educatedartisticguess

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For the Love of Trinkets (cont.)

Continuing my previous ramblings, this continuation chapter of For the Love of Trinkets is a discussion of some personal favorites from history. With a love for interior design and clutter, I felt it was necessary to cover trinket boxes, the idea of catch-all dishes and plates not for use, and figurines.

While snuffboxes had a specific purpose during their era, they are really just trinket boxes coming in all shapes and mostly small sizes. These glorified modern-day tobacco tins held snuff, which was used for the practice of inhaling a pinch of floral-scented tobacco; most likely first used by natives of Brazil and brought to colonized countries in the late 15th century by Christopher Columbus after his crew observed indigenous Caribbean peoples sniffing snuff.1 After the rise of the practice's popularity in Europe, ornately decorated snuffboxes were considered valuable gifts.2

This specific box pictured is a favorite as I can appreciate the femininity of the florals, the enameled gold flourishes, and because I am a big cherub enthusiast (something about tiny little rosy-cheeked babies with wings just sparks joy in my heart).3 Sure, we could say this box’s decorative imagery was made to tell some sort of culturally significant story about the nymphs and goddesses of Greek mythology, but looking past that, getting down to it, it is just a snuffbox. Observing this specific piece from 19th-century Europe, I think it was meant to sit and look pretty. As an artist, I can very much appreciate the craftsmanship put into these containers and the historical significance behind them, but as a trinket collector, I am compelled to buy one every time I see them at my local antique shop with the intent to hide other little trinkets inside.

Another notable functional trinket of times past is this Kenzan-style Dish in the Shape of Chrysanthemum (乾山様式　菊形皿) from Japan’s Edo Period.4 This ceramic plate has intact textures, enamels, and vibrant colors. Just an item taking inspiration from nature that is pleasant to look at, fitting my definition of a trinket. This item is similar to something I would use as a catch-all or trinket dish by the front door in my own home.

While technically a functional item, I doubt it was used very often, if ever, like those painted plates at your grandmother's house in the china cabinet. Eventually, they will probably be passed down when your loved one dies, and they may never be used as a functional dish at the dinner table again. They function as purely decorative items meant to be kept on display in a rarely opened cabinet in the dining room, much like works in a case at the museum. 

Last, but not least, is an item that is part of my favorite trinket category, figurines. Figurines often document how humans viewed creatures throughout history, sometimes made with life-like accuracy and sometimes with a bit more whimsical artistic expression. This particular figurine brings enjoyment through simplicity. Discovered in Yortan and assumed to be from -2700/-2500 (Early Bronze II), I can only use modern terms to describe this figure5; it is “just a little guy.” This trinket is up for interpretation, is it a child's toy or purely decorative, is it a human in a necklace or a mythical creature of ancient lost story tales? When looking at this piece, I see a bug-eyed and round friend, like a Weeble(s) Wobble.

1 Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Snuff | Snuff-taking, History, Health Effects. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/snuff 

2 Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.-b). Snuffbox | Pocket, Decorative, Metalwork. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/snuffbox 

3 Snuffbox. Europe. 19th century. https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010099656 

4 Kenzan-style Dish in the Shape of Chrysanthemum. Japan. Early 19th century.  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/62913

5 Figurine. Yortan. Early Bronze II. https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010121539

[educatedartisticguess]

For the Love of Trinkets

Drawing from several dictionaries, a trinket is defined as a small ornament or piece of jewelry of little value or of low quality. I think it should be noted that this definition also depends on how you would define “value,” because, of course, trinkets can hold both monetary and sentimental value. An item may not appear to have much value to you, but it may be of great importance to someone else. In the book Ornament: A Social History Since 1450, written by Maurice Howard and Michael Snodin, it is stated, “…ornaments, even if they are totally superfluous, are far from meaningless; they reveal a great deal of the character of the wearer or the owner of the house and we know that we judge, and are judged by, such things.” This is a good example of why and how trinkets are capable of holding significant value socially and emotionally. While I understand what a trinket is, I cannot help but wonder why we enjoy collecting them so much. The research below is my attempt to find the answer.

