Objects & Us

Every culture in history has imbued certain objects with special value, constructing systems and narratives to support their appreciation. Even our prehuman ancestors left behind evidence of collecting. Objects, then, tell important stories—about humanity, creativity, what we need, and about who we really are or wish to be.

In Objects & Us, renowned curator and cultural historian Gus Casely-Hayford identifies twelve human needs, each chronicled in its own chapter, and pairs them with a variety of objects from the last six centuries, asking why these things and the human drive for creativity are important. Through a surprising and revealing selection of objects, from a carved wooden spoon to a stately silk dress, he identifies significant moments of cultural and creative innovation and expands them into larger stories that tell us why we design, make, and collect. His aim is to show how the products of art and design are not simply evidence of human history, but are in fact what make us human in the first place.

Objects & Us takes readers through a tour of both commonplace and exceptional objects from all corners of the world, showing how they reveal our histories, our needs, our desires, and our priorities, as well as the way we live our lives.