I remember being aware of it as a toddler in around 1950 - not that you could do much with it - no moving parts and so on.

It hung around on the mantlepieces of childhood, then went anto a draw somewhere, only to re-emerge on the death of my Father, 6 yrs ago.

It`s in our lounge now, on a ledge near the gas fire and it`s the only true solid artifact and link though to early childhood.

At it`s side is a very modern `smoothed out` body shaped brass pig bought about 10yrs ago. That has memories attached too - as does the small, pottery model of a Maltese bus.

I remember the driver of one seeing us running - and busting a gut to get the bus away before we could get to it - with eye contact.

Then there`s the small brass inlaid with other metal `egg cups` memories of one bought from a street vendor in Tunisia - polishing it and still doing so as we bought it. But 10yrs on still more shiny than the other, bought at the airport to match it. I can still `see` the vendors face and the street corner he stood on.

All trash no doubt to anyone visiting and seeing them - but to us generating memories of past times and holidays - just as as well as looking at photographs. Perhaps even better, or at least somehow `different` to photo augmented memories.

Funny that. How a solid artifact has the power by to evoke such strong associations - and no doubt why the brass elephant endured so long in our family history - I seem to remember it came from India with an Uncle who was a Major in the army.

Do you have any `lounge artifacts` that invoke memories?

oilrag