As good as new

Mumbai teen Zara Heeramaneck’s love for all things antique was taken to the next level when she started a drive to restore the artifacts at the Alpaiwalla museum.

As a child, Zara Heeramaneck always remembered the Alpaiwalla museum, located at the Khareghat Parsi Colony in south Mumbai’s Kemps Corner, as a hub that documented the rich Parsi heritage in the city. So when the 17-year-old visited the museum in October this year, she was disappointed to see that the antiques in the museum were in dire need of a makeover.

The Alpaiwalla museum, which stands shut today, cannot afford to allocate funds for these antiques. When Zara learnt about this, she decided to launch her initiative, Adopt an Antique, to raise funds for these prized objects. “I didn’t know how far my campaign would go. I have no experience in how to go about this, but I knew I needed to at least attempt to restore these relics,” she explains. And her effort did add up.

Getting the nod from the museum’s caretaker Nivedita Mehta was easy. Zara’s father, Mehernosh Heeramaneck, and prominent Parsi figures, Firoza Panthaki and Pheroza Godrej, helped her get in touch with the museum’s management for formal approvals. “Everyone I spoke to for the project was positive about my attempt. Many people have started coming forward to preserve these antiques.” Zara made it a point to visit each of her donors to explain the project in detail. Zara says, “Since the initiative requires people to give money, I had to ensure that I met each donor and explained the cause. Having a one-on-one conversation was much more important than just sending across those brochures.” Zara has already managed to collect about Rs 6 lakhs for the cause.

The process for donating goes something like this — when a donor contributes about Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, he or she will receive a certificate with details of one of the antiques. A donation for anything above Rs 15,000 invites a certificate with a framed print of the antique. People have started coming in with donations as high as Rs 40,000 too.

Zara is currently looking at restoring 20 antiques, out of which the restoration for one is already complete.  The completed piece — a stunning 19th century Antique Chinese Umbrella stand, which belongs to the Qing Dynasty — is Zara’s personal favourite.

The antique was restored at the cost of Rs 40,000 by conservationist Edul Fannibunda. Others pieces in the collection include a Chinese Rose Verte porcelain vase, a century Chinese blue and white export porcelain jar with lid, and a vase with painted flowers — all of which belong to the late 19th century.

Zara is content with the fact that she has helped restore relics from the past. “These relics have an important connection to the past. In a way, they bear witness to the trade that happened between the Parsis and the Chinese. I’m glad that I have done my bit,” she states. Once the relics are restored, they will be packed and tucked away safely until the revival of the museum.

While Zara was apprehensive that people would doubt her credibility since she is so young, she was happy to realise that it wasn’t the case. She concludes, “No individual doubted my idea, or thought I was too young to carry this project. Thankfully, the cause and intent trumped my age.”