauhs House Academy of Germany, which had legendary teachers like Kandinksy, held its first exhibition outside Germany in Kolkata in 1920.” Deepanjana D Klein revealed that the upcoming auction of Christie’s will have the works of such greats as Tagores, Abanindranath and Gaganendranth, Nandalal Bose and Jamini Roy.
The Hope diamond to get a makeover for golden anniversary
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History had received an unusual gift back in 1958, the fabled 45.52 carat, big, blue, Hope diamond, from the New York based jewelers Harry Winston. The priceless gem has been the super star of the museum and a huge draw for visitors who come to gawk at it and the other odd 10,000 gems. As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of owning Hope, Jeffrey Post, curator of gems at the National Museum said that they had decided that it might be exciting for the masses to see the Hope in a new setting. A team from Harry Winston went into overdrive to create a new, ‘improved’ look for this priceless rock and came up with three final options titled, Renewed Hope, A Journey of Hope and Embracing Hope. Harry Winston’s earliest jewelry designer, Maurice Galli, has designed the first two themes and Designer Rie Yatsuki created the third design, Renewed Hope. The final selection was to be made by public voting that went on till 7th September '09 and the newly set Hope will be revealed in the spring of 2010. After a while it will be returned to its original setting. For the creative minds, this is just the kind of inspiration for a new script on ‘stealing Hope’, another jewelry heist masala movie. To add to the excitement, this rock is also supposedly cursed and detrimental to the health of owners and all those who touch it.
The Hope Diamond was mined from the Kollur mines in Golconda near Hyderabad in India some 300 years ago. It was said to have weighed 112 3/16 carats, and is said to have been cut three times. It acquired its name after the family name of its owner,Henry Philip Hope, an English banker and gem collector, who put it up for sale.
Light bulbs banned in the European Union
No, not all. Only the 100 watt incandescent light bulbs, invented by Thomas Alva Edison some 130 years ago when there were no energy saving issues are the ones that have gone off the shelves since September 1st, a mere three weeks ago. Naturally, now everyone there wants to own one, along with the traditional lamp to go with it. The traders who had stocked up with the new fluorescent bulbs in view of the upcoming ban have to turn away disappointed customers. Simone Naujoks, a spokeswoman for the Max Bahr chain of hardware stores said, "It really is amazing. Sales of 100-watt bulbs in our Hamburg stores have gone up by 337 per cent." Besides the collectors value quotient there are some who have genuine reasons for preferring the old bulb. A man in his fifties complained, "My eyes are not as good as they used to be and I find these energy-saving lamps are useless for reading." Besides the 100 watt bulb, the others on the list are frosted glass incandescent bulbs, high- powered halogen lamps and low-efficiency fluorescents. The 75 watt and 60 watt incandescent bulbs will be phased out by 2012. It won’t be long before these rules are imposed here in India.
Darjeeling Station in Cornwall UK
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society (DHRS) based in UK celebrated the romance of the old steam engine in Cornwal’s Launceston station where the entire Darjeeling experience was recreated with Shehnai music over the PA system and Indian craft stalls. The event that took place over two days, August 19th – 20th, saw a healthy turn out of toy train and steam engine enthusiasts, who came to see the oldest surviving steam engine ‘No.19’. Built in 1889 by Sharp Stewart & Co, No.19 huffed and puffed along the Darjeeling hills until retirement, post which the Indian Government sold it to Hesston Steam Museum in the US in 1960. Subsequently in 2002, Adrian Shooter, MD of Chiltern Railways imported it to UK for his privately owned Beeches Light Railway. The old dowager of the Himalayan Railway will be in steam for a month. Nigel Bowman, MD, revealed that the collections from the large turnout of visitors would go towards alleviating poverty in the area. At the previous DHRS event, the rail station of Sukna in Siliguri was recreated.
The Mountain Railways of India showcase the 19th century technology. The Darjeeling Himalayan Rail and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway are on the World Heritage Site list, the latest being the Simla Kalka rail, which stops at the beautiful fairyland station Barog. The steam engines still haul the coaches around winding tracks and are a huge tourist attraction.
