Owl Bookends

The Owl Bookends are a two-piece set of solid-cast iron bookends, designed by Japanese designer Tadahiro Baba. Their design features a stylized owl with clean, slightly curved forms and delicately suggested feather details. The dark brown, bronze-colored surface emphasizes the sculptural character of the two figures.

The bookends are made in Takaoka in the Japanese prefecture of Toyama, a city with over 400 years of tradition in metalworking. The combination of traditional casting techniques and understated design is characteristic of many of the objects produced there.

The two elements together form an owl, but can also be placed individually at the ends of a row of books. With a total weight of 1.6 kg, they provide a stable support for books of various formats. Even without books, their distinctive forms will stand out on a shelf or sideboard.

• Design: Tadahiro Baba

• Material: Cast iron

• Set of 2 bookends

• Dimensions per element: approx. 8.7 × 9 × 16.5 cm

• Total weight: approx. 1,600 g

• Made in Takaoka, Japan

In Japan, the owl is frequently associated with good luck and wisdom. This is a beautiful detail that gives these unusual bookends an additional meaning beyond their function.