Bird t. by Christien Meindertsma | Fabric Sparrow | no.16

Bird t. is a sparrow made of fabric, from offcuts left over when furniture is upholstered. A design by Christien Meindertsma from the Offcuts collection for Kuperus & Gardenier, and the little sister of the Pigeon Service, the fabric pigeon from the same series. At 16 cm it fits in one hand and sits on any shelf or windowsill.

This sparrow is made from a mottled cloth patterned in pink, dark red and black. The boldest of the series: the black keeps the pink in check and the dark red ties the two together, so the whole reads as rich rather than busy.

Every sparrow is one of a kind

Upholstering leaves furniture maker Gelderland with remnants of high-quality woollen fabric. The largest pieces go to the pigeons and the Saddle Blanket; what is left after that is just enough for a sparrow. Each one is hand-sewn and filled with flaxseed. No two are alike, and the photographs on this page are of this very one. If it is sold out, sign up to be notified: as soon as a new sparrow takes this place, you will hear about it.

Specifications

• Brand: Kuperus & Gardenier - View the entire collection
• Design: Christien Meindertsma
• Material: offcuts from furniture maker Gelderland
• Filling: flaxseed
• Dimensions: L 16 | W 7 | H 5 cm
• Weight: 120 grams
• Made in: the Netherlands

Thomas Eyck

The name Bird t. refers to Thomas Eyck and his collection t.e. Eyck published exclusive contemporary design and worked with designers such as Studio Job and Hella Jongerius. He often started from a material — glass, pewter, ceramics — or from a concept, and found the right designer and the right production process to match. Christien Meindertsma worked with him closely, and many of her designs appeared in his collection. After his death in 2023 she designed the sparrow as a tribute.

About Christien Meindertsma

Christien Meindertsma studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven from 1998 to 2003, taught among others by Hella Jongerius. Her work examines the lifespan and the use of products and raw materials. Careful research and documentation, and themes such as local production and untapped raw materials, characterise her work. She also sets out to make the origin of everyday products legible again, something globalisation and industrial production have largely put out of sight. Sometimes the research itself is the end result. In other cases her investigations lead to commercial products. Meindertsma's work is held in the collections of MoMA, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Vitra Design Museum. She has won numerous prestigious awards, among them several Dutch Design Awards, the Index Award and the Future Award.

About Kuperus & Gardenier

Kuperus & Gardenier is the joinery and woodworking workshop of Jan Kuperus and Rienk Gardenier in Lelystad. For years they produced Christien Meindertsma’s designs for t.e., the label of Thomas Eyck. After his death in 2023 they set up a label of their own and took on a number of those designs so they would not be lost — this sparrow is one of them.

We aim to deliver your order quickly. Orders placed on weekdays before 4 PM will be shipped the same day, unless otherwise stated. Sometimes delivery may be delayed, for example if a product is out of stock. In that case, we will inform you as soon as possible and you can cancel if you wish.

Within the Netherlands, shipping is free from €49,-, otherwise it costs €4,95. Returns cost €3,95. In Belgium and Germany, shipping is free from €69,-, otherwise it costs €4,95, and returns cost €4,95.

Returns within the Netherlands cost €3.95. You can cancel your order up to 14 days after receipt without giving a reason via the email from our shipping partner Sendcloud. This email contains a link to the return portal, where you can create a return label.
After cancellation, you have another 14 days to return the product at a PostNL point. You will receive the full order amount back, excluding any shipping costs to the customer. The product must be returned with all accessories and, if possible, in its original condition and packaging. We will refund the amount within 14 days of receiving the return shipment. For other European countries, a return fee applies, calculated via the Sendcloud link.