The nilavilakku, as it is commonly called in Kerala, or the vazhaipoo vilakku as it is known in Tamil, is common to both states. Nilam, meaning floor, is in reference to the floor-standing lamp while vazhaipoo likens the top of the lamp to the banana flower. The exact date and origin of Pradeep’s vilakku is unknown, but it can be traced back to beyond the 1930s in Madurai.

In the corner of Sandhya Venkat’s typical Madras home, a beautiful copper patina of burgundy and dark green catches the light pouring in through the courtyard. Although maintained exquisitely, turquoise and white spots reveal its proximity to the coast. The copper boiler originates from Madras and is likely from 1943.

The dining table that sits in my family home was crafted in 1942. The table’s original owner, and the man who commissioned it, was my maternal great grandfather –– M. S. Ramaswamy Chettiar.

This brass cooking pot belonged to my maternal great-grandmother, Leela Chander. Referred to as a dekchi, It is a wide-mouthed pot, that sits obediently in my grandmother’s drawing room. But years ago it was used to cook biryani to serve up to 30 people.

The Uruli as a vessel was popularly used for cooking over wood-burning stoves in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Nearly 100 years old today, this Uruli was used to make payasam, vadaam maavu, sweets, kozhakattais, murukku and fried snacks. Patti recalls the way the flames from the wood burning stove would envelope this grand vessel as her mother deftly prepared the food and kindled the fire all at once.