As the writer of this Almanack I have the pleasure of meeting with the buyers and managers as they show me their newest wares and explain their most popular products. During this last visit with Mr. R, one of the Little Traveler owners, I had the good fortune of being at The Traveler as one of his containers arrived from overseas. Standing in the Gift Gallery there was an excitement in the air. It felt like Christmas morning as I watched a steady stream of smiling faces come from the back room carrying everything from large metal wall art to bottles of wine to boxes of trinkets. Many stopped to show me the treasures and Mr R explained where he found them.
Through all the hustle and bustle a set of vases caught my eye. As a lover of art, I couldn’t help but notice the lines, the symmetry, and the colors. When I asked Mr. R about these pieces, he got a huge grin on his face and told me his story:
While traveling through the Asian market with his nephew, he came across these vases. The style, the design, the colors… they looked so familiar. He asked the vendor where he found these vases. As it turns out, the artist was in the market. The artist told Mr. R. that he had come across a picture of the original design on the internet and used it for the inspiration on his vases.
Imagine his surprise! This was the pattern that Mr R himself had originally designed over 30 years ago while working with artisans in Italy! Of course he couldn’t pass these up! Stop by and see this little piece of history prominently displayed in the Gift Gallery.
~ JS