Spot of tea?
Laval, QC, December 2006
When I set up my tripod in front of my parents' china cabinet, I found myself going back in time, capturing glimpses of my family's past (see here for another image from that shoot.) As I moved in for a closer look, I thought about the artistry it took to create these three-dimensional pieces of art all those years ago.
Your turn: Do family heirlooms matter to you? Why/why not?
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19 comments:
Carmi, they matter to me perhaps mpre than they ought to. As an only child, I had my pick of my parent's treasures, which included many of my grandmother's things as well. They are immensely sentimental to me and I cannot bear to part with more then just a few of them. I can only hope that my children will treasure and protect them, as I do.
Yes, they are my family heritage. I have a brass box that belonged to my grandmother. She bought it when she was stationed in India when my grandfather was in the army. I used to love looking in it as a child as it contained all sorts of 'treasure' such as my grandfathers medals. It was the only thing I wnated when she passed away. These things link us to the past and to people who are now gone.
Michele sent me to say I hope that answers your question :)
Absolutely. I wonder if perhaps I hold onto heirlooms more tightly because of how suddenly my mother died. Then again, I've always been sentimental.
There are very few heirlooms in my family, so mostly I try to find things that can become heirlooms for my children. My husband's family has heirlooms, but mine has a couple of pieces of furniture (which are very dear to me) and otherwise my grandmothers both seemed to think all their stuff is disposable.
Here via Michele's! Thanks!
Spot of tea? Love it :o) I have nothing for heirlooms from my family and I think that's why I go overboard today. I have items I cherish and will be passing them on. The next generations will most certainly have heirlooms to treasure.
Heirlooms mean a lot to me because of the memories associated with them. When I pick up an object that my grandmother held dear, it is as if I am holding a part of her...and my childhood memories come rushing back.
They matter a great deal. They don't even necessarily need to be heirlooms from "my" family. I've just always thought that old photographs and things from the past were treasures.
I don't own a lot of family heirlooms, but I do have my grandmother's teacup collection, and I display it in the dining room with my wedding china. Funny thing is, I don't drink hot tea and I don't eat off the china.
it's like this. I may not be able to remember a song from scratch, but when I hear it on the radio, I can sing along.
Heirlooms are like souvenirs w/that extra special touch -- they spark memories, smells, and visions of the past and somehow, a sense of continuity w/your bloodline.
Oh yes - my mother's set of simple white china with a thin silver band, especially the sugar bowl. We used to sneak into the china closet to pop our chewed gun in the sugar once the gum had lost its flavor (ewwww!) Michele would certainly disapprove of such bad manners ;)
Yes, family heirlooms matter to me a great deal...I have a few treasured things from my grandmother..a piece of China, here and there...And lots of things from both my mother and my father, though I had to BUY the things from my fathers estate---Don't Ask! (THeres a book there...) Anyway, I feel these things are a treasured link to my ancestors and it enriches my life to have them and use them....!
Hey, Carmi...you followec me at Michele HOURS ago..but haven't been to see me yet! What's up with that?
Hope all is well with youy, my dear.
Yes, but they don't have to be valuable or beautiful, as long as they have a story. I have a very worn silver spoon that belonged to my greatgrandmother, and I'm very attached to the story about how she hid the family silver down the well to save it from the bailiffs, before the family ran away to New Zealand.
There wasn't much of value to leave, and since my father was a youngest child, not much of the valuable stuff came down to our side of the family.
Carmi: family, history, shared backgrounds... lovely stuff.
On a different note, thanks for standing up for michele and the site this evening...
Best,
N.
They do mean a lot to me. I have a special outfit that was knitted for my mother before she was born. She wore it home from the hospital. I also wore it home from the hospital. Unfortunately, it didn´t arrive in time for my son to come home in it, but I still have it stored in a special place for when his firstborn comes into this world.
They used to matter more earlier in my life, I've come to overlook that now when I'm an old hag... *giggles*
Truth is: It's been necessary to get rid of a lot of my stuff since we now live in a very small apartment, because we want to travel instead. We've done a lot of travel butt are stuck here at the moment for different reasons. We will begin to travel later again - or maybe move abroad.
I'll vote for you at Bloggers Choice Awards, because you have a really good blog here and a neat attitude I like :-)
Most definitely. I have quite a few heirlooms and they become more dear as the years tick by. Right now my children take all those things for granted because they've always been around, but when they're grown they'll treasure them also (at least, I hope so!) One of my favorite things is a drawing done by my children's great, great aunt back in 1927 when she was an art student at KU.
I think it can also depend on individual taste..I do love antiques so the few things I have that has been passed down I truely charish...they bring us fond memories or make us smile as we think of the person or history behind them. I do however know ppl don't like to hold on to STUFF..to much clutter, or dust collectors they say..I guess one can understand that to a point also. I'm not much for clutter myself but everything has it's place. My few pieces of historical heritage are precious to me.
My husband's grandmother (who recently passed away) was a china painter. I love some of her pieces so much and have always hoped that some of them will find their way into my china cabinet.
I love teacups. They're memory makers. Here in Taiwan, the tea cups are shaped different, and tea is more casual, but it's still a social affair. And the teacups are beautiful.
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