The story of how Coppre rekindled the ancient practice of drinking water from a copper water bearer.
Metal Copper and brass, in particular, were an integral part of everyday life before the dawn of plastic. Everyday objects made out of these materials were the norm – boxes, utensils, containers. Water was stored in utensils too, made of copper, and they were good! For the environment and you. Such a win-win! They left a minimal imprint on the environment, besides being good for health and well-being.
So if metals were that good, why did people stop preferring to use them. Metals were heavy, difficult to maintain, large in size, market was being flooded with led-laden, cheap materials to match the price points of plastic.
In the early 2000s, sales of handcrafted metalwares hit an all-time low. There was an exodus of artisans giving up traditional handcrafting and taking up blue-collar jobs for sustenance.
Our efforts go back to this point in time when we started engaging with the metal-working artisans. It was clear then, the craft needed a new typology of products to suit present day-living to rekindle the craft and consumer interest. A paradigm shift from big to small objects, collective to individual products, from utility-only to aesthetic appeal, from local to global reach.
So, we created a motley of objects – boxes, platters, tealights and a voguish water carafe as well!We took the ancient practice of drinking water, the heritage handcrafting process and the artisanal skills and brought drinking of Tamrajal in anew avatar, the Bedside Carafe. A sleek carafe, albeit handmade. Long gone was the time of the big handas and lotas, meant for times when families were bigger and a collective culture. The Bedside Carafe came in a sleek design, compact, just enough for one or maybe two people. Designed to suit smaller families and an individual culture.
We didn’t invent the practice of drinking copper-charged water, it is an ancient one arising from the impeccable knowledge of Ayurveda.
Our first water carafe was and still is novelty it won the World Craft Council Excellence Award, was featured in Phaidon Press’s 200 classic Indian objects and has won many accolades.
Even though we patented the design, you can today find cheap imitations all over. Initially, this disheartened us. But when we looked deeper, the upside delighted us! The true intent of craft preservation has been achieved as our artisans are now seeing a huge spike in consumer interest and sales.
Our work has revived the copper craft of Maharashtra and brought the spotlight back on the artisans and the craft, just what we set out to do! Today, multiple designers and studios work with this craft cluster. Our work also gave rise to a new breed of enterprising artisans open to crafting new designs and organizational skills.
Taking the glory of our Bedside Carafe ahead, we bring you some more Copper Goodness in our latest collection. We didn’t start the fire. We only rekindled it.
Before we unveil the new showcase, here’s a low down on why Studio Coppre’s water carafes stand out in what is today a cluttered market of mostly cheap copper water bottles. 5 reasons our copper bottles are the best ones you can get in the market
- We source virgin copper with 98-99% purity from reputed organizations. Part of the copper that we source is recycled too, which is purified before recycling since recycling is vastly energy efficient as compared to mining.
- Each batch of copper is tested in an independent laboratory to validate the purity of copper and the other elements present in traces.
- Needless to mention but essential to say, our copper wares are lead-free.
- Our copper carafes our sanitized and cleaned before packing.
- Consistent testing to eliminate any below par material passing on to production is the hallmark of our quality batch after batch.
- We do what we do with deep intent. And that’s why bringing a quality product becomes quintessential to us.