Super Car Club of India – for cars above 1cr tag only
The exclusive and elitist, ‘members only’, Super Car Club of India (SCI) was launched as a joint initiative by Bellset Entertainment and Autocar India, with car lover Gautam Singhania as one of its patrons. The measure of how much the man loves super cars came across clearly when he confessed in his launch speech that the mere ‘sight of a well designed and exotic car’ would guarantee a smile from him. The criteria for membership are stringent - car should have an engine over 400 BHP, cost more than a crore etc. Only owners of such brands as a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe, Audi R8, Porsche Caymen, BMW X-6, Bentley Continental GT and Nissan GTR.etc need apply. Membership fee is as yet undisclosed but already 30 applications were approved. With the cut off set at 30 members only, it is already house full I guess, and No Parking signs are already in place. The SCI would have to consider more members since most of the big brands have opened their showrooms here and are reporting record sales as against elsewhere in the world. The ‘who’s who’ of the luxury car owners has such predictable names as Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallya, Adar & Yohar Poonawlla, Sunny Dewan, John Abraham, Akshay Khilachand, Incidentally the web site of the SCI is not yet up and is still under construction. Come on fellas, take a break from buffing the bonnets and revving up the engines and focus on the information website.
Carbon Luxury on the 64 squares
The game of Chess is an indulgence in luxury itself; sitting still and strategizing the next few moves in silence, waging a bloody battle without blinking while nursing a drink, possibly even taking the game over to the next day. While all this could be achieved even on a simple chess board with plastic chessmen, more exotic versions in stone or wood with inlay details, gold or silver with richly carved ivory chessmen etc have enchanted many a lovers of the game. Giving the regular black and ivory squares a new technical edge is Dominik Scheurer, race car designer who has used carbon fiber to construct F1 cars. He has used the same technology as in making aerospace or motor sport objects for his new project ‘Carbon Luxury’ to create a handmade chessboard made of 100% carbon combined with epoxy resin.
The 520mmx520mmx50mm board has high quality steel feet, gilded with 24 carat gold and sterling silver, with chessmen made of carbon or stainless steel and coated with 24 carat gold. Lightweight, tough and beautiful, it can be had for a price of €8000.
Ismail Merchant’s art collection going under Christie’s hammer
The late Ismail Merchant, well known film producer was an avid collector of art and unusual furniture. Going under the hammer on 7th October is his collection of Indian and European paintings, furniture, works of art and a collection of Indian shawls, taken from his residences in London, New York and Paris. Also on sale would be Merchant Ivory memorabilia from films such as Howards End and Surviving Picasso.
The Mumbai-born film producer had a long association with James Ivory for their Merchant Ivory Productions, where they produced such memorable films such as A Room With a View, Bostonians, Shakespearewallah, as well as The Householder that he produced with Satyajit Ray. In his lifetime he won 6 Oscars and 6 BAFTAs along with the Padma Bhushan and received The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.
Bourbon anyone?
That’s an American whiskey. And if you have noticed that ‘e’, it is not a typo but the chosen way that the Irish and Americans decided to spell their spirits to tell it apart from those brewed in Scotland, Japan, Canada, India, Finland, Wales or anywhere else. This change in spelling was made around 1870, since at that time the Scottish distilleries flooded the market with poor quality, cheap spirits distilled from Coffey stills. To distinguish themselves from these whiskies, the Irish and Americans adopted the new spelling ‘whiskey’. Much has changed since then.
The whisky tradition in America was started by Irish and Scottish immigrants but slowly evolved to integrate the local influences and raw materials, resulting in an entirely new product. Essentially an American whiskey is a distilled beverage, made in USA from a fermented mash of cereal grain. The popular American whiskey types are Bourbon, Tennessee, Rye and Wheat, Corn and Straight whiskey. The identifying features of Bourbon are that it is made in USA, contains at least 51% corn, is stored for a minimum of two years in new charred oak barrels and the raw spirit is not distilled to more than 80% abv. It is mostly made in Kentucky but that is not part of the prerequisite.
However for a Tennessee whiskey it is important that it is produced in the state of Tennessee. The essential feature that sets it apart from a Bourbon is that it is always filtered through sugar-maple charcoal, a ten day process that has earned it an individual status. Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whiskey brand. Rye whiskey has to be made from at least 51% rye, all other criteria remaining the same as a Bourbon. A Rye is more powerful and bitter than Bourbon and is mostly produced in Indiana and Kentucky. Wheat whiskey has to be made from at least 51% wheat and is not very common.
