South Indian Wooden Rolling Pin
South Indian hardwood rolling pin
Overall view of hardwood rolling pin showing elongated central barrel and turned handles.
Name/Title
South Indian Wooden Rolling PinEntry/Object ID
177Description
Summary A hardwood South Indian rolling pin used for preparing chapathis, pooris, and parathas within the family household. Acquired in Karnataka during the 1970s, the rolling pin remained in continuous culinary use for decades and was later brought to Bangalore House, where Vijaya Kumari Ramakrishna continued using it daily during her final extended stay in California circa 2012–2013. The object remains in active use within the household today. Detailed The rolling pin is turned from dark hardwood with an elongated central barrel tapering toward narrow cylindrical handles terminating in rounded end knobs. Construction is lathe-turned and hand-finished, producing a compact and balanced form suited for repetitive manual rolling of flatbread dough. Surface condition reflects prolonged kitchen use over multiple decades. The wood exhibits smoothing, darkening, and polishing from sustained handling, particularly along the handles and central working surface. Minor abrasions and wear are consistent with continuous practical use. No major structural cracking or deformation is visible. Rolling pins of this type formed part of the essential domestic infrastructure of South Indian kitchens during the mid- and late-20th century, where daily preparation of chapathis, pooris, and parathas required repetitive hand rolling as part of ordinary meal production. Unlike occasional Western pastry tools, such implements were used routinely, often multiple times daily. According to family history, this was the older and preferred rolling pin owned by Vijaya Kumari Ramakrishna, acquired in Karnataka circa 1970–1975. Although a second rolling pin existed within the household, this smaller example remained favored for regular use. The object was brought to Bangalore House circa 2007 and was actively used there during Vijaya Kumari Ramakrishna’s final extended stay in California around 2012–2013, when she prepared chapathis daily for household meals before returning to Bangalore, where she later passed away. The rolling pin continues to remain in active culinary use within Bangalore House. Earlier use was associated with a traditional wooden rolling board, while current use employs a marble rolling surface, documenting adaptation of kitchen practice while preserving continuity of tool use.Category
Service Collection