The First Keyboard
RP sends me a Hammond typewriter, circa 1905, a mechanical writing device with a keyboard. The history of the typewriter is vital to understanding how we think about words and …
Imari Dish
H.B. got lucky at the Assistance League Thrift Store, she left that great little shop with a dish for which she gave under $20. She sends me pictures of that …
The Elephant and the Many Flowers
You might find it odd to see an elephant holding up a thousand flowers with its trunk. That’s the theme of this little Art Deco lamp, sent by DS. She …
Durham Ox Mezzotints
K.R. has two pictures of English cows. These, K.R. are not cows, but oxen, The great-celebrated Durham ox, a castrated bull who became universally admired in all Anglophile countries in …
Grandmother’s Lace Collar
SB sends me a beautiful lace collar that belonged to her grandmother Elsa. Such collars were expensive in the mid-19th century and a young married middle-class girl would’ve been hard …
Japanese Tansus Chest
SL sends me a photo of a gorgeous Japanese tansu that reflects, in a remarkable way, how a piece of furniture can tell the social history of a culture. Tansus, …
Stitch and the Contemporary Collectible
Dr. Jumba, the evil scientist who created Stitch, spoke to the Galactic Council about his creation: “he is bulletproof, fireproof and can think faster than a super computer. He can …
Silver Multi-Formed Epergne from Shanghai
J.A. sends me photos of a lovely silver multi-formed epergne (flower holder) with the unique hallmark “Tuck Chang,” a 19th century silversmith from Shanghai, China. When we think of silver, …
Celluloid Siren Box
RM has a little box, 4 inches wide, 8 long and 5.5 inches tall, made of “composite.” The medium is not wood, not gesso, not plaster, but a combination of …
Fascinating Chinese Table Lamp
MAM sends me a photo of a fascinating Chinese table lamp that is a four-sided gently sloping rectangular shape in colored glazes on white with floral enameling, setting off a …