Wen wan are special kinds of walnuts that become smooth, red and weathered over years of handling. They are unique to the owner’s hand oils, and thus, can be considered a special personal treasure based upon time and touch. You buy a pair, and you caress. Sometimes you even pass them to the next generation.

I spent 8 hours in Beijing looking to find the perfect walnuts to fondle in the years to come. They are weird, inexplicable and a little ugly. And they are matchlessly my own.

–Claire Murdough