Mother Would Like That - Ma

Yesterday the Flash Mob, a treasury team on Etsy, had a treasury contest on the Japanese concept of "Ma," the empty space between things.

Here is what Wikipedia says about this concept:

Ma (間) is a Japanese word which can be roughly translated as "gap", "space", "pause" or "the space between two structural parts." The spatial concept is experienced progressively through intervals of spatial designation. In Japanese, ma, the word for space, suggests interval. It is best described as a consciousness of place, not in the sense of an enclosed three-dimensional entity, but rather the simultaneous awareness of form and non-form deriving from an intensification of vision.

Ma is not something that is created by compositional elements; it is the thing that takes place in the imagination of the human who experiences these elements. Therefore, ma can be defined as experiential place understood with emphasis on interval.

My mother loved feminine accessories and jewelry, but she was spartan and minimal in her home decor. In this way she practiced Ma, and for me, there is a tremendous negative space where she used to be. I chose these treasuries to feature here, because they reminded me of her. These are collections she would have liked. (The images are clickable, in case you want to start your holiday shopping early.)


By CaryeVDPMahoney:


Powered By Toastie Studio - Etsy Tools

By Linda Voth:


Powered By Toastie Studio - Etsy Tools


By Christie of Poppy and Purl:


Powered By Toastie Studio - Etsy Tools