Hands are probably the most ingenious appendages to our bodies. They can do incredible stuff.
Like grabbing - thanks not only to our opposable thumbs, which we share with other primates, but also our ability of small and ring fingers to rotate across the palm to meet the thumb (something called ulnar opposition).
Thumbs are pretty essential though - during the Gallic wars, Julius Caesar ordered the thumbs of captured warriors amputated so that when they returned to their country, they would serve as examples and be unable to bear arms again.
In Hinduism and Buddhism hand positions, or Mudras, have symbolic or ritual meanings. In shiva nataraja statues, a specific hand gesture called ḍamaru-hasta is used to hold the drum and symbolises rhythm and time.
Shiva Nataraja, anonymous, c. 1100 - c. 1200, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Hands are super sensitive, with countless nerve endings. We use them to feel, to touch, we lay our hands on people.
Hand muscles can be incredibly strong - rock climbers can support their entire body weight using their fingers.
And hands tell stories. About our lives. How old we are, what kind of work we’ve done, how much we have endured.
In short, hands are miraculous. And well worth taking a closer look at.
Today, start observing hands - starting with your own.
Notice the many different ways and directions in which your fingers can move. The lines in your palm. The blood vessels on the back of your hand.
Would you recognise a loved one if you saw a picture of only their hands?
All day, capture hands you see. Not only of people you meet in real life, but also of pictures.
Share your hands on Twitter or Instagram, using the hashtag #kramerseye.