October 2008
Blue Lotus Gallery is newest addition to Midtown Village 10/30/2008
visit Bluelotusgallery.com
The newest addition to the exciting Midtown Village community is Blue Lotus Gallery at the corner of Sansom & Juniper in the space formerly occupied by long-time favorite Nova Hair Salon (dont fret- Nova is thriving at its new location down the street in the Arts Condominium at Juniper & Locust).
Blue Lotus Gallery imports antiques, decorative arts and Himalayan Couture, mostly from Nepal, but with key additions from Tibet and other regions of South Asia. The collection is nowhere else to been seen in Center City, let alone New York or the world. And surely there is no gallery that serves Nepali Tea after shopping.
Antiques range from Tibetan chests, and other furniture used by monks as long as a four hundred years ago, to rescued architectural elements,vernacular household items and oddities such as a 200 year old yak collar and a south Indian snake charmers box. In addition, the mezzanine of the Gallery displays a carefully assembled array of collector and museum quality antiques.
Blue Lotus Gallery also offers a line of newly crafted furniture and home decor which reinterprets traditional Himalyan designs for the modern home or office. Hand knotted carpets made in the age-old Tibetan method are custom made at direct importer prices. For the dining room, bedroom, reception area or patio, these pieces provide a dramatic accent to any decor. Contemporary thangkas, or devotional paintings, by Mukti Singh Thapa are based on the careful study of the themes and techniques of a traditional art form. As Nepal rapidly modernizes, these painting represent the last, best work of a disappearing art.
So whats Himalayan Couture? Its a fabulous collection of coats, shawls, jewelry and accessories. You wont find these coats anywhere else except Kathmandu and Paris. Designed by Tenzin Tseten, a Sikkimese designer based in Kathmandu, the striking collection takes traditional Tibetan and Himalayan motifs right to the runway of Midtown Village. Near 100% pure silver jewelry and clutch purses are made by artisans in the hill country of northern Thailand. From the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley, Blue Lotus features sterling fillagree with turquoise, coral, and other semi-precious stones. From a small village in Cambodia, the collection includes shimmering hand-made silk handbags.