The large supply of corn lead to the production of Corn Whiskey. And, you guessed it, the mash must be of at least 80% corn. Also it need not be aged in wood but in un-charred barrels or used Bourbon barrels. The Blended American whiskey, unlike its Scottish counterpart is a cheap produce with 20% Rye and Bourbon whiskey and 80% neutral industrial spirit.
Here is some trivia to fill in the silences. George Washington was one of the large producers of whiskey. And during his tenure as the President of America, the Congress designed the tax rule such that the large producers were taxed 6 cents/gallon whereas the smaller producers were taxed 9 cents/gallon. Politicians, I tell you, are the same everywhere.
Name a painter who lived a bohemian life in anonymity and died a pauper. That’s easy. The list is long; long enough to make a telephone directory look like a skinny pamphlet. The artist paints the essence of his experiences, inspirations, anguish and strife-an outpouring of his deep inner emotions; without really taking into consideration the forces of supply and demand in the market place. Creativity is hard to define and every artist is a law unto himself. Even a prolific painter like Van Gogh could sell only one painting, ‘Red Vineyard’, in his life time although he started out at 16 in his family profession of an art dealer. Closer home, Gian Singh Naqqash, who painted the frescos inside the Golden Temple, died in 1953 in penury.
The artist is a poor salesman and is largely dependent on art galleries. International art events like the Venice Biennale have played a huge role towards bringing avant-garde movements like abstract expressionism (1950) and pop art (1960) etc to the forefront. The Art Basel held in Basel in Switzerland has also gone international and is a much awaited event for the art lovers. In 1997, China launched the Shanghai Art Fair, giving a huge impetus to the Chinese artists whose works have become very popular with the Western buyers, galleries and auction houses. So huge is the fair today that over 1000 art galleries from over 30 countries, along with art organizations and agencies, participated in the event. Original works of masters like Picasso, Rembrandt, Chagall, Dali, Renoir, Monet etc were shown alongside such Chinese painters as Zhu Dequn, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian. Chinese artists have made a killing and gained international recognition. The recession did see a serious dip in art prices but art did not lose its footing and is well on its way, making a steady recovery. The Shanghai Art Fair 2009 has concluded only a few days back. The fair, sized 24,000 sq meters, saw participation from nearly 1000 art galleries, setting aside pessimistic warnings to scale down this year. The Shanghai Art Fair was established in 1997 by the Chinese government to give a boost to art, which was repressed to the point of annihilation during the Cultural Revolution that ended around 1980. In a mere twelve years since the launch of the initiative, Chinese art has made deep inroads and is now much sought after globally.
India, despite a healthy and unhindered environment for art, missed the global bus of art merchandising. While works of the Indian painters became visible in most international events, the Indian art galleries were missing in action. Projections have placed India as the fourth most buoyant art market, growing by an unbelievable 450% in ten years. It was waiting to happen, the creation of an organized format for galleries to showcase Indian artists, never mind the downturn in economy.
India finally arrived in the art marketplace with the launch of India Art Summit (IAS) in 2008. Absolutely the need of the hour, what with the works of Indian painters earning record prices at auction houses like Christies and Sothby’s. Last year, F N Souza and S H Raza touched a high of Rs 10crore at Christie’s auctions. Sotheby’s sale of contemporary art won a bid for Rs 16.75crore for an untitled sculpture by London based Anish Kapoor, a Rs 5.17crore for Subodh Gupta, Rs 2.8crore for Rashid Rana, Rs 1crore for T V Santhosh, Rs 89lakh for Raqib Shaw and a Bharti Kher fetched Rs 65 lakh – all in the same sale. More recently, a few weeks ago, the online auctioneer of modern and contemporary Indian art Saffronart, earned Rs 17.6crore from its Autumn online auctions. With the Indian art industry estimated to be worth Rs 150billion annually and growing, a suitable event like the IAS was a good business move on the part of Hamner MS&L, who are the organizers of the India Art Summit, with support from the Government of India, Sotheby's and NBC.
