These are a few of my favorite things

There is beauty in this world, old and new, and while it may be argued that nature's paintbrush is more graceful than Man's chisel, I have a love for Things People Made.

In this post I'd like to talk about the appreciation of objects in their utility and elegance, the sensations they inspire and the impact they have on our lives. Materialistic? Certainly, but we're a tool-using species and a fascination with objects is what elevated us from the mud.

Tools, buildings, ornaments, furniture, clothing. These are the vestibules of humanity, artifacts through which anthropologists can glimpse the spirit of bygone civilizations, and by which we can judge the nature of modern-day cultures as well.