Radical and inspiring ... Yanagis vision puts the connection between heart and hand before the transient and commercial Edmund de WaalThe daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such writes Soetsu Yanagi they should be made with care and built to last treated with respect and even affection. They should be natural and simple sturdy and safe the aesthetic result of wholeheartedly fulfilling utilitarian needs. They should in short be things of beauty.In an age of feeble and ugly machinemade things these essays call for us to deepen and transform our relationship with the objects that surround us. Inspired by the work of the simple humble craftsmen Yanagi encountered during his lifelong travels through Japan and Korea they are an earnest defence of modest honest handcrafted things from traditional teacups to jars to cloth and paper. Objects like these exemplify the enduring appeal of simplicity and function the beauty of everyday things.