Scavenger Hunt

Our favorite objects in the ELB office!

Maggie (intern)

Chosen Object: Mouse pencil holder

Background: For a long time, there was a snake pencil holder at Enchanted Lion. Claudia thought she had lost it, so she ordered this mouse — but then she found the snake. So now they’re friends––the snake and the mouse––and have each other as company.

Why I like it: I’ve noticed it since day 1 in the office. I just find it to be so cute and couldn’t resist looking at it! I love the leather ears and the tail. It livens up the room.

Nisha (intern)

Chosen Object: Paper diorama of a boy’s room

Background: Made by Princesse Cam Cam, author of Fox’s Garden.

Why I like it: The magical realism of the outside coming in, and the foxes and flowers pouring into the peace and quiet of the little boy’s room is so beautiful. It reminds me of being a kid, a time where imagination and reality always blurred, and my dreams at night always stuck with me during the day. I found it sitting on the windowsill, where the trees outside of our office are always looking in, which I found fitting. I love that it captures a single moment in the story of the Fox’s Garden, and freezes it in time for us to admire.

Olivia (intern)

Chosen Object: Beatrix Potter rabbits, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail

Background: It belonged to Claudia’s younger sister when she was little, but then migrated to the ELB office as family things from childhood began to collect here.

Why I like it: I enjoy when the representation of a fictional character can be made physical in an artistic fashion. I was a fan of the Beatrix Potter books when I was little, especially The Tale of Peter Rabbit. I think this sculpture captures the playful, witty atmosphere of Potter’s stories. I like the glaze on these bunnies, and the white tips of the tails that peek out behind them are my favorite detail.

Nina (intern)

Chosen Object: Congo line of dogs with bird fedoras (?)

Background: Claudia’s dad was given this in the late 1950s by a friend who had traveled to Mexico. Claudia grew up with it, “looking at it while sitting in face of it at the dinner table.” It has happy memories and is full of life and whimsey.

Why I like it: It lived across from me on the windowsill in the office. Like Claudia, it was always something I was looking at. This is my first “adult” internship, and I was really nervous, but showing up and seeing objects like this one signaled that I would be working with people who shared my appreciation for silly, playful objects and art. I also love ceramics — I make pottery alongside my illustration work. So I think this is very pretty.

Phoebe (Substack coordinator)

Chosen object(s): Two clay hedgehogs made by O’Hara Hale and a sushi cat Claudia bought in San Francisco.

Everyone else picked one, Phoebe picked three. “Too bad!” - Phoebe

Background: ELB author O’Hara Hale made the hedgehogs from clay when living in Florida this past winter. They’re lighter than air. The sushi cat was bought by Claudia in San Francisco, just because. Though, she added, “probably because of Miyazaki.”

Why I like them: I think I would get along with the hedgehogs. They seem quiet, but fun, once you get to know them. The cat I’m not so sure about — not totally sure what’s going on there. But I feel drawn to the uncertainty.

Claudia (Publisher)

Chosen Object: A cello endpin fitting (houses a cello endpin)

History: My husband (a cellist) recently replaced this fitting, retiring this particular one. I saw it sitting on one of his bookshelves and was smitten, so he said I could have it. It was a sacrifice gift, because he was going to keep it with him, but gave it to me so I could live with it at the office.

Why I like it: I like the old wood and silver. I’ve always liked tools and mechanical things — I went to a show at MoMa when I was ten or eleven that was all about industrial design and found the vacuum cleaners, and so on, very compelling. Cello end pins are in that world for me — the world of things that people don’t think about, replace, throw away, but don’t necessarily notice. I like things that live on the margins of other things and tend to get lost and forgotten. This cello end pin fitting is now too old to be used as what it was made for, but now it can be something else. Maybe I could put a flower in it, or my favorite pencil.

Writing prompts from Enchanted Lion.

Pick an object on your desk and write about it. Where did it come from? Why do you like it?

Send us your responses via Chat.

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