Already, the second edition of the summit this August saw a huge increase in terms of participation, with nearly 17 galleries from around the world. This was a good exposure to the Indian collector, of international art works, although more importantly, it is the Indian artist who needs a global showcase. Stefan Wimmer of the German art gallery Beck & Eggling, present at the IAS reportedly said, "Most Indians buy indigenous works, which is a good way to start collecting art but gradually Indian art has to step out of its own borders for wider acceptance." Subodh Gupta became a household name and huge on the art circuit after his art gained recognition in the West. His installations at the IAS 2009, Gandhi’s Three Monkeys, were sold. The excitement was palpable, not only amongst the participating galleries but also the buyers and connoisseurs of Indian art. Nearly 40,000 people from India and 32 other countries thronged to the venue. To be able to view works of nearly 200 artists in an ambient environment, was a welcome first. On display were an assorted range of art installations, sculptors, modern and contemporary paintings, photography, mix media, prints, drawings, video art – an amazing showcase.
A photograph as an art form is yet a novelty here, although it found wider acceptance nearly 10-12 years ago in Europe and America. The e-gallery Wonderwall is dedicated solely to this medium as an art expression. Their display drew a lot of curious viewers. Ajay Rajgarhia, director Wonderwall, was thrilled at the response, never mind if he made no sale. The exposure would result in educating and building up awareness, he said. His clientele is under 40 and he expects sales to start picking up. Uma Jain of Dhoomimal Gallery, one of the oldest art galleries in Delhi, gave the IMA full marks for every aspect of the event – good turnout, well organized, great ambience, security, ample opportunity for collector-artist interaction et al.
The only lament of all gallery owners in unison with the artists was that the Government has largely given this sector the Nelson’s eye. Perhaps this may not be such a bad thing after all. Bureaucratic interventions, delays, snags - it could really dry up creative juices. In the meantime, the new mantra for both, the artist and the gallery is well summed up by Andy Warhol - ‘Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.’
Great sound and easy on the eye – gramophone loudspeakers
The Swedish company Aesthesis has come out with these absolute stunners that are guaranteed to knock one out with their sleek horn-like shapes and great sound quality. The loudspeakers are hand crafted in carbon-fiber and stainless steel and are nearly 1.2m high. The special curvature of the loudspeakers contributes towards amplifying the higher frequencies while the open cabinet amplifies the lower frequencies. The way the horn narrows as it approaches the base also helps effectively damp any echoes produced. The creative inputs were provided by Ergonomidesign, Eker Design and Carbocomp, who had jointly developed the Koenigsegg Supercar.
These exclusive Gramophones are to be made in a numbered limited series of 100, in standard black but with option to customize it to any Nartural Color System on request. The prize tag for a pair is €60,000.
Indian Biker’s club just got a boost – Harley Davidson cometh
The bike lovers world over pay their due respects to the original road burner, Harley Davidson – the grand daddy of ‘em all. Now it is time for the Indian bikers to get up close with this legend as the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer is ready to finally start sales here by next year. While India has a huge demand for motorcycles, it is mostly for the mid level category. Last year saw the arrival of some top-end brands like the Suzuki Hayabusa priced at Rs12.5lakhs. The Harley will sell its various models ranging from Rs 4-14lakhs, without modifications. The cost is double that sold in the US since no duty cuts are being allowed by the Indian Government.
While the luxury bike market is yet in its infancy in India, let us take a look at the latest hot wheels across the continents.
Fighter Motorcycle - Created by the Confederate Motor Company, it has a carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum chassis, 64" wheelbase, 27"H seat, integrated braking system and drop-dead looks. A limited-edition model with only 46 such bikes, it will cost a cool $110,000 without taxes, title, licensing, registration fees, and transportation.
Ducati 999S Full-Carbon – With a handcrafted carbon and titanium body (with even nuts, bolts, washers made in titanium), it weighs only 143 kgs, has an engine output of 170 hp and a maximum velocity of 300km/h and has its 90 degree-V/2 engine tuned up to 1037ccm. The price tag reads €120,000.
Mission One EV Sport Bike – From the house of California based Mission Motors comes this green bike, which runs on a high-energy lithium-ion battery that will take only 2hrs at 240V/8hrs at 120V to recharge fully. The bike has an aluminum coat with a honeycomb body and as per claims by its manufacturers, can achieve a top speed of 150mph and an estimated range of 150 miles on a single charge. The first fifty editions will be formally unveiled in 2010 and cost $68,995.
