Touch wood | Philip Y.

Not all its details are tangible.

I remember my dad playing poker with his friends at our house when I was between 5 and 8 years old. According to my mom, he usually won.

As I grew, I came to appreciate the game too; finding the ways you can reduce the effects of randomness, and figuring out your opponents.

The main reason I value the poker set is that my dad died when I was 10 and it’s one of the few tangible artifacts I have from him.

Besides which it’s a beautiful set, made of wood, and when the chips are thrown into the pot they make a great sound.

Design and America explores American perspectives on beautiful design. In each post, individuals share a thing that is their most beautifully designed belonging. They get to own and express their own standards for what that means. To learn more and/or share yours, start here.

Dad’s initials