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Codd Neck Bottles used for lime soda drinks
SĀR: The Essence of Indian Design
written and curated by Rashmi Varma and Swapnaa Tamhane
with photographs by Prarthna Singh
Published by Phaidon Press, 2016
This book aims to find a language for design within India – taking into account histories of craft, colonial influences, trade between neighbouring countries, pre and post-Partition, and what contemporary design is. There is no one word for 'design' in either Sanskrit or Hindi, and so we chose the word "sār" which means essence. We were looking for what an essence of an object could be that could reflect a sensibility.
www.phaidon.com
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Sample Pages from SĀR: The Essence of Indian Design
Phaidon Press, 2016
Photographs by Prarthna Singh
![Phaidon Press, Prarthna Singh, Sumeet Mixer](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f37446_ae9d3c11fc2544f7826cf78b10c22534~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_694,h_518,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/pg18.jpg)
![Codd Neck Bottle, Prarthna Singh, Phaidon Press](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f37446_1c93583f8ddd4155af2f359e55f5d26b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_694,h_518,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/pg17.jpg)
![Phaidon Press, Prarthna Singh](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f37446_92de7b6a08b64777bdff9638baa98926~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_689,h_514,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/pg6.jpg)
![Fiat Taxi Cab, Phaidon Press, Prarthna Singh](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f37446_9b06980c95ad4d94ad1e1fe09eb6767a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_694,h_518,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/pg10.jpg)
![Phaidon Press, Prarthna Singh](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f37446_9a7bf1d83f524deea4919ea9f2dca4c4~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_694,h_518,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/pg15.jpg)
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![13139242_878038781206_454404348029570363](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f37446_5ce5b3b9a3784ff494ceb51c50da455e~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_669,h_499,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/13139242_878038781206_454404348029570363.jpg)
PRESS
https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/book-review-sar-essence-indian-design/
https://designanthologymag.com/story/sar-the-essence-of-indian-design
https://artreview.com/reviews/ara_summer_2016_book_sar_the_essence_of_indian_design_and_new_thai_style/
https://www.vogue.com/article/design-books-around-the-world
https://www.bestdesignbooks.eu/sar-essence-indian-design/
http://loverand.co/sar-the-essence-of-indian-design
http://www.vervemagazine.in/arts-and-culture/viewing-india-through-the-lens-of-kitsch
https://www.metropolismag.com/ideas/arts-culture/a-snapshot-of-modern-indian-design-in-200-objects/
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