Icare Motorcycle Concept – Enzyme Design from France has envisioned this futuristic concept super bike that is going to take some time before it can be sold to some millionaire. All its features are yet to be revealed by the company but we do know that a six-cylinder 1.8 liter Honda engine will be purring behind all the aesthetics
The Indian male is finally getting all the desired and due attention from the designer. The first ever India Men’s Week happened in Delhi this month and showcased amazing options for the brave and trendy as well as the staid and classic.
Rocky S
Rohit Gandhi &
Rahul Khanna
Narendra Kumar
Meera & Muzaffar Ali
Abhishek Gupta
& Nandita Basu
It’s the brave new look with power shoulders. The designers across Paris, Milan, New York, all love the sharp look. Padded, pleated, quilted – they all work fine.
The team that ensures the successful connect between brand and consumer operates behind the scene and away from the limelight. Newsvision zeroed in on one such, the distributor of the high profile Glenfiddich in India, Mukul Mehra, who met us in his office and regaled us with amazing anecdotes, drawn from the rich association of five generations of his family in the alcohol distribution business.
As a distributor operating in the background, do you see yourself as an ‘unsung hero’?
I do not see myself like that but we have had a past which we cherish. My son Adil is the fifth generation in this business. My great grandfather started his own business in a small downtown Ambala set up. We have grown since then and seen radical changes in this system. I still remember from when I was a kid, my father printing out a price list where a bottle of Black Label was for Rs24 and Glenfiddich was for around Rs36. This was in 1969 or 1970, when I was about 14 or 15 years old.
Can you tell us a little more about your company?
We are basically into domestic wholesale distribution (of liquor), across India. We cater to embassies as well as major institutions in India, starred hotels, restaurants etc. We often appoint sub-distributors. The government is a lot more flexible now and trading has opened up. We are also into ‘domestic optimize’.
What do you mean by ‘domestic optimize’?
Domestic optimize is about retailing. Retail includes conventional retail outlets such as the Delhi government run liquor stores. There are also modern retail outlets that one might find in up market areas such as GK. Today, modern retail supermarkets like the once seen abroad have a liquor section in them…such as in Punjab there is Vishal Megamart and Reliance; in the South there is Spencer’s retail, Metro etc
Are you an exclusive dealer for Glenfiddich?
Yes we do sell nationally. We represent Glenfiddich for the entire country except Goa and Maharashtra. We have to work really very hard.
How has the industry changed and what trends do you perceive?
The environment is much more relaxed now. In my father’s time I would sometimes accompany him when he used to visit the Custom House located next to the ITO building, and I recall that people in the entire trade were scared to enter the office of the Superintendent or the Assistant Commissioner. Now the approach is much more liberal, there is respect for one another’s feelings, work too. Gone are the days when certain undertakings (businesses) were considered as the black sheep of society.
There has been a radical change in the likes and dislikes of people. Look at the movies. Once upon a time Dev Anand would swagger with a Vat 69 bottle in his hand but today our new heroes would flaunt a Black label or a Glenfiddich or any of the other new aggressively marketed popular brands.
While world over single malts are more sought after by refined drinkers, in India the preference is yet for blends. Why is that so?
Indians have since long preferred blended whisky. But now with the popular brands from around the world available here and exposure to the latest global trends things are changing. But it is not as if Malts were not known in those days. For instance, when I was in college, a police Commissioner would always tell me, “If you drink Solan No 1 Malt you will forget any other whisky.” Of course now with all the hype and aggressive marketing and campaigning of Single Malts, people have begun to develop a taste for Single Malts. Also at the end of the day, everyone likes a change.
You had mentioned that Glenfiddich was around in India since your childhood years. How do you view the brand?
There was an interview I saw on CNBC last year in which the then Chairman of Diageo was saying, “..this year we will be going head on with our malts against Glenfiddich.” This is a big compliment for Glenfiddich, that people like Diageo are concerned. Glenfiddich is one of the top seven single malts globally.
Is it true that the consumer is not well informed about single malts?
There is a lack of education that we are trying to address. Some new concepts are in plans. I have been talking about having a single malt club. It would be about malt appreciation, where people could get together, learn about malt culture, about how much better it is than blended whiskies.
Is there a difference in the profile of a malt drinker from that of an average drinker?
