Department Store Fossils

There is no doubt that the marble staircase is a watermark for high-class and sophistication. Few things convey a sense of history and taste like the finely veined, polished surface of this sought-after stone.

Yet I say to you that the vast majority of marble, while beautiful, is no better than, say, quartz or cement. I know this may seem absurd, but that is only until you see pictures like these, taken from a variety of Japanese department stores built between 1914 and 1933, because these marble skinned staircases are dotted with fossils. Most of these fossils are of ammonites — extinct cephalopods whose closest living relative is the nautilus — whose only remains are their spiral shells.

This, then, is the kind of marble that will one day adorn the main staircase of my book-lined mansion. There I will be able to examine in detail every tread and riser, to press my face against the nosing and trim without having to worry about shoppers stepping over my crouched body.

Stairways to ammonite heaven [Pink Tentacle]