the life of things: brushes + brooms postcard pack
£18.00
In Japanese folklore all things have a spirit (or a god residing within them), including such items as household tools and objects. In literature and illustrated books there are examples of yōkai (a supernatural monster or spirit/妖怪) which have been transformed from everyday items into mischievous characters once they reach 100 years in age. But in addition, any object which has a life in your home might develop a personality of its own based on its interactions with humans and the other tools around it.
Meet the brushes + brooms:
In Japan, a hahakigami is a broom yōkai, who might be found sweeping wildly at fallen leaves in the autumn.
Brooms were first used to sweep out evil spirits and used as lucky charms; sweeping a newborn baby out quickly and safely; sweeping unwanted guests on their way. Even though brooms are now used more for cleaning than purification, brushes are still held in high regard, with the act of sweeping a daily spiritual act.
So it is no surprise that brushes and brooms take on personalities of their own. They are a friendly bunch, who love to help around the house and sometimes combat the effects of other more unhelpful spirits. They can also become a bit overenthusiastic -
sweeping away pets and other household items!
A five pack of different postcards featuring the characters of hand brooms and brushes (and the occasional dust bunny) - each card is hand printed using natural oil-based Japanese pigment ink onto 320g oatmeal 100% recycled card (with natural grey flecks). With 'nakamura' [中村] stamp in red pigment ink beneath image. Included in the pack is a story slip which is signed in pencil and stamped in red ink.
Card size is 148mm x 105mm.
Due to the method of stamp printing, each postcard will have natural small variations; therefore the pack you receive may not be exactly the same as the one shown in the photographs.
