The glow of grime Of course this 'sheen of antiquity' of which we hear so much is in fact the glow of grime. In both Chinese and Japanese the words denoting this glow describe a polish that comes of being touched over and over again, a sheen produced by the oils that naturally permeate an object over long years of handling—which is to say grime. If indeed 'elegance is frigid', it can as well be described as filthy. Jun'ichirō Tanizaki & Thomas J. Harper, In Praise of Shadows timeaestheticsfilthflaws
It is a little world See how many a pretty thing I always from the cube can bring: Chair and sofa, bench and table, Desk to write at when I’m able, All the household furniture, Even baby’s bed I’m sure; Not a few such things I see; Stove and sideboard here can be. Many things, both old and new, My dear cube brings into view; So my cube much pleases me, Because through it so much I see. It is a little world. Ellen Lupton & J. Abbott Miller, The ABC's of ▲■●: The Bauhaus and Design Theory Cubed modularity