Patina: a surface appearance of something grown beautiful, especially with age or use.
Provenance: origin, source. the history of ownership of a valued object or work of art or literature.
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Keshiki: . . . (Japanese) after you use [something] and make some stain, it is natural thing and we call it “keshiki” (“a scenery naturally made”) that makes the item valuable.
The Veleveteen Rabbit: a children’s novel written by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of his owner.
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We buy things to use, to admire, to give pleasure to our lives, to make our lives more efficient, to wear, to eat, to provide shelter, to take us from one place to another. Sometimes we hoard, from fear, necessity, greed. There are things we all have hiding in a cupboard or drawer or under the bed, saved for the rainy day that never comes, for that yet-to-be-determined special occasion.
And then we die. All that was valuable to us, as individuals, is gone. Now it is junk for others to cart away.
I have decided to ink my only un-used suzuri, using a highly prized ink stick. The experience will be mine alone.