Musing on Collecting IV

Sibella Court’s new book “The Life of a Bowerbird: Creating beautiful interiors with the things you collect” is featured in the February issue of House Beautiful. I was struck by her use of the word curator in the printed excerpt:

“A Bowerbird is an Australian native bird that builds a reedy nest and goes to extraordinary lengths to decorate it with “stolen” goods and found objects such as shells, bones, and shiny milk caps. I have been referred to as a bowerbird, and I like to think of myself as a finder, keeper, and curator of collections of beautiful things, I enjoy having my things around me: out on show and ready for their story to be told; as rotating objects and treasures available to touch and turn over.

“A collection doesn’t need to be justified beyond the desire to have it and to keep it. Collections are simply an attraction (over and over again) to the same object, or shape, or color, or texture.

“A collection is a memento of people, places, past times, and experiences…You are the curator of your collections: edit, be selective, picky or accommodating. These are objects that make sense to you and make you happy…”

Yes, Yes, Yes!!!!