Monumental and narrative history often refers to things like great memorials or history written down, but there is a much more quiet and intimate history found in the dailyness of our existence within a particular home or community. One such community is the Kashmiri Pandits who left the Kashmir Valley in 1990 and continue to form a diaspora around the world. For them, the materials that they had as heirlooms/antiques within their homes have come to serve as sacred vessels of memory, identity, and displacement. During their rapid exodus in 1990 to escape violence, when they left with only what could be packed in a few suitcases, the sacred and/or precious domestic objects that survived have become important anchors to their lost home.
As part of this collection of material culture there are many objects that continue to be revered by these families, however one of their most revered objects is a traditional samovar made from either brass or copper. In addition to its function of being used to brew kehwa (a heated traditional Kashmiri drink made from green tea leaves), the samovar, with its intricate carvings, signifies the characteristic hospitality and warm hospitality of Kashmiri social life. The same can be said for the weighty brass tableware that have travelled along with families in exile; they're often faintly inscribed with the names of family members that came before, carrying generations of material history into contemporary kitchens that are very far removed from where the family once had their ancestral hearth back in the Valley.
When an object of domesticity goes into exile, it goes from being only useful for domestic function to becoming a symbol of cultural continuity.
In addition to metal kitchenware, textiles also form a crucial part of the Kashmiri domestic record, preserving history through their very fabric. The pheran (traditional loose gown), frequently passed from mother to daughter and often elaborately decorated with Tilla metallic embroidery, exists as an heirloom representing the mother's lineage. Woven Pashmina shawls, along with pherans, share the metaphorical warmth of Kashmir and contain hundreds of years of regional craftsmanship. Finally, being uniquely tied to the soil of the Valley, family religious texts (from Koran), handwritten horoscopes (tektens), and fading photographs, provide an irreplaceable testament to a combination of family and history from the land where they were born.
These artifacts provide the younger generations with an important physical link to their country that they may not fully understand outside of the stories they have heard. By touching an old, patterned, cold piece of pottery or by tracing the elaborate embroidery of a family Pheran, the young person connects with the past and present. The artifacts are a testament to the history of their people and will ensure that even if they are in another country, they will always have the essence of the Kashmiri home with them.
Sources:
https://indiacurrents.com/why-we-hold-tightly-to-our-heirlooms-a-kashmiri-tapestry/