Buying antiques in India

If you’re a collector or appreciator of antique furniture, art and decorative accessories from the UK, you’ll want to go to India. It’s a fantastic place to find exquisite pieces made by skilled artisans from precious metals and exotic woods, some with fascinating histories and stories to tell.

But in such a vast country, where do you begin your search for that one special piece? We’re here to help, with our essential guide to buying antiques in India.

This includes a look at the best antique shops in India, along with markets and dealers. We’ll give you some tips on haggling and buying, along with info on how to get your purchases back home to the UK.

And if you need a smart way to purchase antiques in Indian rupees, without losing out to poor exchange rates and high fees - check out the Wise account from the money services provider Wise.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

Table of Contents

Can you buy antiques in India as a foreigner? Where are the best places for finding and buying antiques in India? Best antiques markets in India Best antiques and vintage shops in India Antiques shopping tips in India What antiques to look for in India? Indian antique furniture Indian maps and postcards Indian vintage clothing Indian antique accessories How to bring your Indian antiques back to the UK? How to import antique furniture from India? Best Indian antique dealers Maintaining and displaying your Indian antiques

Can you buy antiques in India as a foreigner?

Yes, you can buy antiques in India as a foreigner - but there are a few important laws and restrictions you need to know about.

According to the Indian Government’s Antiquities and Art Treasures Act (1972), it is not permitted to export antiquities over 100 years old out of the country.¹

This means that as a private buyer, you can’t purchase an antique of Indian origin that is over a century old and ship it back to the UK. To do so would be breaking the law, unless you have been given specific authorisation by the Indian government.¹

The law counts the following as antiquities:¹

• Coins
• Sculptures
• Paintings and epigraphs
• Other works of art or craftsmanship - this is likely to include furniture.

It also includes manuscripts, records or other documents that have been in existence for at least 75 years. The law is designed to prevent the illegal smuggling of precious antiques out of the country.¹

This doesn’t mean however that you can’t buy younger Indian antiques and bring them back home to the UK. You’ll just need to check the age and provenance of the item, to make sure you’re following the letter of the law.

Where are the best places for finding and buying antiques in India?

There are a number of places to hunt out unique and beautiful antiques in India.

Hotspots for antique shopping include:²

• Jodhpur, in the northwest Indian state of Rajasthan
• Delhi, where there are only a handful of antiques stores, but the few that are there are known to be excellent
• Karaikudi, in Tamil Nadu
• Kolkata, specifically the Alipore neighbourhood
• Mumbai, known for its furniture markets and Mutton Street district dedicated to vintage and retro finds.
• Lucknow, famous for its sprawling and historic flea markets
• Hyderabad, known for its famous Laad Bazaar.

In India, you can head to specialist antiques stores or dealers if you’re after something in particular. Or you can browse the many street markets and bazaars to uncover an unexpected treasure - where rummaging and haggling is all part of the experience.

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Best antiques markets in India

Love the hustle and bustle of a market, and the thrill of discovering something special among second-hand junk? You’ll want to head to one of India’s many fantastic antiques and vintage markets.

There are quite a few to choose from, spread throughout the country. Here are just a handful to help you start planning your shopping trip:

• Chor Bazaar, Mumbai - one of the largest flea markets in India, this Mutton Street market sells literally everything. It’s famous for its antique and vintage items, and if you can hold your nerve when haggling - there’s a chance to secure some incredible bargains.
• Nakhas Market, Lucknow - located in the oldest part of the city, this 200-year-old market² is known for its rare antiques and Spode china, as well as some rather interesting vintage electronics.
• Chowk Market, Lucknow - while you’re in Lucknow, swing by the Chowk Market. It has thousands of shops, including vendors selling chikankari (embroidered) garments, ittars, ornaments and crafts.²
• Laad Bazaar, Hyderabad - this buzzing market is the perfect spot to pick up an interesting curio or two. It’s also known for its handwoven textiles, Kalamkari paintings and jewellery.
• Oshiwara Furniture Market, Jogeshwari, Mumbai - this fantastic market is a goldmine for antique, vintage and new furniture of all kinds, where it’s common to get a bargain if you haggle hard enough.
• Ravivari Market in Gujarat, Ahmedabad - this popular Sunday flea market is believed to be around 600 years old, and has over 1,200 regular traders. The bazaar is huge and sells everything, but is particularly known for antique and retro objects.³
• Anjuna Flea Market, Goa - this is more of a general flea market, where you can buy everything from clothes and handicrafts to books and jewellery. But if you’re in or near Goa anyway, it’s well worth stopping by to look for antiques, as antiques dealers are known to have stalls here. You can find everything from coins and stamps to watches, clocks and maps.