Types of Trinkets

Trinket can be used to describe a wide range of items, from souvenirs to figurines to ornaments and functional household items. The word is all-inclusive and non-discriminatory.

Souvenirs are often items representative of a culture. Renata Prieto and Santiago Fernández, owners of a folk art boutique in Mexico City called Pingüino, explained, “As Mexicans, we know the history of a country can be told through its objects,... These objects reflect the country’s reality: its humor, dreams, fears, fantasies, and more.”1 Souvenirs hold an important piece of culture that can be brought home after the trip. Tourists buy them as a way to keep a memory and a physical reminder of an experience or place. Hristina Filipova studied marketing strategies relating to souvenirs in tourism and in his research noted there are four types: mass-produced, handmade/artisanal, souvenirs representing the stereotypes of a country, and ones that represent the specifics of the local tourist destination. Trinkets are often considered to lack value due to being cheaply made and mass-produced, but consumers and trinket collectors seemingly aim to have an authentic, culturally significant, and accurate item from the location that forms a more personal relationship.2

Figurines are small three-dimensional sculptures that are typically carved or molded. In an article touching on similar subjects to this one, the author Patricia Kennelly describes figurine collecting as “a popular hobby that involves acquiring small statues or models, often made from materials such as porcelain, ceramic, glass, or metal.”3 The practice has been documented throughout history in palm-sized animals that prehistoric people carved out of ivory approximately 30,000 years ago that were found in European caves,4 by porcelain figurines produced in China as early as the fourth millennium B.C.,5 and in the figurines of peasants, royalty, and animals dated to the 18th century in Staffordshire, England.6

The following quote from Ornament: A Social History Since 1450 best explains what an ornament is and its purpose:

“The word 'ornament' is most generally used today to refer to objects of no particular use that give pleasure simply by their presence as an addition to their surroundings. If we had to think of the most likely places we would expect to see ornaments we might at first think of the domestic environment: mantelpieces, window ledges, open spaces in gardens - in fact any surfaces or areas that are not somehow in constant use but are looked at and therefore need objects on or in them to act as the focus of attention.”7

Functional trinkets are often household items like bookends or incense holders, and small items you can keep on your person, like a decorative carabiner or pocketknife. Displaying these items is a way to represent yourself, your hobbies, interests, personal identity, or the type of person you are. These trinket subgenres often overlap.

Guide to collecting trinkets

In an era where capitalism reigns, online influencers and celebrities have popularized trinkets exponentially. It would be remiss not to mention the current craze for a Labubu, creatures created by artist and illustrator Kasing Lung and later popularized when Pop Mart toy company started selling "The Monsters" Labubu plush toys on key rings in 2023. Labubu is a great example of how trinkets are working their way into the fashion scene. Fans often use the keychains as accessories on handbags, backpacks, and belts.8 You can even find outfits to purchase and dress the Labubu in. They are so coveted that you can purchase a case to protect the keychain from everyday wear, too. Aiding in their popularity, Pop Mart has even tapped into the blind box market, selling themed figures and keychains.

Blind boxes are the most modernized form of trinket collecting. In this case, “blind” refers to the purchaser not knowing exactly which version of the toy they’ll get until they open the package. The excitement of the experience leaves people wanting more, and if they didn’t get the one they wanted, they can just buy another. Surely they will get it eventually, right? Blind boxes are in the same realm as the popular Gachapon, or capsule toys, of Japan. A form of vending machine that dispenses a random toy or trinket, often licensed collectibles, after inserting a coin and turning the handle.

My preferred form of trinket collecting is antiquing. Antiquing is a bit more curated than thrifting, and a chance to find items you may be seeking from a more specific era. Growing up, I spent many of my summers with my grandmother at antique flea markets, yard sales, and thrift stores. And this is by far (of course, just in my opinion) the best way to experience trinket collecting. These locations are a treasure trove of unique items from a wide range of time periods that may be hard to find anywhere else.

