What, When, Where: Collect Call
March 21, 2011
By Erin Marvin
I don’t collect things (I leave that to my mother). I figure if you’ve seen one Royal Doulton figure, you’ve seen them all. And Hummel? With all due respect to avid collectors of the German-made porcelain, those rosy-cheeked boys and girls are just a little too saccharine-sweet for my tastes.
If I did collect something I’d want it to be, well, cool. And different. Not my mother’s figurines. (Sorry, Mom.) Perhaps something like these quirky, one-of-a-kind ceramic robots by artist Shan Chang, now available at Peng Furnishings in Boston.
![Peng_1](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Peng_1.jpg)
From the collection “Play†by Shan Chang; photos courtesy of Peng Furnishings
![Peng_2](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Peng_2.jpg)
![Peng_3](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Peng_3.jpg)
Or, if I wanted to go straight for shock value, I’d stock my shelves with these macabre, zombie-like figurines by British artist Jessica Harrison. (They’re tough to look at, but it’s tougher to look away, isn’t it?)
![Jharrison_Susan(1)](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Jharrison_Susan1.jpg)
“Susan†by Jessica Harrison; photo courtesy of jessicaharrison.co.uk
![Jharrison_GraceAnne](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Jharrison_GraceAnne.jpg)
“Grace Ann†by Jessica Harrison; photo courtesy of jessicaharrison.co.uk
![Jharrison_Charlotte](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Jharrison_Charlotte.jpg)
“Charlotte†by Jessica Harrison; photo courtesy of jessicaharrison.co.uk
And if I wanted to join the likes of celebrity collectors such as Robin Williams, I could turn to the work of Lexington, Massachusetts-based metal sculptor Mariko Kusumoto, whose intricately detailed sculptures seem to be a feat of art and engineering. (We featured her work last year in our May/June 2010 issue.)
![Mariko_1](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Mariko_1.jpg)
Detail from “Tokyo Souvenir” by Mariko Kusumoto
![Mariko_2](https://www.nehomemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Mariko_2.jpg)
“Self Entertainment” by Mariko Kusumoto
But, first, perhaps I should start with collecting ideas. What are some of the most interesting collections you’ve seen lately?
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