The habit of bringing things back is as old as travel itself. The very word ‘souvenir’, borrowed from the French verb meaning ‘to remember’, captures our urge to anchor memory in objects. Travel was arduous during the Middle Ages, but pilgrims venturing as far as Jerusalem, Rome or Santiago brought back some of the earliest keepsakes – small flasks filled with holy water, oil or sand, along with scallop shells and lead badges pinned proudly to their cloaks.
By the time Horace Walpole popularised the word ‘souvenir’ in the late 1700s, mementoes had become a fully fledged industry, and a grand one. Young British aristocrats on the Grand Tour filled their trunks with antiquities, Old Master paintings and plaster casts, shipping them home to decorate country houses with trophies meant as much to impress guests as to recall their sojourns in Italy.
Few of us can rival those Georgian collectors, but the question of how to place what we bring back from our travels remains as relevant as ever. For decorator Tamsin Saunders, the key is to fold souvenirs into everyday life. ‘Home is a feeling and it makes me very happy to be surrounded by things that remind me of places and precious times. Wherever I go, I’m always on the look out for little treasures, rubies in the dust,’ she says.
In her London cottage, unpretentious keepsakes such as shells, pebbles and pine cones have become part of the decoration. ‘They remind me of times of happiness, in places of incredible beauty with the people I love most – they are some of my most precious belongings. I also bring ceramics back from my travels and use them every day. A lot of the ceramics in my kitchen were found on holiday.’
Editing is key, too, when it comes to buying souvenirs, and experience helps. Often it can be good to limit your buying to a certain kind of object, whether it is the ceramics that Tamsin collects or specific types of decorative piece. ‘Over time, I’ve learned to choose more wisely, to sense what will blend harmoniously with the atmosphere of my home,’ reckons Marin Montagut, whose eclectic finds often feed into his work. ‘I often bring back Portuguese reliquaries made by nuns in the early 19th century – I collect them passionately. From Italy, I always return with a handful of ex-votos, which I display in my studio. These ancient treasures fuel my imagination and inspire new creations for my eponymous brand. I also love discovering patchwork quilts in Sweden, which I collect as well, and hand-embroidered kilim rugs from Romania, whose vibrant colours bring joyful touches throughout my home.’