Masala Dabba – Diaspora Co.

July 02,2024

TIIPOI: Designed by Tiipoi’s industrial designer Andre Pereira in their studio in London, the Diaspora x Tiipoi Masala Dabba are made in Tiipoi’s workshop in Bangalore by craftsman Venkatesh Chinnappa aka Venky ‘Anna’ (which translates to older brother in nearly all of the South Indian languages ) Venky has been spinning metal for over 25 years and now Tiipoi’s metal products since they began. This craft is at the heart of so many of Tiipoi’s collections. Tiipoi is a London based design studio with a workshop in Bangalore founded in 2013 by Spandana Gopal. Tiipoi believes that there is more to Indian design than just sticking an elephant on it, and that Indian craft has more to offer than simply repeating the past. India can seem a pretty chaotic place. But sitting there, quietly, are some really incredible, super functional designs. The “designers” of these objects if they can be found at all, aren’t celebrated in the same way as they are in other countries, (the Masala Dabba is definitely one such design!) and instead, design is seen as a bi-product of living. This unassuming approach, with an emphasis on a quiet functionality, is what inspires and drives the ethos behind the studio. India is changing and shifting all the time and Spandana feels there are enough stereotypes and nostalgic stories of India’s past. She prefers to look at what is happening right now and highlight India’s role in contemporary design..
Our brass masala dabba designed by Tiipoi and handspun by metal workers in Bangalore is the quintessential Indian spice tool, made to level up your cooking and last generations. All masala dabba purchases grant you free access to Club Masala - a very hands on, spice forward, highly inclusive quarterly zoom cooking club with Sana and Asha that will teach you how to cook intuitively with spices, and maximise your masala dabba!