nObject Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. n nEvery culture, every religion, every era has enshrined otherwise regular objects with a significance which stretches beyond their literal importance. Whether the bone of a Catholic martyr, the tooth of a Buddhist lama, or the cloak of a Sufi saint, relics are material conduits to the immaterial world. Yet relics arent just a feature of religion. The exact same sense of the transcendent animates objects of political, historical, and cultural significance. n nFrom Abraham Lincolns death mask to Vladimir Lenins embalmed corpse, Emily Dickinsons envelopes to Jimi Hendrixs guitar pick, relics are the objects which the faithful understand as being more than just objects. Material things of sacred importance, relics are indicative of a cultures deepest values. n nObject Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.n