This unlikely gathering of creatures poised on the table top reminds us to be ready for those unexpected moments in life that may take us in a new direction and onto new adventures.

The ship balanced on the back of the nyala has a maritime flag raised with the international signal, “I wish to communicate with you”. I’ve also seen it listed as “Your should stop your vessel instantly”. Perhaps on the high seas one is necessary for the other. Perhaps too, the idea of stopping to communicate in this fast paced world is something to consider. The 1940’s bakelite phone on top of the tortoise alludes to this slowing down of life to notice not only other ships around us but also the small and beautiful details.

The spectacles that hang from the ear of the nyala reinforces this aspect of looking at what is sometimes overlooked ... the perfect peel of an apple, the intricacies of a knotted string or a teaspoon whose handle is a pair of golf sticks with a tiny golf ball at the end, a small trophy from a long ago day on the course.

So while a penguin balances on an apple and a figurine of Casanova (a treasure picked up in Venice from my own travels many years ago) peers curiously at a lemur, the wise owl at the top knows that all journeys whether travelling the seas or travelling to the supermarket will always be more adventurous when we slow down and notice the magical details. – Kate Bergin