Käsin veistetty puinen ovituki – vauvahylje

A baby seal carved from jempinis wood, about 16.5 cm long and rounded in the way carved animals usually are. It is light, around 70 g, so it works best against an interior door that swings easily, and it holds its own as an ornament on a shelf, a sill or the top of a bookcase.

Symbolism

Seals live between two worlds, at home in the water and on land, which is why they appear so often in coastal folklore. The selkie stories of Scotland and Ireland tell of seals that come ashore and take human form, and the animal has long stood for adaptability and for moving between one element and another. A doorway is a fitting place for it: thresholds are treated as in-between spaces in many traditions.

Care

• Dust with a soft, dry cloth.
• Keep it out of damp rooms and away from radiators, so the wood does not swell or split.
• Do not soak it or wash it with water.
• Grain, colour and carving vary from piece to piece.

Details

• Hand-carved jempinis wood
• Size: approx. 16.5 × 4 × 6 cm
• Weight: approx. 70 g
• Made in Indonesia