Danish Carved Wooden Bird

Mid-century Danish workshops turned out wooden birds by the thousand, and the reason the shape has lasted is that it does almost nothing: a smooth body, a suggestion of a tail, a beak reduced to an angle, and no eyes or feathers at all. What is left is a silhouette that reads instantly as a bird from across a room while remaining, close up, simply a beautifully finished piece of wood.

This one follows that tradition properly. The body is turned and hand-sanded to a soft satin rather than a lacquered gloss, so the grain stays visible and the surface is pleasant to pick up - and it will be picked up. It sits well on its own on a mantel, but works even better beside one or two other objects of different heights, which is how the originals were always shown.

Because it is solid timber, the grain, colour and figuring vary from piece to piece; no two are identical, and that variation is the point rather than a fault. Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators, both of which will dry and fade wood over time. Dust with a dry cloth, and feed the surface with a little wax once a year if it starts to look thirsty.

• Hand-finished solid wood bird sculpture in the Danish tradition
• Turned body with a soft satin finish, not lacquered
• Natural grain and colour vary between individual pieces
• Keep out of direct sunlight and away from radiators
• Dust dry; wax occasionally to maintain the finish
• Decorative object, not a toy - keep out of reach of children