One of my rules for going to flea markets is to know ahead of time what I’m looking for. On a visit to the Pasadena Flea Market back in 2015, I had in mind something with an organic look that I could bring into my home. Initially, I was thinking about a wood side table, but then a large wooden tiger head caught my attention. I instantly knew I was sold.

When I brought it back home to Baltimore and hung it on my wall, however, it seemed to be missing something, so I decided to put an air plant in its mouth. As the plant started to grow, it began to look like a roaring flame. While the tiger head stands out on its own as a work of art, using it asa plant holder has allowed it to take on a new story and become a part of my world as a stylist.

For me, this piece represents the many little treasures that can come into your life, only to reveal their meanings later on. When my wife and I went to Tulum, Mexico, in 2018 to get married, we visited a shop in a small town that was selling similar wooden tiger heads. We concluded that this is probably where the design originated. At that moment, I felt that somehow the piece I had purchased in Pasadena had found its way to me and then helped us find our way to where it may have come from.

Photography: Jamie Chung / @jamiechungstudio