Not really. It is more a cultural difference that has taken place over time. Previously a bureaucrat would go for a blended scotch but today his leaning is for a Single Malt. Now every one wants to possess a Single Malt to keep in his bar.
What do you think of surrogate advertising for liquor?
I do not think it is wise as it leads to hassles and litigations with the government. Last year in Delhi Golf Club I think, they had named a bar after an alcohol brand. There was an excise check and their license got cancelled. This created many hassles for us distributors also. There are other ways to advertise such as appreciation clubs, sponsorships of events.
Are you involved in Brand promotion?
Yes. We launched Laurent Perrier Champagne in 2005, which was inaugurated in September or October of 2007. We flew in the dancers from Moulin Rouge for this and the entire team from Laurent Perrier came down, Air France was one of the supporters. This is the kind of brand promotion that works, it is about support and the kind of effort one wants to put in. Way back in 1979, on my wedding I was sent a crystal decanter of Glenfiddich. It is still right here with me.
How else do you promote your brand?
Besides the promotions, we are marketing and selling the brand and to sell anything we need to build good relationships. Today brands hire relationship managers. We follow the same system, more so as marketers of imported products. A good relationship is the most important aspect in our line.
Perhaps the wheel was invented as an outcome of man’s ingrained primordial quest for ‘getting there’, resulting in the manic chant of ‘faster..faster’. The fallout is that the most unaffordable, scarce commodity today is TIME. Not many can afford the luxury of ‘time’ – time to spend with loved ones, gaze at a beautiful work of art, loll on a boat in still waters, contemplate the flavors of a single malt in like minded company…or even the simplicity of enjoying a leisurely meal. These are fast becoming vanishing acts. The opening of the Slow Food club in UK as a protest against fast foods sounded funny at first read, but it is a scary indicator of how close we are to becoming hypertensive wrecks chasing the clock. It is time to apply the brakes to the quest of elusive material gains … so sit back, introspect and identify what really is the ultimate luxury.
Perhaps a quote from Khalil Gibran is apt: “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” This again, is the essence of ‘luxury’.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History had received an unusual gift back in 1958, the fabled 45.52 carat, big, blue, Hope diamond, from the New York based jewelers Harry Winston. The priceless gem has been the super star of the museum and a huge draw for visitors who come to gawk at it and the other odd 10,000 gems. As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of owning Hope, Jeffrey Post, curator of gems at the National Museum said that they had decided that it might be exciting for the masses to see the Hope in a new setting. A team from Harry Winston went into overdrive to create a new, ‘improved’ look for this priceless rock and came up with three final options titled, Renewed Hope, A Journey of Hope and Embracing Hope. Harry Winston’s earliest jewelry designer, Maurice Galli, has designed the first two themes and Designer Rie Yatsuki created the third design, Renewed Hope. The final selection was to be made by public voting that went on till 7th September '09 and the newly set Hope will be revealed in the spring of 2010. After a while it will be returned to its original setting. For the creative minds, this is just the kind of inspiration for a new script on ‘stealing Hope’, another jewelry heist masala movie. To add to the excitement, this rock is also supposedly cursed and detrimental to the health of owners and all those who touch it.
No, not all. Only the 100 watt incandescent light bulbs, invented by Thomas Alva Edison some 130 years ago when there were no energy saving issues are the ones that have gone off the shelves since September 1st, a mere three weeks ago. Naturally, now everyone there wants to own one, along with the traditional lamp to go with it. The traders who had stocked up with the new fluorescent bulbs in view of the upcoming ban have to turn away disappointed customers. Simone Naujoks, a spokeswoman for the Max Bahr chain of hardware stores said, "It really is amazing. Sales of 100-watt bulbs in our Hamburg stores have gone up by 337 per cent." Besides the collectors value quotient there are some who have genuine reasons for preferring the old bulb. A man in his fifties complained, "My eyes are not as good as they used to be and I find these energy-saving lamps are useless for reading." Besides the 100 watt bulb, the others on the list are frosted glass incandescent bulbs, high- powered halogen lamps and low-efficiency fluorescents. The 75 watt and 60 watt incandescent bulbs will be phased out by 2012. It won’t be long before these rules are imposed here in India. 
