Scandinavian tray

We are in the process of renovating our "back room". We started off painting everything white and re -rendering the mudbrick wall. I have always had a problem with the niche that we built. Nothing seemed to fit into it, until I found this tray made in the Philippines. It looks very Scandinavian and minimalist. I could image a whole collection of  these with graphic tree, flower and animal shapes like owls, birds and the like.
Since then, I have rethought the feelings I have for those piles of wooden bowls sitting underneath the ceramics at op-shops.

If you look at them with a new eye, they are very sculptural and often handcarved. The wood, unfortuantely is often of high quality and most probably rare rainforest timber. I have noticed many with a sticker on the bottom that states that they are from renewable resources, but I wouldn't believe that for a minute. The old ones are the best. Target and Freedom have had homewares ranges which included similar items, but the timber seems lighter in weight and they look machine carved.

"Cheap and nasty Asian imports", one grey haired lady told me as I was sifting through a carton of wooden pieces at the local Lifeline.. I smiled sweetly at her and nodded, thinking to myself, "Good, more for me, hee, hee, hee!"