11 animal design objects: From Bottega Veneta to vintage collectibles

These slumbering creatures—a bear, a pair of birds, and a cat—exude serene tranquility.

While the cat and the birds are made of ceramic, the largest animal, a knit-covered bear, can be used as a stool, ottoman, or backrest.

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Normann Copenhagen's flock of birds come in various delightful incarnations. Little Bird is a range of simple but expressive figures designed by designer Jan Christian Delfs. Turned in wood with a characteristic beak as the sole detail, the six different sizes each represent a particular character in the designer's own family, where tiny design-related variations give the bird personality

Designed by Icelandic designer Sigurjón Pálsson, the Shorebirds have a simple, unadorned silhouette which belies the precision with which details such as variations in body thickness, neck length, and the positioning of the legs and beak. The curlew inspires the largest of the three birds, while the middle-sized bird is alert and active like a redshank. Lastly, the smallest represents the sociable sandpiper.

Also, by Pálsson, the Puffin marks the coming of spring each year in the designer’s Icelandic hometown.

Carved from a single piece of wood and hand-painted, this endearing little figure captures the sympathetic and slightly melancholic expression that makes this charismatic bird so loveable.

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While Finish heritage brand Aarikka is best known for buttons and jewellery, the company evolved from just wooden and silver jewellery into incorporating natural materials into beautifully realised homeware. 

The beads used in their jewellery were put to good use in their Pässi ram, a family of different-sized rams in different colours and finishes. This design classic by Kaija Aarikka was born as the symbol of Finnish perseverance and has become a valued (and meaningful) gift, which still commands attention wherever it is placed.

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Charming and full of personality, it’s no wonder that Danish brand Warm Nordic decided to immortalise Svend Aage Holm-Sørensen avians in teak. While Holm-Sørensen was synonymous with mid-century lighting design, his birds reflect a more whimsical side of the designer. 

These birds share the designer's more well-known work's exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail. Realised in teak, which acquires more character as time passes, the four engaging characters cover a broad spectrum, from upright and curious to more solid and thoughtful. But for all their differences, the birds are beautiful either together or solo. 

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Architectmade, established in 2004, creates objects that are built to last and pass on. While it has a vast homeware range, it's the animal series that has captured the imagination. Indeed, the menagerie featuring creatures designed by some of the design world's most iconic architects has become collectables.

Take Oscar, Bobby and Rufus for instance, a trio of dogs designed by a young Hans Bølling in 1953. The Danish designer realised the dogs with his characteristic humour and love for details; the dogs bodies are articulated so they can imitate everything a dog can do.

While Hans Bunde is more known for his silver work, the elegant Penguins were originally designed by the designer in 1954 for each of his sisters. Crafted from beech wood, the handpainted back represents the silky feathers of the bird, although its clever design leaves no mistaking what other species these birds could be.

More recently, star-chitect Bjarke Ingels of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) was invited to design a pair of pandas to accompany the home BIG designed for two giant live pandas at the Copenhagen Zoo.

Available in two sizes, the wooden pandas are designed to be rotated and have movable limbs.

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Woud celebrates modern interpretations of Scandinavian simplicity in all its products, its small but considered animal collection is no different. All designed by Danish designer, Steffen Juul, the group comprises of Rina, a lovable rhino; the irresistibly charming hippo, Hibom; and Nunu, the friendly elephant.

All crafted from solid oak and designed so that their heads can be tilted to either side to give them expression, Juul's design builds upon an old tradition among Danish architects and designers to make expressive wooden sculptures.

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Designed by Oiva Toikka, one of the greatest names in Finnish design, Birds by Toikka for Iittala Birds have transcended decoration into highly sought-after art objects. The first Toikka Bird was issued in 1072, and since then, a new bird has been revealed every year.

Each bird is a unique treasure, individually mouth-blown and signed with the artists' names. The Crake copper bird is the latest addition and features a special glass art technique that creates a brilliant stripe effect.

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In a whimsical convergence of fashion and furniture, Bottega Veneta’s creative director Matthieu Blazy has reimagined the iconic Zanotta Sacco chair into a menagerie of leather-crafted creatures.

Dubbed “The Ark,” this limited-edition collection transforms the revolutionary 1968 design into 15 different animals, from pandas to whales. Each maintains the original’s anti-formalist ethos while introducing what Blazy calls “the power of wow”.

The pieces, which sit low to the ground, offer not just seating but a shift in perspective—both literal and metaphorical.

Debuting at Milan Fashion Week, these sculptural seats embody Blazy’s vision of “a joyful world with a sense of wonder,” with pairs of animals released in limited quantities, echoing their biblical namesake.

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For design luminaries Charles and Ray Eames, collecting was never about acquisition but about discovery and dialogue. Their iconic California home became a living collage of carefully curated objects, each selected for its inherent design value rather than collector's cache.

Among these treasures, a massive wooden whale—an anonymous piece of North American folk art stretching over two meters—held particular significance.

The painted leviathan became a permanent fixture in their office, even gracing early photographs of their legendary Lounge Chair.

Today, Vitra offers a scaled reproduction of this beloved piece, hand-painted on ash wood, allowing design enthusiasts to bring the Eames' curatorial spirit into their own spaces.

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For the whimsical minimalist, Ferm Living's latest collaboration with Copenhagen-based mixed media artist Leise Dich Abrahamsen hits the spot.

Inspired by mythical creatures, each of the four hand-painted figures is crafted in India using compressed papier-mâché, giving them a raw, textured finish.

Abrahamsen explains, “I had been working with a fun technique, shaping a series of creatures from papier-mâché before decorating each with hand-painted dots, splodges, or stripes. It was fast and fun.”

These imperfections enhance their artisanal appeal. While designed for kids, these whimsical forms can easily adorn adult spaces, inviting conversation and creativity. "People can interpret them in their own way," says Abrahamsen.

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Kay Bojesen's designs epitomise Danish craftsmanship, blending humour and imagination into iconic wooden figures. His most famous creation, the 1951 Monkey, was initially meant to be a children's coat hook but became a beloved art piece.

Known for simple yet playful shapes, Bojesen's designs appeal to both children and adults, gracing homes worldwide. 

Respectful of tradition, modern adaptations like the puffin and elephant figures retain the charm of the originals.

Bojesen’s work endures and is cherished as heirlooms and gifts, especially in Nordic countries, where his joyful creations are passed down through generations, connecting past, present, and future.

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