In the Oxford dictionary the word 'muse' has two definitions. One refers to 'The Muses – nine goddesses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, inspirers of poetry, music, drama, etc.' From this comes the word we use to describe an artist or poet's source of inspiration. The other definition tells us that 'muse' means to 'Ponder, reflect (on, upon); gaze meditatively (on)... '
For me, the items featured here have a foot in both camps.
In the town of Pézenas in southern France I came across a street of houses identified with cast metal numbers such as the one shown here. The combination of a few simple design elements and the use of appropriate materials add enormous style to an everyday artefact.
In addition to the charm of this hand painted sign I love the dichotomy between the method of manufacture (handmade, improvised) and the supposed official nature of the message (authorised parking).