A while ago, a good friend of mine acquired a great
pot, remarkable by any standard. By remarkable, I mean a pot that is truly a
masterpiece by the potter and certainly a museum quality piece, a rather rare
thing. Honestly, it was everything I would want by the artist and then some, I
could go on and on, but there really are not enough adjectives to adequately describe
the pot. At the risk of being forward, I asked him if he thought there was any
way in which he would part with the vase and at the very least, should he
decide in the future to sell it, would he think of me first? Not surprisingly,
he said, if I wanted it, I could have it. I say not surprisingly because he has
been among the most gracious of any collector I have ever met.
The highly anticipated vase arrived and did not
disappoint at any level. In fact, the form, surface, size and presentation of
the pot all exceeded any expectations I could have had and the posture of the
pot is just priceless. The real reason that it was sent my way is that my
friend realized, to him it was a really good pot, to me it was the near pinnacle
of what I collect and knowing that, he selflessly thought it belonged in our
collection. After reflecting on it for a while, though I am exceedingly happy
to have the pot luck, the truth is I am even more pleased to have such a good
friend and hope I can return the favor three-fold. After all, a good friendship
is the foundation you can build your life upon.
"Friendship without self-interest is one of the rare
and beautiful things of life."
James Francis Byrnes (1882-1972)
.JPG)