The story of an object

Folksy, Photo Album by Picnika

每一家舊物店都載有滿滿的故事,每件物事都有其來歷,尤其商品是由海外搜來的,店裡都聚滿了異國的歷史與文化,還有店主對異處某地的鍾情與思念。單看店裡陳列的物品,我們對當地聯想翩翩,卻總是虛無飄渺。

福岡市的東歐古物店Picnika,店主津留慎太郎為了讓顧客更了解物品出生的土地與背景,出版了不定期刊《Folksy》。「Folksy」一字有著「樸素」及「民族」的意思,正好說明了Picnika流露的氣氛。

每年津留先生都會到羅馬尼亞等東歐地區三數次,半為旅行,半為進貨。熱愛攝影的他,在旅途上總是帶著攝影機,拍下當地的人文風景,以美麗的照片,精簡的文字,來陳述一處處他心繫著的地方。在《Folksy》這本才24版的小雜誌裡,我們看到他在跳蚤市場內遇到的老婆婆,頭上包著頭巾,臉上刻著溫柔的皺紋;家品店開著密密麻麻的刺繡花,枕頭上的花、桌布上的花、杯墊上的花;翠綠的山、倦怠的羊、被風揚起的布匹……在雜誌最後的一個對頁,選來了他在旅途中帶走的物品。

在新一期《Folksy》出版時,雜誌內的物品早己遠渡重洋到來,陳列在Picnika店裡。透過《Folksy》,我們似乎能讀得出,物品上的傷痕,是由怎樣的風霜刻下,又是被怎樣的年月撫平。

Every thrift store has its own stories to tell; every object has its own past. When a store owner features objects collected around the world, it is not only the stories of foreign history and culture behind the objects the owner is trying to tell, but also the memories and sentiments the owner experienced with a certain foreign land. These objects often inspire boundless imagination of their places of origin.

Picnika is one of these shops in Fukuoka that focuses on vintage objects from Eastern Europe. To better deliver the culture and locality of the objects, the shop owner Shintarou Tsuru publishes a magazine called Folksy on an irregular basis. “Folksy” is a word that can truly represent the spirit of Picnika, for its dual meanings — simply unpretentious, and things that are related to folk art.

Every year, Tsuru pays around three visits to Eastern European countries like Romania to travel and to purchase his merchandise. When traveling Tsuru loves to document local culture and scenery with his camera. The beautiful pictures accompanied by simple captions are to tell readers the connection he has with the places he visited. Inside of the 24-page Folksy magazine shows an old lady in a flea market, under her headscarf is a tender wrinkled face; a shop filled with various embroidery for pillows, tablecloths, and coasters; a weary sheep against a backdrop of mountains covered in green blankets and fabrics blowing in the wind. Finally, on the last page of the magazine showcases featured items he got in the journey.

The items mentioned in Folksy have already arrived from overseas and are sitting on the shelves in Picnika before the magazine is published. Folksy tells us the heartfelt stories that embrace the history of the objects and how they are smoothened by time.

w