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society (DHRS) based in UK celebrated the romance of the old steam engine in Cornwal’s Launceston station where the entire Darjeeling experience was recreated with Shehnai music over the PA system and Indian craft stalls. The event that took place over two days, August 19th – 20th, saw a healthy turn out of toy train and steam engine enthusiasts, who came to see the oldest surviving steam engine ‘No.19’. Built in 1889 by Sharp Stewart & Co, No.19 huffed and puffed along the Darjeeling hills until retirement, post which the Indian Government sold it to Hesston Steam Museum in the US in 1960. Subsequently in 2002, Adrian Shooter, MD of Chiltern Railways imported it to UK for his privately owned Beeches Light Railway. The old dowager of the Himalayan Railway will be in steam for a month. Nigel Bowman, MD, revealed that the collections from the large turnout of visitors would go towards alleviating poverty in the area. At the previous DHRS event, the rail station of Sukna in Siliguri was recreated.
The game of Chess is an indulgence in luxury itself; sitting still and strategizing the next few moves in silence, waging a bloody battle without blinking while nursing a drink, possibly even taking the game over to the next day. While all this could be achieved even on a simple chess board with plastic chessmen, more exotic versions in stone or wood with inlay details, gold or silver with richly carved ivory chessmen etc have enchanted many a lovers of the game. Giving the regular black and ivory squares a new technical edge is Dominik Scheurer, race car designer who has used carbon fiber to construct F1 cars. He has used the same technology as in making aerospace or motor sport objects for his new project ‘Carbon Luxury’ to create a handmade chessboard made of 100% carbon combined with epoxy resin. 
The late Ismail Merchant, well known film producer was an avid collector of art and unusual furniture. Going under the hammer on 7th October is his collection of Indian and European paintings, furniture, works of art and a collection of Indian shawls, taken from his residences in London, New York and Paris. Also on sale would be Merchant Ivory memorabilia from films such as Howards End and Surviving Picasso. 
That’s an American whiskey. And if you have noticed that ‘e’, it is not a typo but the chosen way that the Irish and Americans decided to spell their spirits to tell it apart from those brewed in Scotland, Japan, Canada, India, Finland, Wales or anywhere else. This change in spelling was made around 1870, since at that time the Scottish distilleries flooded the market with poor quality, cheap spirits distilled from Coffey stills. To distinguish themselves from these whiskies, the Irish and Americans adopted the new spelling ‘whiskey’. Much has changed since then.
However for a Tennessee whiskey it is important that it is produced in the state of Tennessee. The essential feature that sets it apart from a Bourbon is that it is always filtered through sugar-maple charcoal, a ten day process that has earned it an individual status. Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whiskey brand. Rye whiskey has to be made from at least 51% rye, all other criteria remaining the same as a Bourbon. A Rye is more powerful and bitter than Bourbon and is mostly produced in Indiana and Kentucky. Wheat whiskey has to be made from at least 51% wheat and is not very common.
The large supply of corn lead to the production of Corn Whiskey. And, you guessed it, the mash must be of at least 80% corn. Also it need not be aged in wood but in un-charred barrels or used Bourbon barrels. The Blended American whiskey, unlike its Scottish counterpart is a cheap produce with 20% Rye and Bourbon whiskey and 80% neutral industrial spirit.
The artist is a poor salesman and is largely dependent on art galleries. International art events like the Venice Biennale have played a huge role towards bringing avant-garde movements like abstract expressionism (1950) and pop art (1960) etc to the forefront. The Art Basel held in Basel in Switzerland has also gone international and is a much awaited event for the art lovers. In 1997, China launched the Shanghai Art Fair, giving a huge impetus to the Chinese artists whose works have become very popular with the Western buyers, galleries and auction houses. So huge is the fair today that over 1000 art galleries from over 30 countries, along with art organizations and agencies, participated in the event. Original works of masters like Picasso, Rembrandt, Chagall, Dali, Renoir, Monet etc were shown alongside such Chinese painters as Zhu Dequn, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian. Chinese artists have made a killing and gained international recognition. The recession did see a serious dip in art prices but art did not lose its footing and is well on its way, making a steady recovery. The Shanghai Art Fair 2009 has concluded only a few days back. The fair, sized 24,000 sq meters, saw participation from nearly 1000 art galleries, setting aside pessimistic warnings to scale down this year. The Shanghai Art Fair was established in 1997 by the Chinese government to give a boost to art, which was repressed to the point of annihilation during the Cultural Revolution that ended around 1980. In a mere twelve years since the launch of the initiative, Chinese art has made deep inroads and is now much sought after globally.
