butterfly tray

birdloft original design
by custom order

from reclaimed roughsawn old growth fir and industrial hot rolled steel
finished with locally produced teak oil and beeswax
felted feet

as shown, approximate overall dimensions
18-3/4" long x 9-1/4" wide x 2-7/8" high

if you would like different dimensions
or something similar, but totally different, please let us know

WHY BUTTERFLY TRAY
the first tray was an experiment, how you can set out to make a thing without knowing exactly the way or the end what. The raised "spine" down the middle of the wood was a defect from 126 years ago, an error at the sawmill that I wanted to resist sanding away, maybe enough time had passed. The long-ago misstep became the butterfly’s body between the two leaves of wood, the wings. It's true, too, that metaphors like this can get unwieldy. Does it really look like a butterfly? But I'll add, too, that my grandmother loved butterflies, all of us brought her butterflies, her apartment in the afternoon light.. Unwieldy. And a raised spine can also be impractical at times. Not everyone wants a raised spine or bump across the middle of a functional surface. So this same tray, when we have made it again, has been just the two leaves or wings, no spine, more about connection and unity and also remaining distinct, two beautiful elements together, more beautiful by being together, and still each their own. And maybe that visual language begins to get at what happens during a kiss, when the dichotomies of two universes converge.

BIRDLOFT ETHOS OF GREEN
All birdloft reclaimed materials are sustainably harvested in a big-hearted, biodiesel-breathing compact pickup truck. This is just one aspect of our ongoing efforts to be responsibly awesome.

DESIGN | CRAFT
birdloft prides itself on its exceptional craft and clarity of design. Every piece is made with meticulous attention to detail and knowledge of how wood moves and breathes

SHIPPING
Estimated ship time 4 to 6 weeks