Sneaking a Peek…

Big, mysterious boxes are showing up with greater frequency in the Museum Store’s underground lair (stockroom just doesn’t have the right ring to it, no?). I tend to take special notice if there’s a publisher’s name on the box, but I was assured that a recent shipment held something truly special.

I was not disappointed:

floaties

These shiny glass balls are Japanese floats, used to keep nets aloft in the ocean. I grew up with a few in my backyard as a kid and have always wondered where they went (um, dog + kids + glass = ? ).

I’m not immune from a love of old things from Japan, so I’m likely going to be bringing some home.

While I don’t want to totally ruin the surprise–our visual merchandiser and buyers change the aesthetic of the Museum Store to compliment special exhibitions–just know that things around here are going to be good.

I can hardly wait for the handmade Japanese swords to get here! And yes, this exhibition is making me even geekier than normal.