The stories behind our names

5 min read

Every North India Company design is named after something from the palaces, gardens and crafts of North India. Here is what each name means.

Zari

The fine gold thread used in royal Indian embroidery. The petals of Zari Bloom are drawn in lines as fine as the thread itself.

Jaal

The carved stone lattice screens of Mughal buildings, which let light and air through in patterns. Jaal Leaf Lace sets solid leaves on a fine openwork net in the same spirit.

Kundan

A traditional North Indian way of setting stones in gold, long associated with royal jewelry. The beaded center of Kundan Blossom is a nod to it.

Sheesh Mahal

A "palace of mirrors," the name given to rooms whose walls are inlaid from floor to ceiling. Our Sheesh Mahal designs set ivory and gold blossoms in rows like that inlay.

Morpankh

The peacock feather, a symbol of royalty across India. Morpankh turns it into hundreds of fine gold lines.

Chinar

The great plane tree of Kashmir, whose leaf is a much-loved motif in Kashmiri craft. It gives its name to the Chinar Leaf placemat and runner.

Gulnar

The pomegranate blossom of Persian and Mughal poetry, and the oversized bloom on Gulnar Bloom.

Mehtab, Noor and Nishat

Mehtab means moonlight, fitting for our palest design, Mehtab Starburst. Noor means light, and Noor Lace lets the table glow through it. Nishat Bagh is the Mughal terraced garden on Dal Lake in Srinagar, which inspired Nishat Garden.

Chatai and Pankha

A chatai is the woven reed mat found in homes across India; the Chatai Weave runner borrows its checkerboard. A pankha is a hand fan, once waved in the royal courts, and the fan-shaped leaves of the Pankha Leaf runner take after it.