As so often happens, once I have proposed a weekend theme, my ability to put the simplest post together for it flees to Outer Mongolia, or maybe to the Arctic Circle.
However I had time, while shopping for numerous birthday presents and one wedding present, to think about the things handed down in our family.
I have a few, a teaspoon with my great aunt’s name engraved on the back. Oh how I had hoped for the matching serving spoons, but they, alas, were lost along the way.
A brass spirit level from my father’s fore bearers, as well as some woodworking tools from the same era. I am never quite sure what to do with them.
A Chinese kist or box from my great aunt. I remembered it as quite large, but when my father brought it to me it is well below knee height. Childhood proportions differ from adult ones, and i had sat on it often, admiring it as a child. When I drink lime juice and see it, I remember sitting in her room, on the kist, listening politely and answering embarrassing questions as she and her friends ( who all lived in the same boarding house ) had their evening drink together.
I have a carriage clock from the same source, but it came via my aunt who inherited it from her aunt. I remember it being in both of their homes.
I wonder if anything of mine will continue in the family? If anything does, I hope it is my tea pot. Sleek clean lines of Danish stainless steel.
The things we want after someone dies or is getting rid of when downscaling their lives, each wants something different, usually from specific happy memories. I wonder what their memories will be…
February 3rd, 2013 at 3:46 pm
Some lovely items. I took a look at the carriage clock and gave a yelp of alarm. Fortunately I then tracked ours down lurking in the back of a display cabinet. It looks just the same.
February 3rd, 2013 at 3:56 pm
Colm,
Those clocks are common, even today.
I love the spiit level, but am scared some workman will take it away
February 3rd, 2013 at 7:03 pm
My Dad’s box of tools skipped a generation and went to one of my son’s. His wife wonders what on earth to do with them!
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:42 pm
My brother inherited them, but when he died I rescued them from his garage.’
February 3rd, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Oh yes and I love the spirit level – really beautiful. By coincidence I was told earlier today that I could get a spirit level app on my iphone. NOT the same at all – even if it would mean I had it with me should I happen to want one
February 4th, 2013 at 6:16 am
The app one is great for some uses, but the real thing is beautiful as well as having a purpose
February 3rd, 2013 at 7:31 pm
That spirit level would end up in my showcase, next to the ancient tin opener and nut cracker – just love those old things.
have quite a few old tools from my father too.
Good collection Sidey.
As for the memories people see in your stuff – I dunno of anybody sees any memories in my old things. They’re just dust gatherers for other people I suppose.
February 4th, 2013 at 6:17 am
I do not have a showcase. Things need a place and preferably to be used in my home
February 4th, 2013 at 9:13 am
Not in mine – I keep my treasures behind glass to see – some of them are too old to use, and I will never just throw anything out.
February 4th, 2013 at 7:09 pm
gosh, you are so organised
February 4th, 2013 at 7:11 pm
Not organised – cluttered would be the correct word to describe my life
February 3rd, 2013 at 10:40 pm
Herilooms, things and the value we attach to them are more a product of our emotions and our memories (not stating anything new here) but when I try to think of the things I think my son or my grandchildren would want when I’m gone it’s hard to ponder. What I think they’ll want is probably not even close to what they will covet.
February 4th, 2013 at 6:18 am
True, it is the memories that go with them that make family heirlooms exactly that
February 3rd, 2013 at 10:44 pm
You have some lovely heirlooms, Sidey!
February 4th, 2013 at 6:19 am
I think so and each is specila because of the people and memories involved
February 4th, 2013 at 2:25 am
Beautiful
My father in law also had a carriage clock similar to that one at one time.
Once again a great challenge, which got us searching, dusting off, photographing, recording and remembering.
February 4th, 2013 at 6:20 am
I love it when my theme adds something special to peoples weekends
February 4th, 2013 at 4:00 am
Your father’s Spirit Level, just something in the name of the instrument that seems fitting to give or leave someone. After all it is the inherent memories that often define us is what gives an heirloom importance, I suppose the object itself could be as simple as an HB pencil. Depends on context. I remember my brother wanting a couple fishing lures of our fatherss (he’s still alive but has dementia). I thought odd, considering my fathers inaptness at fishing. To my brother that was fond fun memory and the lures were important to him. I made sure he got them his next trip home..
What will their memories be? -A question I have never considered. SCARY. When I think about, I wonder if anyone will even want my ‘shtufffs’. Kinda gives one incentive to be a good person. I have a few items which fall under ‘found’ heirlooms. But if anyone has hopes of attaining them, disappoint awaits, as one perhaps two I plan on burying in another country all together -give some future young anthropologist thesis paper.
February 4th, 2013 at 6:23 am
I think the spirit level is very old, the woodworkers in the family go back for five ir six generations in this country. It must xarry a lot of memories.
I remember so loving the spoon as a child. It is tiny and very beautiful.
We should all be burying non rusting tins with weird things in to confuse the future
February 4th, 2013 at 6:54 am
If that Spirit Level goes back that far, I can only imagine the sense of pride that went along with it each time it was passed along the line. That in itself speaks volumes of where it is you came from. Quite special.
My mother has such a spoon. it was her mother’s, before that my grandmother’s mother. My mother is cool as a cucumber, but you can see the sparkle from that spoon in her eyes when she brings it out -she just glows. Am sure my sister will feel the same way.
As for burying to confuse the future -its fun to be a subversive at times
February 4th, 2013 at 8:05 am
The family arrived from Norway and moved into the forest at Knysna and set up (with other Norwegian families) a sawmill.
I am one of those with sawdust in their veins
February 4th, 2013 at 8:49 pm
[...] There are not many family heirlooms in this family, so I had to rack by brains for something interesting to share after Sidey set the challenge this weekend [...]
February 4th, 2013 at 8:56 pm
here you go, a little late!
http://pseu1.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/something-old-ish/
February 5th, 2013 at 8:46 am
I just live the carriage clock. We have one that no longer works sadly.
February 5th, 2013 at 6:20 pm
THere is a horologist in Rosebank who fixed mine. It’s a rare skill today, but there he is.