Eid is a time for gathering around the dining table, making food selection and presentation crucial. This year, unique crockery is making the occasion even more special. From plates and bowls to serving utensils and cups, the design of these items adds a different dimension to the entire setup.
'Ki Nei', a crockery shop located in the lower level of Dhaka New Super Market near New Market, offers a wide range of products. Upon entering, one is immediately captivated by the variety of items available. The shop sells plates, bowls, serving utensils, tea cups and saucers, kettles, dinner sets, dessert sets, pizza plates, mugs, jugs, trays of various shapes, glasses, spoons, and storage containers—all meticulously arranged. Most of the products are made of ceramic, Pyrex, and glass, sourced from Bangladesh, China, and Thailand. In addition to ceramic and glass, there are also products made of metal, wood, and bamboo.
Many customers buy crockery items as gifts. Ceramic products are in high demand. Sellers report that tea serving items are selling the most. With Eid approaching, the sale of ceramic plates has increased. Customers are also buying large casserole dishes with lids for serving meat or soup. Additionally, the sale of cooking utensils has risen, with woks and pressure cookers being the top sellers. In terms of cooking utensils, design is gaining importance alongside functionality.
White is the dominant color in the crockery market, but completely white items are no longer in vogue. Most items feature floral and vine designs, geometric patterns, and line designs. Some completely white containers have gold trim on the edges. Other colors available include maroon, sky blue, black, yellow, pink, orange, and red. The traditional style of leaving the center of plates blank and decorating the edges is still prevalent, but some plates feature thin lines with floral designs in the center.
Children's plates feature familiar cartoon characters and child-friendly images. Tea pots, cups, and saucers showcase exotic designs. These tea serving items now feature dense patterns. White containers are adorned with small flowers connected by vines. Elsewhere, there are large bouquets of flowers and bird designs. Coffee and water mugs are single-colored. Many mugs feature embossed lines from popular songs.
Once, crockery meant ceramic items, but that has changed. Wooden items are now finding a place on dining tables. Curious, a lifestyle and fashion brand with outlets in Mirpur-1 and Mirpur-12, offers wooden crockery. Bowls, plates, trays, spoons, and serving utensils are all made of wood. There are various shapes of wooden bowls—round, wavy, leaf-shaped, pot-shaped, and triangular. Some are smooth, while others feature carved line and dot designs. Most bowls are wooden in color, but there are also yellow and green bowls. Tree gum designs add extra beauty to breakfast and meal plates. Breakfast serving plates are round but have uneven edges. There are oval, long plates for serving polao. Rectangular wooden trays are also available in small and medium sizes. There are elongated trays for serving kababs and various storage containers. These glass containers feature wooden and bamboo lids.
The market offers crockery items of various qualities, resulting in a wide price range. A good-quality tea serving set with one pot, six cups, and saucers costs between 4,500 and 5,000 taka. A coffee mug costs between 500 and 700 taka. Individual plates range from 700 to 1,200 taka. A set of three casseroles costs 5,500 taka. A 32-piece dinner set ranges from 3,000 to 12,000 taka. A 52-piece dinner set starts at 7,000 taka and can go up to 40,000 taka. Sellers report that there are also dinner sets priced at three lakh taka. A seven-piece dessert serving set costs between 800 and 2,000 taka.
Wooden trays for various purposes range from 1,500 to 2,500 taka. Wooden serving plates cost 1,700 taka. Various shaped wooden bowls range from 900 to 2,500 taka.
