 I first fell in love with the Taika dishes by Iittala years ago, when I saw them on display at The Sweden Shop, one of my favorite local stores. It did not occur to me at the time that they could ever be mine, but years later, when we were creating our wedding wishlist, my husband and I decided these were the only dishes we really wanted. We didn't feel the need to register for special occasion dishes and an everyday set. These fit the bill for both; they're festive and beautiful, but also sturdy and practical. Over the years, we've slowly collected bowls, plates, cups, and serving dishes from the collection. Some have been gifts to each other for special occasions, but most have been gifts from our family and friends. Each one has been an exciting surprise, and I'm glad we didn't get them all at once. Taika means "magic" in Finnish, and designer Klaus Haapaniemi made his own magical world with these dishes. That's why, when I saw that the website FinnStyle had animated the owl character from the dishes, my reaction quickly switched from "Why?" to "Well, of course." It's a fun little promo video, and my 3 year old was over the moon when we watched it. Three times in a row.
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For a color-lover like myself, this was a fun little diversion. The X-Rite Color Challenge and Hue Test is a quick online challenge to see how accurately you perceive color. I got a perfect score, which made me happy. So now, when someone tells me something is "actually green," I can just smile to myself, content with the knowledge that I know the truth.   Welcome to the wonderful world of fore-edge painting. This technique, first used in Europe in the Middle Ages, involves painting the delicate edges of book pages in such a way that, when fanned out at the correct angle, they create one beautiful image.
I just love this kind of secret artistry. Books are so beautiful to begin with, it's hard to imagine how they could be more so. And yet, here we are. You can learn more about fore-edge painting and check out incredible examples of the technique here. I also recommend this video on the Cornell University Library's Facebook page of delicate white-gloved hands revealing a beautiful seaside scene on the edges of a book. |
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