OSANI
MIRROR
Height. 110cm|43,30’’ Width. 110cm|43,30’’ Depth. 9cm|3,54’’
PRODUCT DETAILS (image above)
Handcrafted wood structure finished in ebony veneer and aged gold leaf in high gloss varnish.
PRODUCT OPTIONS
Other veneers, natural or aged gold/silver/copper leaf or any Ral Classic color finished in matt, half or high gloss varnish.
The Osani game is played by Efé children of the Ituri tropical forest in the Republic of Congo. Sitting in a circle with feet
touching in the center, each child in turn names a round object and then names a figurative expression of “round”, like the
circle of the family or the cycle of the moon. As players fail to come up with a term that is “circular” they are eliminated
from the game. In the end, only one will remain and tradition says this player will live a long and prosperous life.
The human circle inspired Joana Santos Barbosa to create a round mirror that represents the spirit of mutual help in this
tribe, thought to be one of the oldest on earth. The ebony veneer captures the effect of the childrens’ outstretched legs
around the center, and the aged gold leaf brings to mind the soles of their feet and their sun-‐bleached heads. The circle is
the perfect form in which no side stands out. Like every child, every part of this mirror becomes essential to its balance
where the flow of energy around center is identical and of equal value; without beginning or end.
Osani Circle photo by anthropologist Jean-‐Pierre Hallet,1960s (All Rights Reserved: S. Fassberg, ConnectingDotz.com).
