Sunday 26 August 2012

Useful Objects

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best but who would have thought that there is controversy on who invented this useful object.  The Norwegians claim it on this stamp of the 1999 set 'Norwegian Inventions' and during the second world war it was their symbol of resistance to the Nazis. The (more interesting than you would think) story of the paper clip here    But lets go to a room where there are no paper clips
1983 Women "At Home"
 although then again you may use them to clip some recipes together.  Is this a cooking lesson or breakfast?  I don't know but there is a full table, coffee, milk, egg, preserves, grapes, flowers and a kilner jar.  I wonder if there is a stamp somewhere celebrating the kilner jar, they always take me back to my childhood and my mother bottling fruits.  But for other household utensils travel to Romania whose strong folk traditions
1982 "Household Utensils"
mean that each rural area has its own characteristic. Wood and ceramics become both beautiful and practical. Left is a jug and plate from Vama-Maramurs, and wooden churn and pail from North Moldavia.
Ceramic Plates from Leheceni-Crisana

Ceramic bowl and pot from Marginea-Suceava
Wooden tubs from Hunedoora, Transylvania and Suceava in Moldavia.

Lastly objects that cross from merely practical to be art, the Rio Grande blankets featured on

2005 - Rio Grande blankets
the 5th of the aptly named American Treasures series.

An entry to Viridian Postcard's Sunday Stamps theme of "Useful or Practical Things"

10 comments:

Scriptor Senex said...

A really interesting post - thanks.

Lisa B said...

I would never have imagined there being a stamp with a paper clip on it!
Lovely selection for the theme.

VioletSky said...

You are right - that story article of the paper clip was more interesting than one would imagine. The Norwegians obviously do not care that no one else believes they invented the paperclip!

Marcie said...

I did not know that the paper clip was a Norwegian invention!

Ana said...

here they use the paperclip invention to stimulate young people to be creative and to show them that out of ordinary things, very useful items can result...im just not sure what's the outcome of that campaign..
this year Macedonia issued a rather similar stamp to the Brazilian one :)
http://www.posta.mk/thumbnail.php?file=postenski_marki/2012/kilimi.jpg&size=article_large

viridian said...

A kilner jar... here they are canning jars or Ball Jars (after a leading manufacturer). Yes the story of the paper clip is interesting and an invention I depend on every day at the office.

Thank you for joining in.

Bob Scotney said...

A paper clip and a kilner jar - two very useful inventions. I wonder whether there are stamps depicting a stapler and velcro. I'v seen that clip at Sandvika.

Dănuţ Ivănescu said...

Mmmmm, again romanian stamps. I like.

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

All very useful but I had to smile at a stamp dedicated to the paper clip. I had never thought of it being invented.

♥♥ Willa ♥♥ said...

Paper Clip,a useful invention indeed and interesting story.Can you imagine the mess at your work station without those clip keep all the paper organize? :)
- My Sunday Stamp:Useful