New Acquisitions #6

This felted scarf in off-white & grey merino is a creation of skaapie. It keeps my neck cozy in a most agreeable manner. (I got it at the Saturday market in Tokai forest.) It has also inspired another acquisition which I will show tomorrow.

New Acquisitions #5

I have a whole week of new acquisitions lined up. You will think that I have been shopping up a storm, but you must remember that these represent two-and-a-half months worth of shopping. That doesn't sound so bad, does it?

This knitted dog was made by a Zimbabwean woman - she was selling them outside the hotel near our house. She had a whole row of sweet little animals. I didn't see her again - I wonder what happened to her? I know that some Zimbabweans left the country after threats of xenophobic violence were made after the World Cup - was she one of them?

New Acquisitions #4

I coveted these when I first saw them - I love all the artists featured. Also, I have a thing for cards - playing cards, tarot cards, post cards, ACEOs, and yes, even  kids' games such as Happy Families. The first lot sold out before I could get my act together, and then I saw on Esti's blog that I had another chance to order them. Yay! It is like having 32 miniature works of art. (See here for all the artists).

Have a great weekend everyone. Be a Happy Family.

New Acquisitions #3

Yes, this is not useful or necessary, but oh, so beautiful! And they last for ages.  I got four proteas at the Porter market (in Tokai Forest).

New Acquisitions #2

I bought a few things over the past few weeks. Not because they are useful or necessary, but simply because I thought they were beautiful. The first (#1) was the Ngoni stool in the previous post.
The second is this hand-painted barbershop sign from Tanzania. I have a thing for barbers and barbershops. At one stage my grandfather was the oldest practising barber in the country. And L'Usband, although not a barber by profession, has been cutting my hair for the last 10 years. I wouldn't think of letting anyone else touch it.

Wabi-sabi - a philosophy.

I recently read this book by Leonard Koren after annekata mentioned it.

A small, unassuming book, printed simply, with a few black and white photographs ...

Leaf decomposing on sidewalk - Leonard Koren

 ... short enough to read through in one sitting. It has kept my mind occupied for over a week now. So, not the kind of book that you read and promptly forget when you close it.

It sets out Koren's idea of what wabi-sabi entails, and starts out like this:
"Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
It is a beauty of things modest and humble.
It is a beauty of things unconventional."

He goes on to describe the links with Zen Buddhism, attempts to explain the subtle differences between wabi and sabi, compares wabi-sabi with Modernism, and then sets out what he considers to be the wabi-sabi universe - its metaphysical basis, spiritual values, the state of mind it fosters, its moral precepts, and material qualities.

I think the Ngoni stool I purchased recently embodies some of the elements of wabi-sabi. Unadorned, sturdy, rustic, imperfect. Used. Although wabi-sabi is not necessarily about functionality, I like the fact that my stool can be used (and has been used) as a neck rest, a stool for meditation, a cutting board, and to hold tea lights.

Tick Tock.

I received a lovely gift from a friend last week - all the way from New York. One of her original illustrations! An artist and illustrator, she also writes (and illustrates) these two blogs: here and here. Her work reminds me of that of Maira Kalman - she shares the same ability to illustrate a perfectly ordinary event or object in such a way that one can't wait to turn the page (or wait for the next instalment).

Have a great weekend, dear friends. Have a cup of tea (rooibos, preferably); better yet, share it with a friend!