The Masks

These Relics are wooden African Tribal Masks.

I received these as a gift. They were collected by a former ambassador to Bahrain.

They are not valuable. I just like them.

--In the dark, they watch you...

The Chop Sticks

This Relic is a very plain, simple, pair of chop sticks.

My mom gave these to me in the late 70s and they were given to her in the early 70s.

They came from China.

Why would chop sticks, made in China, get to be worthy enough to be in the Relic collection?

These are made of ivory.

--They feel amazing.

The Kukri

This Relic was made in India and is a knife called a Kukri, pronounced "Coo-Cree".

This is a large, very practical, heavy bladed knife. The kukri is a curved Nepalese knife, similar to the machete, used as both a tool and as a weapon. It is a traditional weapon for Nepalese people, and also a weapon of choice/side arm for all Nepalese including those serving in different armies around the world.

They come in many sizes. I currently only have two but expect to own many more. Both modern made and classic designs.

--Makes for a great camping knife.

The Sleepy One

This Relic is another sculpture I made.

One day I hope to try it again. I never seem to have the time now. I'd love to take a class and spend more that one class hour making something.

This piece was made of a quick dry clay that didn't even require firing in a kiln. But it can only be worked for a short time.

I made this in 1982.

She's just turned 30 ears old.

--She's still sleepy...

The Rabbit Stone

This Relic is an art project that my daughter Cady did when she was little.

It's a paper weight.

It is painted on a river rock.

--I Love this Relic.

The Ruler

This Relic has been with me for over 40 years.

It is a simple Wilsey Nursery give away ruler.We gave these away by the hundreds. Bright Yellow and made of simple wood.

I used it in school. It lived in several of my tool boxes over the decades. Now it has earned a place of reverence in my Relics collection.

I tried calling the phone number and it is no longer functional. Odd thing is, when I was a kid, all you had to dial to get us was 9111. Four digit dialing.

It makes me think of the sales counter at the Nursery now.

--1633 Indian Falls Road...

The Tsuba

These Relics are a pair of Tsuba I found at a flea market for $1 each.

Tsuba are usually a round or somtines squarish guard at the end of the grip of bladed Japanese weapons, like the katana and its various declinations, tachi, wakizashi, tantō, naginata etc.

Click the pic for a good look at the detail.

--One day I would to make some swords for them.

The Musical Bird

This Relic belonged to my Mom.

It is on a musical base that rotates when it plays.

My Grandma Colburn had this with her in the nursing home for many years and that is why my mom always kept it.

It is kind of incongruous sitting in my little museum.

--I still do not know what the tune it is that it plays...

Update: the tune is Oh What a Beautiful Morning. Thanks, BR!

The Whittled Links

This Relic was actually whittled by the hands of my Gramps Jake.

Back in the olden days whittling was the xBox 360 entertainment of the day.

Grampa Jake could not read. My mom told me he was constantly sitting on the porch, trying to catch a breeze and  amusing himself with a bit of wood.

He originally gave this relic to my own father one time during a visit to central Alabama where he lived.

I only met Grampa Jake a few times. All I can remember was that he was a very tell, slim, quiet man. He died when I was 5 years old.

--This Relic makes me think of him. And simpler times...

The Celtic Dagger

This Relic is the very first dagger I purchased at my very first Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) Event.

It was a small event but a very large knife.

The event was held in a small fire hall in Woodbridge VA is 1992. I went with my friend Joe and we have both collected knives, swords and other pointy, stabby things since then.

--If I ever need to stab someone while they wear chainmail I am good to go...

The Mitt

This Relic is the very baseball mitt I got for Christmas one year when I was about 9 years old.

I used this mitt for many summers worth of pickup games and little leagues.

It was tossed into the air hundreds of times to celebrate victory and spikes into the dirt as many times to curse our luck.

It's a Regent High Flex with the advanced Double V pocket design. It needs a little oil but is still usable for hardball!

--Those summers lasted for ever...

The Pinewood Derby Trophy

This Relic is the remains of my 1972 Western NY Regional Pinewood Derby Champion trophy.

I won the derby finals by a nose.

I carved that car out with my very own pocket knife.

My secret to the win was that I polished the nails that held on the wheels and later lubricated them with powdered graphite. I also added molten lead to a hole I had drilled until I was withing .1 grams of the maximum weight.

The aerodynamic design and cool ass paint job locked in the win.

--Cub Scouts were cool in those days.

The Lump of Coal

I stole this Relic.

I was looking at a house with a realtor and the house had an actual coal chute and a coal bin.

The furnace had long since been converted to natural gas but there was still coal in the bin.

I liked the looks of it.

--So I took it!

The Worry Wood

This Relic is known as my Worry Wood.

I have had it for almost 30 years.

There is an old story about a man that was trying to find inner peace at an ancient monastery.

It wasn't going well.

Meditation would leave his mind to think about how much he missed his beautiful wife who had died years before. He would worry about his sons gone off to war. he would worry about the weather and what people thought of him and his failure to even understand the concept of enlightenment.

One morning he was late to his morning meditations. He was worried about the bowl he had broken while cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. He robes were wet and he looked a mess. And worse of all when he got to his favorite meditation spot, by the fountain in the garden, someone was there already, and he preferred to try to meditate alone, worried he would disturb his brothers.

This was a stranger named Buddha.

Buddha smiled, welcomed him, and thanked him for sharing this beautiful place.

The man knew of Buddha. He was mortified at his appearance and mental state. He begged Buddha to forgive him and not eject him from the monastery.

Buddha smiled wider at the man, and even chuckled saying, "I have come to share a secret." he looked about in all directions conspiratorially. He reached into his robe and brought out a small piece of wood. It was worn smooth as if sanded but in it's own shape.

"This is my Worry Wood." Buddha whispered. "When I hold it I can pour my worries into it. As I work it smoother and smoother with my touch it soaks up my worries and I am free."

After a pause, "...and now I give it to you."

It worked just as Buddha had instructed. When plagued by worries he would hold the piece of wood and smooth it with his fingers. Focusing on the magic piece of wood his worries evaporated.

Years later he met Buddha once again showing him the well worn worry wood. "For the past 20 years I have poured all my worries into this wood until my mind is at peace."

Buddha tossed it casually into the fire.

The man was enlightened,

The Ice Viking

This Relic was a gift from my friends Cynthia and Brian. It is thick and heavy and I am afraid of dropping it not because it might break but because it could do some serious damage to my toe.

The photo does not do the thing justice.

When it is in the light it throws haunting colors all over the room.

--It looks like it's made of ice.

The Trolls

This Relic is an original, unused, bumper sticker from my brothers rock band, The Little Trolls.

This was printed in the mid 1970's and has survived over 40 years so far!

Carl lives in Virginia now and still plays the keyboards to relax.

--Let the good times Troll!