The bird made of maple, is both a bookend and a sculpture.

Although its avian characteristics are reduced to a minimum, Alexander Girard's archaic-looking Girard Bird (1945) is clearly recognizable as a member of its species.

In the mid-1940s, designer Alexander Girard experimented with a series of abstract sculptures made of glass, foam, corrugated cardboard, driftwood, plywood, and solid wood, including a bird figure hand-carved from apple wood. These sculptures were featured in the July 1945 issue of the American magazine "Arts & Architecture".

Today, the original wooden bird is in the Vitra Design Museum as part of the Girard Archive. In close collaboration with the Girard family, Vitra has brought this figure back to life: although its birdlike features are reduced to a minimum, Alexander Girard's archaic-looking Girard Bird (1945) is clearly recognizable as a member of its species. With an archaic look, this solid maple wood figure from France can stand on its legs or its tail.

Material: solid maple.