A personal celebration of the hunt for, and the joy of living with, favorite collections and things

What is it in our homes that we truly value and why? What would you take when you leave in fear of fire? Our home is an expression of ourselves in many ways, largely through the objects we accumulate. For Maria Hummer-Tuttle, the objects she has collected over the years, from the priceless to the flea-market finds, are precious not only for their beauty, uniqueness, and craftsmanship but also for their connection to the past and the future, for their resonance with one another. In this exquisitely illustrated book, she serves as our guide through three dwellings, focusing our attention on objects ranging from an ancient Chinese horse sculpture to a Louis XV clock painted with characters from an Aesop fable, from a small snail sculpture found in a venerable hardware store to a monumental safety pin sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, from 18th-century to 20th-century furniture. With a foreword by master ceramicist and acclaimed author Edmund de Waal and featuring two lavish gatefolds and metallic edge stain, Objects of Desire is a feast for the eyes and a cherished object in its own right.