Nirmal Kumar Setia Chairman of the N.Sethia Group of Companies owner of the British tea company Newby.
The collection of tea artefacts from Europe, Asia and America showcases the millennial history of tea, reflecting its importance and showing the diversity of tea traditions. The collection includes unique items such as early Meissen porcelain (1710-1720), the Sevres service commissioned by Louis XVIII, the personal teapot of Lord Admiral Nelson, as well as works by Paul Storr, Benjamin Smith, Jean-Baptiste Odiot, Carl Faberge and many other recognized masters of their time.
Puru teapot made of gold with enamel diamonds and tsavorites ebony handle F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia Chitra Collection, 2018. This teapot is the latest in a series of modern tea utensils personally designed by Nirmal Setia. The spherical, ribbed body is reminiscent of the bullet-shaped teapots that came into vogue in Britain in the late 18th century. The teapot is named after Mr. Setia’s youngest son, Puru, and the green color of the enamel and tsavorites were chosen to symbolize spiritual prosperity. The gold eagle-shaped pommel on the globe is taken from Mr. Setia’s family crest.
Some items from the collection have already been exhibited both in the UK and abroad. For example, in 2018, in honor of the National Tea Day, several exhibits were exhibited at the Chiswick House estate in the UK, and in 2015, an exhibition of the Chitra collection was organized at the National Museum of Kazakhstan. Images of some items from the Chitra Collection can be seen on the packaging of Newby Teas products, such as teas from the Heritage and Silk Pyramids collections.
The collection of Chitra has many beautiful antique teapots from different eras and peoples. But in this selection we will see only modern teapots, although they are most likely better described as works of art. All of them are made by Italian jewelers according to the designs of the owner of the collection, who dedicated a series of these unique pieces of jewelry, as well as his entire collection, to the extraordinary centuries-old history of tea.
Gilded silver teapot encrusted with diamonds and rubies mammoth bone handle F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia 2016.
The Egoist teapot, designed by Mr. Setia in 2016, is officially listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most valuable teapot in the world. It is entirely paved with 1,658 white diamonds and 386 rubies, and in the center is a 6.67-carat ruby that was once part of his late wife Chitra’s jewelry collection. Surrounded by golden rays, the ruby resembles a radiant sun, which symbolizes Surya, the Hindu god of the sun. The diamonds have been hand-picked and placed on the body in four different sizes to create a gradient effect and highlight the teapot’s perfectly spherical body. The name of the teapot comes from its small size, designed to brew enough tea for one cup, and the use of precious materials that adorn its surface.
Teapot made of gold and silver with rubellite and diamonds F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia 2017.
To honor his family’s religion, Mr. Setia designed this gold and silver tea caddy in the form of a coiled king cobra, inspired by the story of Shiva, one of the main deities of Hinduism, Shiva is regularly depicted with a blue body and a cobra around his neck, signifying the power of the deity even over the most dangerous creatures of this world. The coiled body of the cobra is studded with clusters of white diamonds, while its raised neck is adorned with a band of bright yellow diamonds, while the lid is formed by a 230-carat engraved rubellite. Designed to hold only the highest quality tea, the container and its decorative materials pay tribute to Mr. Setia for tea.
Teapot Harmony made of gold with enamel and diamonds Scavia Milan designed by N. K. Setia, Chitra Collection, 2017.
The ribbed teapot is decorated with translucent iridescent enamel on a guilloché background. Guilloche (or guilloche) is a decorative technique in which a very precise, intricate and repeating pattern is mechanically engraved on a metal object placed on a lathe. Although such patterns could be made by hand, the advent of machine metal lathes in the 18th century allowed for greater precision and complexity. The design of this teapot called “Harmony” is based on the universality of colors and reflects Mr. Setia’s belief that there is unity behind diversity.
Silver teapot with enamels diamonds and carved mammoth tusk F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia 2016. This Indian elephant-inspired tea caddy is made of sterling silver and embellished with rubies, diamonds and emeralds, and features mammoth ivory for the elephant’s toes.Teapot made of gold and silver with rubies yellow diamonds malachite and lapis lazuli F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia 2014.Rock crystal teapot set in gold and diamonds F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia 2014. This rock crystal teapot, surrounded by delicate golden leaves, embodies the ideas of serenity, peace and the unchanging beauty of nature. The pommel in the form of a robin on a golden branch is reminiscent of Christmas. The neck is encrusted with a diamond ring.Teapot made of malachite gold silver platinum and ebony with diamonds and rubies F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia 2012.Teapot made of gold and silver with painted enamel and diamond F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia 2013.Teapot made of silver with painted enamel and diamonds F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. This teapot features a painted enamel scene with the moon over the ocean against a deep blue sky. The moon and scattered stars are represented by diamonds set into the surface of the enamel. The teapot has a teak wood handle and is surmounted by a figure of a mermaid sitting on a pearl, with a diamond-encrusted tail.Teapot made of an ostrich egg set in silver and gold with a wooden handle Scavia Milan designed by N.C. This ostrich egg teapot is adorned with silver fittings and the Setia coat of arms in gold. Its shape was inspired by the white teapot owned by Elizabeth Murray, Countess of Desart and later Countess and Duchess of Lauderdale (1626-1698). The Duchess’ teapot, Zhangzhou white chinaware from 1650–1670, still stands on a tea table in Ham House, Richmond upon Thames.Teapot made of enameled silver with gold ruby emerald diamond quartz and topaz F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia 2012. This teapot is inspired by the Indian elephants that played an important role in the tea plantations, transporting tea growers and their products through the jungle. Made of silver with enamel, it is adorned with rubies, emeralds, yellow diamonds and a yellow topaz topaz in the shape of a pineapple, a traditional symbol of hospitality.Brushed silver teapot with gold enamel diamond and emerald F. Scavia Milan designed by N. C. Setia 2012. The teapot in the shape of an apple is made of gold and matte silver. It has a rare snakewood handle and a stained glass enamel pommel in the shape of tea leaves. Apple-shaped teapots were especially popular in the early Georgian period in British silverware, and the piece is a modern take on an earlier form. This teapot is adorned with diamonds, emeralds and Nirmal Setia’s personal coat of arms.