From Evocative objects
“Human objects have a secret power for their owners. They can help you think better or in a new way. Or they can become such a powerful part of your life that you couldn’t imagine being without them.
“In an essay for New Scientist, linked to her latest book, Evocative Objects, MIT professor Sherry Turkle reckons that just asking yourself what they mean to you can unlock a rich stock of memories, associations and insights into your thought processes that you may not be able to get at any other way.
“For some, objects-to–think-with can prompt new and important ideas. These objects have no limits: they can be anything from a leather suitcase your grandfather gave you, your first car, a carved elephant, even the Sun or Moon. For others, they show us how far we have started to merge with our objects: a laptop that holds your whole life, or an asthma spray that helps you keep alive and well.
“My object is a brass pendant (see image) I wear round my neck. My French pen friend gave it me when I was 14. It’s heavy, circular and from West Africa. The design is curiously unsettling: round the edge, an outer circle contains a continuous wavy line, while in the inner part are two crosses either side of a triangle which has a sort of noose at the top. Inside the triangle is a human form naked to the waist, with its arms pushing at the sides of the triangle.
“Aside from the history I’ve given it by wearing since teenage, Turkle has inspired me to discover its true history. Among the few things I know about it: the brass is soft enough to be hand-carved, it does not easily become tarnished which should mean it contains more aluminium than some brasses.
“But does the triangle represent a man being hanged? Is it a ship carrying slaves from one continent to another? Perhaps the pendant is connected to witchcraft or fertility rituals? Is it intended to offer me protection from bad luck – or cast an evil spell?
“While I check out more about my evocative object, we’d love to hear about yours. So please tell us what the object is and what it means to you in the comments below (no more than 300 words please). You might want to let us know how it connects you to your past, present, work, the world around you or other people.”
