Ships, and shoes, and sealing wax

For some reason, my friend and I decided to go to the Peabody Essex Museum instead of hanging around talking and eating, like we usually do.

The museum is very cool because it's not overly museum-y. We didn't have to stand around talking about the significance of the white canvas. Instead, we got to ogle boat prows, old furniture, and randomly enough, shoes. I have to admit, I was a big fan of the American Decorative Art exhibits because this was art that had a use. (Well, it had use for the really rich people who could afford it and would want a soup tureen shaped like a boar's head.) I was also completely cheap for the Japanese art ... okay, I was only cheap for this amazing carved bed. Really, if it's the only thing you see, people, see the Japanese bed. You'll never sleep the same in your own again. In the vein of interactive museum exhibitry, we got to wander around Yin Yu Tang, a Chinese House, which I referred to as the "Wu Tang Clan House" all day long. (Also note the amazingly cool beds inside the house. One bed had it's own ante-room. Fucking incredible.)

I've long preferred photography to painting, so I was also in love with the Robert Polidori exhibit, Havana. Okay, so I love decrepit buildings, too. It's like it was made for me. If I were made of money, I'd buy the book.

The only problem was, as typically happens with me and places with tons of cool shit to look at, I didn't get to see it all. I saw most of the permanent collections, which was stupid, because it means I missed the American Fancy exhibit, which I wanted to see for the title alone. Clearly, I'll just have to go back.