A few years back when we were still in Missoula (ah, how I miss Missoula) I purchased this cup from an artist friend. He was showing me some of his refined and very beautiful pottery when I spotted this piece. He said he was experimenting with a different firing technique and this cup came out pretty messy. I fell in love with the imperfections, the weird textures and general lopsidedness of the cup.
Inside you can see that there is this blue patch and it is almost like glass, smooth and polished next to the chunky choppy texture of the rest of the cup. I love to drink out of this cup because it is such an experience. I drink my tea and explore the cup.Years later when I learned about wabi sabi I instantly thought of this cup. The imperfections are exactly what make this cup so special to me. I think in general I have a pretty wabi sabi approach to life.
Here are some of the perfect imperfections in my life:
- Bumblebee, my wonky footed basset hound
- The fact that I have one slightly crooked tooth that sometimes catches my lip when I smile.
- My appendectomy scar.
- Ophelia's uneven cat mustache.
- Paint stains on my clothes.
17 comments:
Not only do I love the cup, I totally share imperfections 1,2, and 5! Our doggie has some sort of neuro defect that means she can't feel her feet and runs like an 18-wheeler with a loose back end; my front incisor has been orthodontized (?) twice but still peeks out the tiniest bit (I think it's charming); and my clothes are frequently stained with paint, covered in threads, and being yanked by little hands. 1 + 2 + 5 = heaven at our house!
Life would be more bearable if we all learnt how to love our little imperfections a tad bit more.
Thanks for a most magnificent post.
Greetings from London.
hey maria - i love your 'wabi sabis' - the tea cup looks like it would be so fun to hold!
check back to read the rest of my post - i was in the middle of working on it when you commented . . .
it's always nice to hear from you.
My life is filled with wabi sabi. I just never new what to call it. Asymetry is actually a characteristic of a living organism. Thanks for an informative post.
I think the imperfect is what makes the world so wonderful.
I did not know about wabi sabi.
I love learning something new.
What a lovely idea!
hee hee. i first learned of wabi sabi from an episode of the cartoon "King of the Hill." (i feel like a giant dork for mentioning that.)
as i've gotten older i've tried to have a more wabi sabi approach to life as well.
i love your wonky footed dog. our chihuahua has seriously crooked nipples. if you were to flip her over you'd see nipples everywhere. it's one of the many things that make her special
i hadn't heard of wabi sabi before today, but i have always loved it.
Hi and thanks for stopping by my blog. I really love this term Wabi Sabi. One of the reasons I like it so much is that it relates to acceptance and just letting things lie the way they are. Have a happy day and many more wabi sabi moments to come.
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm glad you like very houses.:)
I love the word Wabi Sabi. It really means acceptance. It is these little imperfections in life that make it so wonderful. I like the cup too. Have a very wonderful day and many more wabi sabi moments to come.
Love the beautiful imperfections of the tea cup. And I love beautiful imperfections in life too. I will agree that Bumblebee and Ophelia's little imperfections make them all the more lovable.
Love that mug. I've recently been on the hunt for a new favorite mug after mine broke. I love having that familiar "go to" mug. And yours is just dreamy. Wish I could find one like it.
Great cup! After spending a few years of my childhood in Japan I was hooked on Asian design and many of the philosophies. Your little cup made me long for a return... someday!
how inspiring. as someone who strives for perfect perfection this is a good reminder to love the imperfections, too. i love asymmetry in art, why wouldn't i love it in my life? :) also, LOVE the tea cup, i love my tea so much more when it is in a meaningful mug.
I'm taking a pottery class and have been inadvertently been making a lot of wabi sabi! It's great fun. My pup is also one of the perfect imperfections in my life...she has a couple of health issues, including a neuro defect that causes partial seizures. I wouldn't trade her for anything. Incidentally, I dressed her as a bumblebee for Halloween!
I wanted to tell you that the other day when I was at the book store there was a childrens book called, Wabi Sabi. It is the name of the cat in the story. The next time you are at a book store you should check it out.
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