Not only are the practices of antiquing and thrifting more sustainable, but the items are generally less expensive and can make a house feel like a lived-in, personalized home. Megan Powell, owner of online vintage shop Goods Resurrected, said it best “Thrifting for your home is pure freedom. Whatever strikes your fancy, whatever you’re looking for to feather your nest — you can find… Between creating a style all your own, saving money and saving items from a landfill — it’s truly one of the best ways to create a home.”9

The Answer

To summarize this long-winded article attempting to answer the question of why we enjoy and collect trinkets, I think I have come to a few conclusions. Trinkets take many forms, including souvenirs, figurines, ornaments, and household items. Humans collect trinkets as a way to remember an experience or to pass on a story and revive a memory. We often use them to decorate our homes and express our identities. Interior designer Georgia Somary stated, “Collecting is such a part of the human identity, and the desire to display things even in a minimal space is in our nature—even if that’s a singular, thoughtfully displayed object… From childhood, most of us collect something, be it pebbles or stickers—often things you appoint your own value to.”1

Throughout history, humans have been documented creating trinkets. In prehistoric times, people carved palm-sized animals out of ivory. In modern times, we enjoy finding antique trinkets at flea markets and opening mass-produced blind-box toys to collect and use as fashion accessories. Really, I think we just enjoy trinkets because they bring simple joy to our lives and help represent us as individuals.

1 Sanchez, S. (2024, December 23). The Unadulterated Joy of Trinkets and Knickknacks. Architectural Digest. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/the-unadulterated-joy-of-trinkets-and-knickknacks 

2 Filipova, H. (2018). Marketing Strategies Regarding the Offer of Souvenirs in Tourism. Izvestia Journal of the Union of Scientists - Varna. Economic Sciences Series. https://journals.mu-varna.bg/index.php/isuvsin/article/view/5743  

3 Kennelly, P. (2022). Figurine collecting: EBSCO. EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | www.ebsco.com. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/visual-arts/figurine-collecting 

4 Walton, M. (2003, December 18). Cave art from 30,000 years ago?. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/12/17/coolsc.ancientart/ 

5 A timeline of Chinese porcelain: Neolithic to modern: Barnebys magazine. Barnebys.com. (2022, February 25). https://www.barnebys.com/blog/a-timeline-of-chinese-porcelain-neolithic-to-modern 

6 Pugh, P. D. G. (1971). Staffordshire portrait figures and Allied subjects of the Victorian Era. Barrie & Jenkins. 

7 Snodin, M., & Howard, M. (1996). Ornament: A Social History Since 1450. Yale University Press.

8 Chapman, M. (2025, June 4). Part toy, part fashion, the arrival of the viral Labubu was a long time in the making. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/labubu-viral-plushy-influencers-2de46ecf0b2101a16ef6df4e46f4bc48 

9 Bien, H. (2023, September 21). What’s the Difference between Thrifting, Antiquing, and Vintage Shopping? Apartment Therapy. https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/thrifting-antiquing-vintage-shopping-37044031

[educatedartisticguess]

NB-15 May 29, 1987 (age 29)

[educatedartisticguess]

Before You Read

This blog will not contain particularly important, unbiased, and 100% accurate information. An amateur will write these essays, which will not be peer-reviewed or looked over by any research teams before publication. I will probably use words that are not particularly professional and will more than likely use phrases like “I think” and compare things to my personal life experiences, which I understand is not how to write an expert-level essay. The last essay I wrote was for a college class somewhere between 3 and 5 years ago. I just seem to find enjoyment in research and yearn to understand why we do what we do as humans.

My writings may be rambly and disjointed, but I will always try to cite my research. Part of the enjoyment I get from writing is the reading part. I love to read about other people's experiences; my biggest fear is being close-minded. There is so much culture and history across the globe, and it would be a shame if I lived my life without knowing about any of it. So please, if you do happen to read these musings, feel free to educate me on any misinformation or misunderstandings on my part! I am open to hearing any opposing points of view, but I am not going to try to change your mind or fight in the comments.

Writing these essays is a way for me to educate myself and grow as an individual. So, welcome to my blog, fittingly named educatedartisticguess. As an artist, I find that I am most interested in the visually fascinating. If that also piques your interest, this may be the place for you. And as mentioned, these are all just educated guesses.