HOW IT'S MADE: BEHIND THE SAFARI COLLECTION. Lion's Paws
Posted by Justin Van Breda on Apr 12th 2022
This collection is a deeply personal one, pulling from generations of experiences across Africa. Taking this inspiration back to various workshops in and around Cape Town to bring the pieces alive has allowed us to work with some of the most talented craftspeople across the south of the continent. And more, has allowed us to use a modern interpretation of some of the most spectacular traditional crafts that have been honed by time through generations of makers. This week we look at the evocative Lion's Paws.
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Lions are symbolic of Africa and Paw feet are synonymous with fine cabinetry so it made sense to bring the two together in this collection, tying two of my greatest passions together.
Early examples of paw feet can be seen on the ancient Egyptian tombs. Ancient Egyptians believed that the characteristics of the animal carved onto pieces of furniture could be transferred to their user, and the strength and majesty of the lion was a popular choice for Egyptian royalty. The paw feet continued to appear throughout the ages, from Greco-Roman to French Empire furniture, and became a symbol of demonstrated skill and quality
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I have always loved the detail, and added to that, the whimsical idea of the paws prowling across the African plains - and so it was a natural evolution to incorporate them into the collection.
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The next step was finding a craftsman to carve them. We met the incredibly charming and hugely talented Godfrey, a Zimbabwean carver living just outside Cape Town, who took the feet through many interpretations to come to the final design. The result is charmingly personal, with just the right amount of ‘fantastical’ balancing with an exceptional skill and homage to the long and rich history of the Paw foot.
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