Upon returning from the sand and dust of Rajasthan, we found ourselves once again at the reception desk of the Imperial Hotel in New Delhi, a dignified, elegant enclave.

“Welcome back,” said Anil, true recognition in his voice.

He looked at our dusty, treasure-filled bags being carried into the lobby and spotted Pig riding shotgun on the lead bag. “Looks like Pig needs a bath,” he said as he handed me the room key and politely returned to his duties.

A little later, as we were getting situated in the room, there was a crisp knock on the door. The voice on the other side said, “We have a special delivery for a very special guest.” Opening the door, I found a basket filled with fragrant rose petals and a note from the hotel staff. It read: Dear Mr. Joffe, welcome back to the Imperial. The rose petals are for Pig’s bath. We hope she enjoys her flowery bath immensely.

A short while later, Pig was floating in a sea of intoxicating petals, exuberant, forgetting for the moment she is not a fan of baths.

Our buoyant conversation drifted into a discussion about the special planters and fountains we had just acquired for PRIMITIVE – beautiful objects made of marble and copper.

These were true handcrafted works of art, carefully considered by the artisans who created them. Each one undoubtedly gave the maker a real sense of pride and satisfaction. I started picturing planters sensitively carved in the shape of lotus petals; large vessels pounded into graceful forms big enough to hold trees; and the beautiful lines of fountains carved into engaging and delightful shapes. One even combined fire with water.
Pig brought me back to reality when she said, “Those things are just like this moment, dad.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“They’re about flowers, water, and true gratification,” she replied.