My Shelves

My shelves are a lot messier than yours: I have collections of things which mean something to me, and books, and plants. Your shelves are very neat - and somehow look similar to your work.
These are begonias which I just potted yesterday. A collection of pine cones from all over the place, these are my souvenirs. In the bell jars there is a collection of bits and bobs, things that I am keeping - but not sure why: two shells, a rusty key, a piece of broken pottery, a button. And the other bell jar, a moth - turned bronze by Victoria Lucas - an artist that exhibited in the gallery once.
I like being able to see everything. Even in the kitchen I have only one cupboard which is under the sink, and everything else is on view.I suppose it might look a bit disorganised, but I know where everything is.
The trinkets, and ornaments around the house are on the whole of little or no value I suppose. But they remind me of precious things, and that makes me think of a display of reliquaires which I saw in Prague a few years ago. I am sure you know the sort of thing, but anyway they were ornate but strange things - in different shapes and sizes. Ornate 'houses' for important relics. The materials used suggest the importance of the collected things - gold, pearls and precious jewels: containing snippets of hair, clothing and other personal items belonging to individuals.Looking at the description of the 'reliquary' it says it is essentially a box. Maybe my print tray is one? It has a lot of small items inside. Do you have anything similar? Is this a bit sentimental? I suppose for some reason I think about my house burning down, and everything being lost. I can smell smoke as I type this.