In Praise of Shadows and Other Essays Quotes

“We do not dislike everything that shines, but we do prefer a pensive luster to a shallow brilliance, a murky light that, whether in a stone or an artefact, bespeaks a sheen of antiquity. Of course this 'sheen of antiquity' of which we hear so much is in fact the glow of grime. In both Chinese and Japanese the words denoting this glow describe a polish that comes of being touched over and over again, a sheen produced by the oils that naturally permeate an object over long years of handling - which is to say grime. If indeed 'elegance is frigid', it can as well be described as filthy.”
― Junichiro Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows and Other Essays