 Walk
into Moosvi Decorators, a tiny antique shop
and you'll suddenly become curious about the past.
The passage of history is very evident here. The
stories crawl out of quaint mahogany cupboards,
intricately carved and mirrored dressing tables
and faded miniature paintings. Amidst all these
insignias of another era, you wonder if inanimate
objects could speak, what would they say?
 At
Moosvi Decorators the sheer range of period furniture,
antique candle stands, strangely painted masks,
gigantic jewellery boxes are awe inspiring. Every
single inch of the store is beautifully laden with
priceless knick-knacks.
The store was set up 14 years ago in Banjara Hills.
But the family business of buying and selling antiques
is almost 40 years old. Nawazish Ali Moosvi started
the business and used to sell items that were collected
from the house of the Salar Jungs and the
Nizam. Today the store is run by his son
Abbas Moosvi, a man who thrives on a passion
for antiques.
The oldest, a mahogany sideboard that belonged
to the Salar Jung family, is 140 years old. It was
purchased from an old British company, C Lazarus
Company, which had acquired it decades ago. For
a photography buffs Moosvi has many  interesting
items. There's an old box with a glassed hole on
one end that looks plain and ordinary. Except that
it is one of the earliest models of a camera.The
store also houses Kodak's first instant-photo model
as well as a film projector.
The customer list includes some of the top business
families and connoisseurs of the city. Moosvi has
also provided antique pieces that adorn the Hotel
Viceroy International situated at the Lower
Tank Bund. Abbas Moosvi has initiated a new
trend in the antique business. He refashions old
and ravaged items collected from old havelis and
gives them a new look Like the gramophone that proudly
sits in the centre. It looks likes something straight
from the past till Abbas reveals that it's an assembled
piece. At times the antiques here even acquire whole
new purpose. Like the wall brackets that are refashioned
to be used as a coffee table.
For an art connoisseur, Moosvi Decorators is a treasure
trove. Else, a visit to the shop and the knowledge
of Moosvi is an informative walk into history. And
whether you buy something or not the experience
much like the antiques is enriching.
Address: Moosvi Decorators, Shop No 14,
Hi-Line Complex, Road No 12, Banjara Hills,
Hyderabad- 500 034,
Phone: 3314274,
Contact Person: Abbas Moosvi
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