Beauty in the mundane. Cultural perception and expectation

I have had too much coffee. It is apparent with the tangential feel of this post

Is it possible to differentiate cultures by studying the mundane? Let's workshop.

I am going to ask you to form the picture of an object in your mind. Do not worry, the object is something you have seen many times before. You pass, walk, drive over them everyday and I will go so far as the say you ignore them regularly, not giving them a second thought. The objects are something relied on, serving a meaningful purpose, protecting people from bodily harm. Western society has come to expect them and sues the local government should they not be where they are expected to be.

Sorry for the suspense. They are manhole covers. Also known as sewer seals, bum beds, et al.

Returning to the question "Is it possible to differentiate cultures by studying the mundane?".
The answer is a resounding "Yes".

Wait a minute, you say "How is it possible to distinguish between two cultures from viewing manhole covers?" Read on.

In the West, manhole covers are invariable round (for good reason) and carry all the personality of a culture insisting to be declared good is to be mass produced, similar to all those prior and post to your existence, and easily blended into existing expectations. Not to perpetuate the tenets of racial profiling but the premise here is "If you have seen one, you have see them all".

The East however, displays quite a different perception on items relegated to the title of manhole covers.
I offer these two examples: one and two.

By comparing the vision of a manhole cover you conjured up in your head with the examples given, I would have to give a most definite "Yes". Unless, of course, you happen to live anywhere else but the United States.