Eero Saarinen 'Roly Poly' Plate

A large birchwood charger designed by Eero Saarinen, produced in Finland by Keuruu, circa 1960. 

This serving plate is made from plywood; a strong, light & flexible material that allowed Modernist furniture designers to realise their innovative visions in ways that were previously impossible using solid wood alone.

Some of Saarinen's renowned furniture designs utilise this special material for its unique properties of strength & flexibility, but this charger brilliantly uses plywood in a purely decorative fashion. The item is turned on a lathe, and the use of plywood reveals the material's many layers to create decorative rings.

The timber used for this design is Finnish birch; this beautiful wood gives the object a lightness not only in appearance, but also in weight, enhancing the items practicality.