Table is a very symbolic piece of furniture, we may notice a cultural difference if we will analyze only tables. This object has a memory of traditions and habits and is well known all over the world.
My table is not a furniture product. It is more likely a cultural object. It is a mixture of local aspects. Important for me was to design an origin product which shows the Polish feast tradition “zastaw się a postaw się”,characteristic local material and colours, behavior and Cassubian character. I reject all patterns known from embroidery, because for me it is only a surface and artificial decoration.
I have chosen a pine tree which is the most common tree in north Poland. Whole table is made of natural pine wood and only the button is painted agresiv blue colour. The top of the table is made by diagonally cut boards which has knots on the center, this knot making line. That is the only decoration I decided to show, natural wood graining and blue colour. The line made by knots is another symbolic demonstration of keeping control on nature.
My table is 3 m long, it has a trapezoid shape. One of the sides called the head of the table has 1,5 m, and the other side tooks only 75 cm, distance between the 2 sides tooks 3m as I mentioned before. This shape causes perspective and that is a symbolic connection with table guest hierarchy .
The most important guests are sitting near the host which gets a head table place, kids rest companions take a narrow part of the table. The wider part is more official, and narrower favors relaxing atmosphere and gossiping. Constructions of the table help the host to see all of the guests, their faces and reactions, from this place he is better heard. The other side also has their advantages because of an illusion, people do not feel such a big difference, it seems to be shorter distance. Illusion has been made by trapezoid shape and diagonal cutting boards.
Photos by Daniel Kanka
a very brave photographer who has tried to deal with this optical challenge
the photos show my beloved grandfather Andrzej Flisykowski
thank you so much