Objects that were demonstrated, touched, fingered, fondled, caressed and stroken at the tactile aesthetics seminar yesterday

Here are some of the objects that were demonstrated (touched, fingered, fondled, caressed, stroken etc.) during the touching seminar yesterday.
Here are bundles of hair from an often-caressed cat:

And here is a toy: 
 
At least two participants brought coffee/tea mugs, and two of us chose to bring small objects that they like to play with to distract their thoughts, a chestnut and some paper clips:

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
A cool computer mouse, of course: 
And so on and so forth:

And I, finally, brought my office chessboard, to illustrate the question whether chess is a purely cognitive game, or if the enjoyment is enhanced by playing it tactically: 
 
 
 
 
 
This seminar was an appetiser only. We’ll soon be back with discussions about tactile aesthetics in museums in general and science and medical museums in particular.
Next scheduled event in the material aesthetics meeting series is the workshop IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK: COMMUNICATING MEDICAL MATERIALITIES, which we organise here at Medical Museion 8-9 March with about 30 participants.