Sibella Court

Toran on Provenance at Cloth & Kind

prov-e-nance ˈpräv-nən(t)s, ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s
noun. the place of origin or earliest known history of something.

My obsession with ethnic textiles continues, this time in a new Provenance post over at Cloth & Kind on toran, the embroidered and embellished door hangings from Northwest India. There is nothing I like better than a little repurposing and they are ripe for it. Why confine them to the entrance doorway? What about a window valence…

…or a divine bed canopy?

Please head over to Cloth & Kind to read the full details – I know this is a column you won’t want to miss! Leave a comment there if you are so inspired!

On the same note, if we are talking obsession or inspiration, I realize I have not mentioned Australian stylist, author and self-proclaimed bowerbird Sibella Court enough. Her books and her Sydney atelier, The Society Inc, so vividly encapsulate everything I love about life as a global nomad and collector. In these last weeks, every time I think of an image or an item I want to talk or write about, I turn to her and she has it! Toran as bed canopy? Yes. Giant abacus? Yes. Unlike many, she has spent time trolling the markets of Japan and never ceases to amaze me with what she picks up and how she uses it. Can we just stop and ogle this photo for a moment?

Copper rain chain, Sori Yanagi’s Butterfly Stool, temple book and old black and white photo portrait (this one Chinese though) all set against a faded bamboo fence. Sigh…

Image credits: 1-2. Pinterest, 3. Sibella Court, Nomad: A Global Approach to Interior Style

Apr 26, 2013 By tokyojinja in Books, Movies & TV, Guest Posts, Interior Design, Provenance Columns, Textiles Tags: bed hanging, Cloth & Kind, door hanging, embroidery, Krista Nye Schwartz, Provenance, Sibella Court, Tami Ramsay, toran, valence

Count Your Blessings…Abacus in the Home

I continue to find much inspiration in the small details from this photo, previously featured here and here. On the side table next to the lamp (and oh how gorgeous and divine is that lamp!) there is a small wooden soroban, better known in English as an abacus. A counting tool still common in Asia, even in the age of electronics, abaci (or abacuses, depending on who you talk to) are still sold and their use is taught in Japanese elementary school.

Abaci are not unique to Japan and actually were imported from China around 1600 and this one is actually Chinese (so it is really a suanpan). Originally, the upper part of the Japanese abacus had two “heavenly” beads and the lower part five “earth” beads just like this. Around 1850 it was improved and changed to 1 and 5 beads, and then again in 1891 changed to 1 and 4, which continues to be the common modern abacus used in Japan. Personally, I find these dates to be a little rigid and I don’t think they date pieces exactly, but rather roughly.

Hand colored late 19th-early 20th century photos confirm its use in transactions at all kinds of businesses. I couldn’t resist this kimono shop photo – just look at those amazing rolls of fabric!

Like I said, abaci were used in many countries, and while we are on old photos, here’s one of a young Russian abacus seller. You can see quite clearly the difference in their style – there is no separation of heavenly and earthly beads – and as a result the method of calculation.

So do I know how to use one? Of course not! But I think they make charming additions to vignettes in the home.

I see one peeking out from behind the lamp in this project by Lauren Liess.

Even Pottery Barn and CB2 have jumped on the abacus bandwagon, although neither of these are still available.

I run across abaci at the shrine sales quite frequently. I tend to look out for the older or more unusual ones as a general rule.

I found a particularly giant one designed for classroom teaching or shop use at Kawagoe last spring. It was featured in the article by Lisa Jardine now on the CNN Travel website. The beads are bright yellow to make it easy to see at a distance.

In 9 years I have only seen a few of these huge ones, and never outside of Japan, except in this photo of Sibella Court’s Sydney shop The Society. Somehow I’m not surprised she managed to get her hands on one along with many other Japanese goodies.

So I just happened to stumble across two recently – how is that for luck?. You can get a sense of how big these really are by comparing them to the regular sized abacus propped up along the yellow one. It’s interesting that the beads on these teaching abaci stick where you move them to facilitate lessons.