It was a rainy May day in Srinagar last year, when three women chased down an unwitting driver and made him come to a halt. It was after weeks of searching for a Maruti 800 that the trio had finally sighted one that suited their needs. The car owner stepped out and stood patiently under his umbrella for close to an hour as his blue Maruti 800 underwent a photoshoot hosted by the three.

The unassuming four-wheeler is one of 200 objects to make it to Sar: The Essence of Indian Design, published by Phaidon, to be launched in the last week of July. Curated by fashion designer Rashmi Varma and curator and artist Swapnaa Tamhane, and photographed by Prarthna Singh, Sar excuses itself from exotic India and immerses itself in the form, design and function of everyday objects. It’s a delectable list, spanning geographies, roping in the antique and the contemporary, hitching the utilitarian with the ornamental, However, the curation never loses sight of the everyday-ness of these objects, be it the masala dabba in Indian kitchens or a saree made from mulberry silk designed by young Benarasi revivalist Sanjay Garg.