Strange objects in my life.

Images, Satori, strange objects — Stephen on 23 November 2007 @ 10:25 AM — 1 comment

Sometimes I stumble across or notice strange objects in my life. Below is one such object that I found in our basement. It is a handbag my paternal grandmother Cecilia made for my maternal grandmother Annette well over 30 years ago. The main compartment of the handbag seems to have been built or inspired by an old dutch shoe. Crafty old Grandma Celia then lightly shellacked the outside and added Victorian style framed vignettes containing photos of our family to the exterior surface. Inside, a useful compact makeup mirror is affixed to the handsome herringbone felt lining. Finishing touches include a genuine leather and brass closing latch strap, and a handy carrying handle made of brass and stained wood.

What aesthetic tradition could have possibly inspired this handbag? Was it some sort of pattern project from the pages of Good Housekeeping? Did my grandmother have a dark vision in a dream? Did she secretly hate my mother’s mother? Whatever the reason, I am the lucky beneficiary of possibly the greatest creative enigma since Abstract Expressionism.