Mark your space with a rug, painting or that vase

Human beings are not the only species on the planet that like to decorate their home and surroundings. What impels us to do so? A friend surmises that the Neanderthals started cave painting in order to tell their women not to stray to the wrong cave! In the animal kingdom, decorative displays are more to do with attracting a mate.

Homo sapiens, on the other hand, use a mix of colour, textures, spatial arrangements and memorabilia to help define space. My credo could be, ‘Let a thousand flowers bloom.’ This is my space! So, that would mean a marking of territory. We are attracted by something creative — art, paintings, rugs, furniture, sculpture, or hey! plastic flowers — and within our means, if the same can be bit more advanced than their purely practical aspect. The more evolved the object is and far from being purely utilitarian, the greater our sense of satisfaction.

I was striding through a gift section of a large sprawling hypermarket, trying to do a quick turn on the third floor to find some plastic flowerpots to repot some of my herbs. The area was infested … did I say that? I mean it was festooned with plastic flowers of every lurid description that could possibly make my toes curl. I’m not fond of plastic flowers to put it mildly.

The shop had new stock and as I hurried through, almost holding my breath, I saw some vases out of the corner of my eye. It made me pause mid-stride, and I saw some fairly decent works of pottery. One

One small, plump vase with a tiny neck was beautiful, and as I stood there holding this beautiful piece of creativity in that sea of abomination, I decided I had to rescue it.

small, plump vase with a tiny neck was beautiful, and as I stood there holding this beautiful piece of creativity in that sea of abomination, I decided I had to rescue it. I requested the sales girl at the checkout counter to please wrap extra wads of newspaper around the mouth of the vase. That is where most pottery and ceramics suffer damage. If you’ve noticed many a time, the spout of the teapot will get chipped in transit, if you change houses or ship it for any reason.

When I reached home, my six-year-old was curious about the plump, round vase that surveyed my home from its vantage point in my hands. Why did you buy it, my son demanded. Had I not gone out to find something in which I could plant the sprawling mint? True, I concurred. But I couldn’t leave this little thing, I said. It called me. My son stroked the smoothness of the vase. He liked it, he said. I thought my son was being kind to me, offering his approval. Children do that some times. “It looks like a lake that is on fire,” he said. I looked at the vase curiously. It had a pale blue, soft brush stippling effect on the lower curves, and the same pointillist effect in shades of orange on the top. Tongues of flame.

I loved the description my son gave. We both enjoyed the new addition to our home. I was rather pleased with my purchase and admired it often, as it sat fatly content on my bookshelf.

harveena@khaleejtimes.com