col•lec•tion
/kəˈlekSH(ə)n/
noun: collection
An assembly of items such as works of art or natural objects, especially one systematically ordered.
There are several reasons we collect. Preserving memories and/or ancestry, personal rebellion against mass production or simply because a shape or texture unknowingly prompts a rush of dopamine into our brain.
A LITTLE HISTORY: The word museum comes from Greek "seat of the muses" and designated a philosophical institution or place of contemplation. The word was revived in 15th-century Europe to describe the collection of Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, but the term conveyed the concept of comprehensiveness rather than denoting a building. By the 17th-century, the word museum was being used in Europe to describe collections of curiosities. During the 1700s and 1800s, aristocratic collectors roamed the world in search of fossils, shells, zoological specimens, works of art and books. The collected artifacts were kept in special rooms or “cabinets of curiosities” for safekeeping and private viewing. A “cabinet” was, in part, a symbolic display of the collector’s power and wealth. It was these collectors credited with establishing the first museums in Europe.
I began collecting teapots in my late teens. The idea of vessels being used for brewing leaves took hold of my aesthetic and emotional senses. Aesthetically because an item used for a single purpose could be so varied in shape, design and color. Emotionally for the paradox of sipping a liquid that is simultaneously stimulating and relaxing.
I kept my wares displayed in another room in my home at the far end of the hall limiting who viewed them to discourage well-meaning friends and family from making additions to my discerning collection. Over time the issue arose that I wasn't enjoying my own collection. A few years ago I designed a built-in cabinet for a corner of the family room that is seen from a distant entry viewpoint. Purposely not front and center, but it draws guests into the space. The conversations my collection provokes bring pleasure beyond the physical shape of the pots themselves.
For years during my career as an interior designer I have persuaded many clients to use their collection as part of their interior or exterior decor. I enjoy learning what and why they collect along with tales of the hunt and acquisition. It's not necessary for a collection to be of expensive or valuable objects nor particularly large in number. It only has to be something that supplies a bit of insight into who you are and what appeals to your eye.
The hints of color from your collection can help create a beautiful palette for your home or business. Shape and texture leads me to style lines of furniture and pattern in fabrics. I particularly enjoy adding a detail such as a geometric trim on the edge of toss pillows that mimics a detail from a piece in your vintage beaded handbag collection. Others may not make that connection but you and I know it's there! What can we do with your collection?
A few of my teapots. Some here are over 200 years old.
Staffordshire dogs on display in my home office.