pa-TEEn-uh
Here's an analogy for you: A gentleman explains to a senior female, "Today you are a lovely
woman of 60. However, who you are today is not who you were when you were 20. The
difference is patina."
Usually patina is not used to refer to a person, well-deserved or otherwise. It is a way of describing
the changes that any item goes through over the course of time. That patina usually gives an object a rich and attractive appearance.
Michael Flanigan, Antiques Roadshow appraiser, has stated, "Patina is everything that happens to
objects over the course of time. The nick in the leg of a table, a scratch on a table top, the loss of moisture in the paint, the crackling of a finish or a glaze in ceramics. . .All these things add up to
create a softer look, subtle color changes, a character. Patina is built from all the effects, natural
or man-made. . ."
Fine patina is a compliment. Lack of patina usually means a lack of character.
Come and see PATINA at 224 Broadway in downtown Paducah, Kentucky.