This week’s vintage picks are brought to you by Linda of Selective Salvage.
As a former math teacher, I remember that an exercise based on identifying geometric shapes in nature was one my students always enjoyed. That probably explains why I got such a kick out of finding three vintage pieces in the basic geometric shapes to share with you this week:
Circular Hartstone Potter Wine Decanter
What I like about this: I’m a fan of circles…from Stonehenge to crop circles to the circle of life, there’s something to be said about “a round plane figure whose boundary (the circumference) consists of points equidistant from a fixed point (the center)“. This circle is an elegant example of form following function – a signed ceramic wine decanter made by Hartstone Pottery. If you’d like to learn more about this geometric shape, read the Smithsonian article “The World is Full of Circles”.
Triangular Handmade Carved Wooden Box
And this: Don’t tell the other shapes but “a plane figure with three straight sides and three angles” (in other words an equilateral triangle) may be my favorite. The fact that this triangle manifests itself as a hand-carved folk art box is what landed it in my top three picks this week. I’m not the only one who loves triangles as demonstrated by this article in the online Smart Happy Magazine: “Triangles in Nature – All the Best Things Come in 3’s”.
Square Handwoven Kilm Carpet
Why did this catch my eye? This square which is defined as “a plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles” has a lot going for it because it’s a vintage handwoven Kilm rug that plays host to other geometric shapes. Circles, rectangles and a variety of earthy columns bring a level of abstraction to geometry which I appreciate. Interestingly enough squares seem to be a human construct, not something Mother Nature routinely produces. To find out why, check out “Why Doesn’t Nature Like Squares?” .
If you are intrigued by vintage geometric shapes, you might enjoy Pam’s post on circle skirts, a question we received from a reader about a mysterious triangle dish and Laurie’s instructions on “Granny Square Letters to Crochet”.
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