Sea Pottery, Vintage brass and copper, Swarovski crystal
In addition to sea glass one can find sea pottery shards along the beach especially if you're near an old dump. Pottery shards can be as decorative as the ironstone plate piece as seen in my mixed media piece above and blue and white pendant below, or of a more utilitarian use like a redware bowl piece or white stoneware.
The pieces that have the patterns like those shown on these two were likely transferware. They remind me of my late Aunt Nancy's blue and white collection of dishes that her family used every day and the extended family loved to use at Thanksgiving. They also are a reminder of my heritage, as the blue and white shard came from a beach in Scotland where my ancestors walked and dragged their boats out to catch eels and fish for meals. They were also sea merchants carrying trade between Asia and Europe. Some of those ships went aground and their cargo lost to sea or taken by those who lived in poverty along the Irish and Scottish coasts.
Sea Pottery, Sterling Silver feather heart
Feathering My Nest was inspired by all the nurturing women in my family that made everyone feel welcome and had so much tangible history of generations in their homes. I was fortunate to inherit a few things that I love to use and display in my home. I'd much rather have that feeling of history and warmth than items created for the modern masses.
Last year the NYTimes wrote an article about how the grandchildren of those that are currently elderly do not want the family heirlooms. They don't want the clutter. They don't want the responsibility. That's leaving those retirees and parents to wonder what to do with the traditional family heirlooms.
I'm not going to pass judgment on them for feeling that way. Life is different now for them and I imagine they'll need to pick up and move more frequently than even I have (which is over 20!) for jobs and family. It just makes me kind of sad for those memories that are attached to family meals and passions. I treasure the items that I was fortunate enough to inherit from not only my own family, but my in-laws. Maybe it's a lesson that we should make more memories with our family and friends and not rely on the physical to remind us of their love.
"Change is the Law of Life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." John F. Kennedy