Friday Favorites 11/15/2013

Catie Parrish, Contributing Writer

In my home, the return of colder temperatures signals the return of my favorite maple candle, our heaviest coverlet (we wait ridiculously long to turn on the heat), and . . . game night. So, it’s no wonder my heart did a little pitter-patter when I spied Jonathan Adler’s new Toulouse playing card and dartboard sets.

Each is made of burled wood with an oil drop lacquer, and the result is a marvelous turquoise marble-esque finish that’s, of course, chic enough to leave out all the time.

If you’re looking for an early holiday gift idea, this one’s a sure bet.

Stacy Kunstel, Homes Editor

It’s the holidays! You need trays for carrying appetizers, decorating the table, organizing cookies, carrying pies to friends’ houses and a slew of other things. Fortunately, Audrey Sterk, a Nantucket-based designer and artist has a bunch of her lacquered trays that are slightly imperfect on super sale (cheap enough to use as hostess gifts even!). They’re beautiful, they’re local and they’re in limited supply reduced from $125 to $35.

Photo courtesy of Audrey Sterk

Maria LaPiana, Contributing Writer 

The exhibition that opened this week at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston is at once unfamiliar and universally appealing. The show celebrates the creativity and craftsmanship of the Japanese decorative arts and features 60 objects, many of them on view for the first time. Drawn from a recent gift of Stanley and Mary Ann Snider, the exhibition is complemented by a selection of contemporary textiles, screens, and paper panels. A little history for those who may be unfamiliar with the works: Once traditional crafts, ceramics, and bamboo arts evolved into modern art forms in the late- 19th and 20th centuries. Soon, a new generation of artists assumed creative control over the works they produced, and creativity—not just technical excellence—became the standard. This exhibition is an extraordinary collection: the best of the best. Fired Earth, Woven Bamboo/ Contemporary Japanese Ceramics and Bamboo Art runs through Sept.8, 2014, in the Japanese Decorative Arts Gallery. For more information, visit the MFA website or call (617)267-9300.