May 13, 2014

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Land of Excess’ founder supposes that it is because she is guilty of having bought something at Restoration Hardware this year that she found 17 pounds of Restoration Hardware material comprised of 13 separate catalogs strapped together and wrapped in plastic next to her mailbox yesterday.  She looked through it all quite briefly and then settled in for a perusal of the 118 pages included in the catalog “Objects of Curiosity”.

“KNOWLEDGE CAN BE A PRISON OF THE PAST…”  so begins the first page, a note from Gary Friedman, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Restoration Hardware.

And farther down the page, he extolls the people involved in putting together the “Objects of Curiosity” collection. “Fortunately, the individuals involved…remain forever curious, and magically turn the odd into the obvious.”  He describes fondly how one of those people “brought the Greek goddess Ariadne back to life from the 5th century B.C, to reveal what a timeless beauty she is.”

Restoration Hardware asserts itself In between the world and the presumed ignorance of its customers and proclaims its own brilliance in discovering all that has preceded its arrival.

“MAGNIFICENT 18TH CENTURY HANDCRAFTED JOURNALS”. These are blank journals similar to ones that were popular during the time of the French Revolution, apparently.  Gotta have THAT!  They look all old and delicate and musty.  You can acquire:

“Petite Tomes”, set of 5 for $125.

“Grand Tomes” set of 3 for $195.

“Large Tomes” set of 3 for $235.

“Paris Register”  for $139.

“Notary Register” for $139.

“Music Register” for $139.

“Hervier Register” for $139.

We are so annoyed that these things are called Tomes and Registers by Restoration Hardware.  But, on a more positive note, we love the charmingly placed contemporary glasses frames at lower left in the picture.  Busy readers get tired eyes!

Another striking offering:  “STRIKING SOUTH SEAS CORAL SPECIMENS”.  These are made of resin and are “lifelike specimens that capture the…rich textures of the originals.”

Also available are “HISTORIC 19th CENTURY CARTOGRAPHIC PRINTS”.  The text immediately below informs us that “BEYOND SIMPLY TRACING THE ROUTE FROM POINT A TO POINT B, MAPS LEAD US BACK INTO HISTORY…PRINTED ON ARCHIVAL PAPER AND WASHED IN SEPIA FOR VINTAGE AUTHENTICITY.”

VINTAGE AUTHENTICITY!!!   What do these two words mean when placed next to each other?  Will someone please help us here??

These “19th C. Cartographic Prints”  are all 49 x 61” and are offered at $1295. It is not clear to us if the price includes the frames.

Well we just couldn’t help ourselves.  The passion and fury from which Land of Excess was born sometimes gets directed at other market excesses that offend our sensibilities.