India finally arrived in the art marketplace with the launch of India Art Summit (IAS) in 2008. Absolutely the need of the hour, what with the works of Indian painters earning record prices at auction houses like Christies and Sothby’s. Last year, F N Souza and S H Raza touched a high of Rs 10crore at Christie’s auctions. Sotheby’s sale of contemporary art won a bid for Rs 16.75crore for an untitled sculpture by London based Anish Kapoor, a Rs 5.17crore for Subodh Gupta, Rs 2.8crore for Rashid Rana, Rs 1crore for T V Santhosh, Rs 89lakh for Raqib Shaw and a Bharti Kher fetched Rs 65 lakh – all in the same sale. More recently, a few weeks ago, the online auctioneer of modern and contemporary Indian art Saffronart, earned Rs 17.6crore from its Autumn online auctions. With the Indian art industry estimated to be worth Rs 150billion annually and growing, a suitable event like the IAS was a good business move on the part of Hamner MS&L, who are the organizers of the India Art Summit, with support from the Government of India, Sotheby's and NBC.
Already, the second edition of the summit this August saw a huge increase in terms of participation, with nearly 17 galleries from around the world. This was a good exposure to the Indian collector, of international art works, although more importantly, it is the Indian artist who needs a global showcase. Stefan Wimmer of the German art gallery Beck & Eggling, present at the IAS reportedly said, "Most Indians buy indigenous works, which is a good way to start collecting art but gradually Indian art has to step out of its own borders for wider acceptance." Subodh Gupta became a household name and huge on the art circuit after his art gained recognition in the West. His installations at the IAS 2009, Gandhi’s Three Monkeys, were sold. The excitement was palpable, not only amongst the participating galleries but also the buyers and connoisseurs of Indian art. Nearly 40,000 people from India and 32 other countries thronged to the venue. To be able to view works of nearly 200 artists in an ambient environment, was a welcome first. On display were an assorted range of art installations, sculptors, modern and contemporary paintings, photography, mix media, prints, drawings, video art – an amazing showcase.
A photograph as an art form is yet a novelty here, although it found wider acceptance nearly 10-12 years ago in Europe and America. The e-gallery Wonderwall is dedicated solely to this medium as an art expression. Their display drew a lot of curious viewers. Ajay Rajgarhia, director Wonderwall, was thrilled at the response, never mind if he made no sale. The exposure would result in educating and building up awareness, he said. His clientele is under 40 and he expects sales to start picking up. Uma Jain of Dhoomimal Gallery, one of the oldest art galleries in Delhi, gave the IMA full marks for every aspect of the event – good turnout, well organized, great ambience, security, ample opportunity for collector-artist interaction et al. 
The bike lovers world over pay their due respects to the original road burner, Harley Davidson – the grand daddy of ‘em all. Now it is time for the Indian bikers to get up close with this legend as the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer is ready to finally start sales here by next year. While India has a huge demand for motorcycles, it is mostly for the mid level category. Last year saw the arrival of some top-end brands like the Suzuki Hayabusa priced at Rs12.5lakhs. The Harley will sell its various models ranging from Rs 4-14lakhs, without modifications. The cost is double that sold in the US since no duty cuts are being allowed by the Indian Government.
We are basically into domestic wholesale distribution (of liquor), across India. We cater to embassies as well as major institutions in India, starred hotels, restaurants etc. We often appoint sub-distributors. The government is a lot more flexible now and trading has opened up. We are also into ‘domestic optimize’.
Indians have since long preferred blended whisky. But now with the popular brands from around the world available here and exposure to the latest global trends things are changing. But it is not as if Malts were not known in those days. For instance, when I was in college, a police Commissioner would always tell me, “If you drink Solan No 1 Malt you will forget any other whisky.” Of course now with all the hype and aggressive marketing and campaigning of Single Malts, people have begun to develop a taste for Single Malts. Also at the end of the day, everyone likes a change.
Is it true that the consumer is not well informed about single malts? 
