Rara Avis

The things we say – I’m starving; See Rome and die; I would give my arm for that dress/bag/house. If we are to account for every idle word on Judgment Day, I for one am royally screwed.

A Patek Phillipe 1518 watch sold for £9m at auction last week. This is not my usual rant about wasted resources: I’m assuming whoever bought it is using it as a  way to park money. As long as there are other people on the planet willing to pay similar sums, it’s as good as buying a house etc etc. That of course assumes he (trust me, it’s a man) doesn’t drop it—Oops 🙂 It’s ironic though that the worth of this timepiece is that it accrues value as time passes, but only if it’s not actually used to tell time. However, what really caught my attention was the reaction of an over-excited dealer in watches, “I have waited a lifetime to see a 1518 in stainless steel”. I laughed like a drain. It reminded me of the Nunc Dimittis: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen the Patek Philippe 1518 watch, stainless steel version”. Sounds silly, doesn’t it? The Messiah, yes. A timepiece, not so much. Or in Trumpese – ridiculous, crazy, nuts! Not the Grand Canyon, the Kalahari desert, or the Victoria Falls. A watch. I know he was properly carried away in the moment but still, it made me think about the ridiculous stuff I say, day in, day out.

I thought I might share some of the beautiful works I have been reading about lately, starting with Fenella Elms’ terrific ceramics and Jane Sheppard’s gorgeous handmade tiles. They are not particularly rare, but that does not make them any less beautiful. If you really want to see something unique and beautiful, look in a mirror. Every human being on this planet is both irreplaceable and astonishing. Have a wonderful week.

(Photos: Patek Phillipe 1518 watch; Fragility of Uncertainty, Fenella Elms; Ceramic Sculpture, Fenella Elms; Jane Sheppard tiles x 2)

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