http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi Been studying Stroll/Warrior/Zen/Contemplation gardens lately and came across these two words and couldn't help but be amazed about how profound the definition and meanings are; and how they relate to numismatics. Specifically this: SABI is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs (this word is perfect for Numismatics right?) READ ON: Wabi-sabi is the most conspicuous and characteristic feature of traditional Japanese beauty and it occupies roughly the same position in the Japanese pantheon of aesthetic values as do the Greek ideals of beauty and perfection in the West".[1] "If an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi."[2] "[Wabi-sabi] nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."[3] The words wabi and sabi do not translate easily. Wabi originally referred to the loneliness of living in nature, remote from society; sabi meant "chill", "lean" or "withered". Around the 14th century these meanings began to change, taking on more positive connotations.[1] Wabi now connotes rustic simplicity, freshness or quietness, and can be applied to both natural and human-made objects, or understated elegance. It can also refer to quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction, which add uniqueness and elegance to the object. Sabi is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs. After centuries of incorporating artistic and Buddhist influences from China, wabi-sabi eventually evolved into a distinctly Japanese ideal. Over time, the meanings of wabi and sabi shifted to become more lighthearted and hopeful. Around 700 years ago, particularly among the Japanese nobility, understanding emptiness and imperfection was honored as tantamount to the first step to satori, or enlightenment. In today's Japan, the meaning of wabi-sabi is often condensed to "wisdom in natural simplicity." In art books, it is typically defined as "flawed beauty." [4] From an engineering or design point of view, wabi may be interpreted as the imperfect quality of any object, due to inevitable limitations in design and construction/manufacture especially with respect to unpredictable or changing usage conditions; then sabi could be interpreted as the aspect of imperfect reliability, or limited mortality of any object, hence the phonological and etymological connection with the Japanese word sabi, to rust. Specifically, although the Japanese kanji characters (sabi, meaning "rust") and (sabi, as above) are different, as are their applied meanings, yet the original spoken word (pre-kanji, yamato-kotoba) is believed to be one and the same.[5][6]
Very interesting words...they mesh nicely with the Buddhist concept of all things being transient As George Harrison sang.."All Things Must Pass"
Now I know what to write in my auctions of silver maple leafs and junk silver. nothing lasts: My nose stopped bleeding nothing is finished: I still need to go to the bank and exchange these old hunks of nickel for 50 yen a piece nothing is perfect: Iranian coin that looks exactly like the picture on NGC's website, has the specific gravity of copper
Wow .. Wabi also pertains to Silver milk spots specifically ... It can also refer to quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction, which add uniqueness and elegance to the object My amazment is the Wabi Sabi and Silver Toning connection (actually the reaction of silver and its alloys and meta exposures)
