A sad and wistful feeling over comes me as I stare at these old and forgotten worthless possessions. The brass Hamsads may still carry amulet protection. I think of Jan Vermeer and his exquisite Dutch interiors of 1593 reinterpreted and transplanted into the Middle Eastern landscape. I wonder what cupboard or table held the ceramic container, what liquid filled its smooth interior. Old discarded jewelry and necklaces, broken lanterns, copper plates lie abandoned in this crowded antique store window in South Tel-Aviv. No one walks here any more to shop. There are no visitors or local customers. Even the storekeeper is nowhere to be found. Deserted and forgotten, like old keepsakes, or long ago memories, this glass front speaks of a time and a place and a period that no longer exist. Only remnants remain without meaning, ownership or care.
