One of the problems with traveling on the light and on a budget is the accumulation of treasure. Yes, of course, we are collecting “memories” and “photos,” but I really did want to buy a souvenir tea jug with Ghengis Khan’s face on it, those dishes in Basque, the giant artisan lamps in Ireland…want, want, want. However, it is always an easy decision to walk away when thinking about strapping a giant Korean moon vase to my backpack or even the prospect of trying to ship it home–that and what I call the “experience dollars” it means in another country.
That is why this little necklace from the Insadong district in Seoul has me smiling. It is one of the only objects I have purchased on this trip that is not a functional necessity. It is just cute.
And small.
It is part of the Little Star series by a Korean artist Nan-Young Kim, inspired by the story of the Little Prince and his home planet of B-612. The necklace is a simple white ceramic star on a silver chain. It came in a great triangular packaging pocket, that just seemed to complete the design sense throughout the store and her little iconic ceramics. No photos allowed in the shop though, so you just have to trust me.
The little shopping center in Insadong had some great little design-y shops with all types of handmades, a mix of traditional and new. Again, most shops didn’t allow pictures inside so I only have a few random shots to offer.
