First though I wanted to be clear what exotic means. The Oxford dictionary definitions are colorful and out of the ordinary; originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign country; of a kind not used for ordinary purposes or not ordinarily encountered.
We all eat. We all wear clothes. We all have shelter. We all come from a mother and father. Roughly half of us have siblings. Most of us have an occupation or vocation. But woven into the commonalities are the exotics, the things that make me want to visit other parts of the world, eat other foods, learn about you, your culture, your locale, and your family, if we get that intimate.
As a child learning to knit and crochet, acrylic yarn was the order of the day. Even today the big box stores universally carry acrylic yarn. What is exotic? Sheep wool is borderline exotic by this yardstick. Llama, alpaca, cashmere, camel, mohair, bison, silk, and most definitely quiviut and vicuna are exotic for me. The animals that produce these fibers don't really live around me and so I find them exotic. The internet has opened up the market though and exotic might be losing its meaning. I hope not.
Exotic doesn't mean things are quaint and just out for display. As I sat watching (ok binging) Downton Abbey, this thought reentered my mind. The episode where the family opens the house to visitors at 6d. per person to benefit the local hospital. Robert and Edith can't understand why anyone would want to come see their house. But it is decided that this would earn some much needed money and so it's a done deal. This is where exotic comes into play. Everything they see as ordinary is exotic to the local villagers. Yes they all drink tea from cups but the cups in the villagers homes are cheaper by far and much heavier. The cups in the manor house are fine and delicate. Yes they all have furniture but the exotic comes from the fact that the manor house's things are firstly much more expensive, secondly made from woods not found around England most likely, and thirdly carved and put together by craftsmen who use unusual techniques. The things in the villagers homes are probably much plainer and more serviceable and made from local woods that are not carved or otherwise adorned.
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| Various wools and some acrylics |
