No longer a travel companion but still a handsome storer of indulgences, the modern-day trunk is a nostalgic hat-tip to history, with contemporary design values. Consider the creations of Trunks Company, many of which are bespoke for erstwhile royalty
Time was when a trunk was the quintessential treasure chest for the ruling elite. Today, it has become a treasure in itself, evoking nostalgia for a bygone era, particularly among royals who, in a hat-tip to their heritage, are giving the trunk its pride of place: After all, no one appreciates history quite like maharajas and maharanis.
Bearing insignias and their owners’ coats of arms, trunks have been a loyal and, often, luxurious companion to them for centuries, especially on voyages by sea. After World War 1, the art of trunk-making got real impetus, when leisure travel by steamer ships became the rage. Aristocrats and the nouveau riche alike began to order trunks—hatboxes, jewellery cases and luggage—to store silks and other finery.
Revered European houses such as Louis Vuitton, Goyard and Moynat were some of the coveted malletiers (French for trunk-makers) who created and engraved bespoke luggage for the rich. They even received a fair share of orders from Indian royalty. Maharaja Umaid Singh of Jodhpur, who ruled from 1918 to 1947, is said to have ordered a set of five custom-made Louis Vuitton trunks for a sea voyage that he undertook in 1925 to attend a polo tournament in England. These leather trunks still lie preserved in the Jodhpur palace by his grandson, Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur.
But as planes started to replace ships, trunks were nudged out of mainstream travel and air travel started the trend towards lighter luggage. As demand dwindled, so did production but trends, like most things in life, trace circles. Fifty years later (in the late 20th century), descendants and heirs recognised trunks as family heirlooms and started having them restored, recognising their inherent aura of royalty. Perhaps that is why when Gaj Singh II sought to house his enviable collection of watches, he, like his ancestors, looked no further than the trunk. He turned to Trunks Company, which, now in its fourth year, has emerged as one of India’s premier malletiers. And the bespoke trunk created for him was the reason for ForbesLife India’s visit to the company’s Jaipur offices earlier this year.
(This story appears in the Sept-Oct 2015 issue of ForbesLife India. To visit our Archives, click here.)