"Art does not reproduce the visible, it makes things visible in the first place."

Paul Klee, 1879-1940

Friday, March 05, 2010

When the family cleaned out DH's grandparents' home I took very few things because our styles were light years apart.  However, I did grab this darling little lady for my mom who had many items in her home that were Japanese, and her decorating and aesthetics ran in that direction.  I love it, though it is not anything I ever would have picked out for myself.  I love it because my mother was delighted with it.  And I love it because everytime I look at it I think of her. I can hear her giddiness and see her wide smile when she opened the paper bag, saw it inside, and pulled it out.   It is tiny, and graceful, like she was.  And it has a sweet face like she had.  It sits in front of one of her Japanese marble plaques, just like it did at her house all those years she owned it.  I love it most of all because she loved it.  Oh, and...the vest...the orange vest...

4 comments:

jenclair said...

:) I have several things that I wouldn't have chosen for myself, but still have that connection to my mother. They are a comfort and make me smile.

I love this little lady serving tea!

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

Hi- I love this sweet post! When my mother asked me what I wanted from her things, I wanted things that reminded me of her- her old embroidered Santa apron- which she made when I was a child, and her black beaded purse. Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your nice comments! I've enjoyed visiting yours, too!

Rian said...

What a poignant post. I too have a few knicknacks around there that my mother took delight in. And while they are not my style, my heart lights up when I look at them.

Debra Dixon said...

It's interesting how quickly a knickknack can send us back to the giver with a connection or two. I still have some very favorite items from my first husband that I doubt I will ever be able to part with in my life. You would think they would make me sad but they don't.

Through the power of the Internet, I was able to see my former husband and his current wife's house on a house virtual tour & it surprised me to see some items I had given him in plain sight on shelves (and a quilt on the couch).

I guess we can't always divorce nostalgia.