Best antiques and vintage shops in India

There are also a number of renowned antiques shops in India, along with auction houses, warehouses and whole districts of vintage stores. Some of the best include:²

• Phillips Antiques in Mumbai
• Muneeswaran Kovil Street in Karaikudi - home to 18+ antiques shops⁴
• Accurate Demolisher in Bengaluru (ignore the name, this fantastic shop is bursting with colonial era furniture, artefacts and lamps)²
• Balaji’s Antiques and Collectibles in Bengaluru
• Saudades in Goa
• Crafters in Kochi
• Heritage Arts Antique Store in Kochi
• The Russell Exchange (auction house) in Kolkata
• International Antiques in Mumbai
• Kohli Furnitures in New Delhi
• The Carpet Cellar (antique rugs) in New Delhi
• Geethanjali in Puducherry

Antiques shopping tips in India

If it’s your first time antique shopping in India, you’ll need to know about the local customs. Here are some helpful tips to help you shop safe and smart, and get the best deal:

• Negotiation is expected when buying antiques in India, especially when shopping at a flea market.⁵ So, dust off your haggling skills and hold your nerve, and you may be able to get a bargain. Just remember to factor in additional costs when agreeing a price, especially for large items. This includes packing, Indian customs, transportation to the port, sea freight, UK port charges and onward transport.
• Watch out for replicas when buying antiques in India. There are a lot of them out there, and they can look very realistic. If you’re looking for something in particular, it can pay to do your research in advance so you know what to check when you see the piece in person.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to see evidence of provenance and authenticity. You should also check the quality and condition of the item carefully before committing to a purchase.
• Always have cash ready, just in case the seller doesn’t accept other payment methods. As foreigners aren’t permitted to bring the currency into the country, you might want to plan a trip to an ATM in advance to get hold of some rupees. If you need to pay by card, check you have a travel-friendly debit card so you won’t rack up huge fees.

If cards are accepted at the particular antiques store you’re buying at, the Wise card is one of the best you can use.

The Wise card automatically converts your British pounds to Indian rupees when you spend, for just a small conversion fee. Best of all, it does the conversion at the mid-market exchange rate. This means you get more rupees for your pounds, so you can splash out a little more at the flea market.

Learn more about the Wise card 💳

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

What antiques to look for in India?

Whether you have something specific in mind or you’re happy to browse, it’s useful to know the best places to go for each category of antiques. We’ve put together a few tips below.

Indian antique furniture

For furniture, your best bet is a specialist dealer or furniture market, such as the Oshiwara Furniture Market, Jogeshwari.

You can also try antiques shops which specialise in a particular era or type of furniture, such as Kohli Furnitures in Delhi which specialises in Raj-era colonial pieces.²

Indian maps and postcards

If you’re prepared to sift through plenty of junk, you’re likely to uncover maps and postcards at some of the better flea markets in India. Balaji’s Antiques and Collectibles in Bengaluru is also known to be a good spot for unearthing antique Indian maps.²

Indian vintage clothing

There are a few good places to pick up vintage clothing and textiles in India. The Russell Exchange auction house in Kolkata is known for auctioning vintage clothes on certain days, and you can also find a huge range of textiles and clothes dating back 50+ years at the Museum Quality Textiles shop in Bhuj.²

Indian antique accessories

For everything else, flea markets are the places to go. If you’re searching for a specific item though, you may be best researching the specialist dealers and shops in the area.

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How to bring your Indian antiques back to the UK?

Finding that one special item and negotiating the price are only part of the experience when buying antiques in India. The next challenge is figuring out how to ship your purchases back home to the UK.

How to import antique furniture from India?

The first and most crucial thing to remember is that it is illegal to import Indian-origin antiquities over 100 years old out of India. If unsure whether your item is covered by the law, it’s always smart to double-check.

For items you are allowed to import from India to the UK, it’s recommended to work with a third party importer or shipping company to help you get your item safely back to the UK. There are customs regulations and paperwork to navigate, and taxes and duties to pay. It can be complicated, and getting it wrong can be costly.

It may be the case that the antiques dealer you buy from can recommend a suitable shipping company.

Best Indian antique dealers

Antiques dealers tend to be specialists in their own area, such as in a particular era or type of furniture. So to find the best Indian antique dealers, you may need to narrow down your search.

A good place to start is this list compiled by Architectural Digest, which features some of the best shops, markets, auction houses and dealers in India - as recommended by industry experts.

Maintaining and displaying your Indian antiques

With your antiques safely shipped back home in the UK, all that’s left to do is find the perfect spot to display them.

You’ll also want to look up information on maintaining the item, especially for anything rare or fragile. You may be able to get some advice from the seller before leaving India.

It’s also smart to consider getting insurance and reviewing your security measures, in order to safeguard particularly valuable purchases.

If you and your antiques are settling in India, make sure to read our guide to cost of living in India.

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And that’s it - your essential guide to buying antiques in India. It’s a huge country known for its magnificent and diverse selection of antiques, but you need to know where to look. There are also those laws prohibiting the export of older antiques, which could put a damper on your antiques hunt.

But hopefully after reading this, you’ll have an idea of where to start planning your shopping trip.

And, if you want a transparent, low-cost way to handle your travel expenses abroad, check out the Wise account and get the Wise card to spend with a fair exchange rate.

Sign up with Wise today 💰

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

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Sources used for this article:

1. It’s Art Law - An Excursion into the Antiquities’ Law of India
2. Architectural Digest - Your guide to India’s most unique antique finds
3. Ahmedabad Online - Gujari Market Ahmedabad
4. Explorations Company - Amazing Antiques Shopping in Tamil Nadu
5. Scaramanga - Buying Antique and Vintage Furniture In India

Sources checked on 19-Oct-2023.