If you love old-school aesthetics and all things antique, then we highly recommend a visit to Hyderabad's first antique home museum. This museum is home to hundreds of antique pieces, collected by 82 year old curator and founder of YK Antiques—Mr. Y Krishnamurthy. The octagenarian's passion for antiques led him to collect all the pieces over decades from trusted sources including royal families in South India, and abroad.
We learned that he started his collection when his mother travelled to Chennai from their native place in Rameshwaram, Kakinada to be with the family. A few brass cookware items she carried along for easy cooking became the talking point for many house guests, with them reminiscing about how their grandmothers would use similar utensils in the kitchen. We also found the same cookware at the founder's residence, still intact and in use.
Mr. Krishnamurthy explained that each item made back in the day had multi-purpose use, was made with high quality materials to last at least 3-4 generations, and was made with intricate design patterns to look aesthetically pleasing. Much like the founder explained, we found antiques like ladles and plates with ornate designs on them.
What's super interesting is that each item on display here has a unique function and a story behind it. For example, we found a wooden car-shaped item that we thought was a decorative coffee table only to realised that it was in fact a decanter complete with shot glasses in addition to the fact that it was a musical box!
Each antique at YK Antiques Home Museum is reminiscent of life in the past. From cookware, stationery, weaponry, Tanjore paintings, games and even four poster beds, the collection here is vast and nothing short of amazing. We recommend setting aside a few hours for when you visit this fascinating space.
