The Thakat Collection by William Sheppee it''s our signature. These British Colonial reproductions were designed by company founder Sir William Hiley, during one of his early expeditions to India. It began in a small village in Rajasthan, India circa 1988. William had just bartered for a an original, colonial antique, thakat coffee table. He took that table to a local chipper, updated its design, and had it reproduced. And so, from that one antique thakat coffee table... a company was born.