Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

The Broken Inkwell

inkwell

 

 

As I walked by an antique dealer's stand I heard glass breaking looking down I saw a broken inkwell.

"Zut!" sighed the dealer, as he looked at the broken inkwell on the ground. Bending down he picked up the pieces declaring, "Poubelle!"

 

 

 

Inkwell Broken Made Whole

 

 

My ears perked when I heard the word, "Poubelle" which means garbage in French.

"Bonjour Monsieur," I said politely, before asking, "If you are going to throw that broken inkwell away, can I have it instead?"

 

 

Corey Amaro Inkwell Broken Made Whole

 

Laughing, he handed it to me, "Saves me a trip to the garbage, take it."

 

 

Corey Amaro Inkwell Broken Made Whole

 

Broken-Saved, came home with me. Belle-Mere's (Mother-in-Law's) nimble fingers glued it back together. It now rests secured by my bedside.

At the right place at the right time, symbolically broken made whole.

Comments

18 responses to “The Broken Inkwell”

  1. WR

    Beautiful Corey! I would have done the same. Broken old things are growing on me…

    Reply
  2. martina

    So, one person’s poubelle is another person’s tresor?
    The inkwell is a beauty. How nice that your belle mere could mend it!

    Reply
  3. Dawn

    I also have an old ink well that has been glued together. Love that piece.

    Reply
  4. Kathie B

    Re the poubelle/tresor dichotomy: Do you recall a billboard on the east side of US 101 in or near Santa Rosa that read, “We buy junk, but sell antiques”?

    Reply
  5. Linda

    That is gorgeous Corey! It was meant to be that you should have it. I’m happy for you! I would love to find one similar to this in your online Brocante to buy. Unbroken or broken and mended. I love the design and colors of this one.

    Reply
  6. Mahala

    It’s so pretty. I have a few saved treasures…saved from the trash that is. You are a true antique lover to save that gem.

    Reply
  7. Marilyn

    Being broken often makes us more beautiful!
    It can’t help but be beautiful.

    Reply
  8. Jeanne Henriques

    A lovely share…a beautiful inkwell. 😉

    Reply
  9. Evelyn

    So pretty! Much too nice for the poubelle! And isn’t poubelle a much prettier word than trash can or garbage??

    Reply
  10. Claire

    You saved the belle from the poubelle! A rescue ink pot….and one that could go dancing alongside Marie Antoinette’s teacups….meant to be yours!

    Reply
  11. 24/7 in France

    Lovely piece – Bravo!

    Reply
  12. Jude

    The Japanese have a term for it. Wabi Sabi. Perfection in the imperfection. Beauty in the broken. They would sometimes use gold to bind broken pottery thus making a work of art. It’s all in our perspective, isn’t it?
    I’ve been an antique dealer off and on for 30 years and often pick up things that others cast off. There’s all kinds of uses for imperfect items. Becoming a flower vessel is my favorite. Love your blog, Corey.

    Reply
  13. La Contessa

    POUBELLE………..MY new word!Sounds so much better then GARBAGE!Of course, I am pronouncing it “POO BELL” am I close??
    Fabulous score …….COREY!

    Reply
  14. vagabonde

    Thank you for coming to my blog. After my father passed away and my mother and I were placing many items in a box for me to take back to the US she handled an antique inkwell from Turkey to me and it broke. I did not think of gluing it back but I still think about it.
    I also read your last post about having a hard time adjusting to France. When I came to the US and was married in San Francisco, it was not too difficult for me as the city is so beautiful and I can speak English fluently. I had a harder time when we moved to Georgia as being raised in Paris the city here seemed so small and the people so conservative. I wrote a post about my early time in San Francisco, but you were not reading my blog then, see the post of June 16, 2013 if you like (link http://avagabonde.blogspot.com/2013/06/recollection-being-in-san-francisco-in.html .)
    By the way you know that Eugene Poubelle (1831-1907) was the French inventor of the dustbin, which took its name for it.

    Reply
  15. Christine LeFever

    I am totally with Jude on wabi sabi. Poubelle according to my iPhone translator is literally “trash can” and the pronunciation is poo bayla. I never throw out any broken piece of antiquity. There are numerous things that can be done with the remnants. Your little inkwell is so very pretty. I am so happy for it that you rescued it.

    Reply
  16. Tongue in Cheek

    Vagabound, We have much in common… I can imagine how difficult it must have been going from Paris to SF then to Georgia.
    Thank you for the link to your blog post, and the Newsy about Eugene Poubelle!

    Reply
  17. Paula

    I often am able to afford wonderful older pieces when they are marred, broken, less than perfect. I understand. What tales they might tell!

    Reply
  18. Brenda, Walker, LA

    It is still a very nice “Shelf Sitter”….redeemed!

    Reply

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