Animals with Virtues is entitled a beautiful collection of bookends that arrived at Oikos by visual artist and stage and product designer Valentino Marengo. Marengo’s work is always conceptual. In this series of bookends, the Italian-born designer searched for symbolisms and, therefore, every animal that he chose to put on the bookends has a specific reference, either to mythology or to philosophy.

For example the shape of an owl is cut out on the felt symbolising wisdom and prudence, also referring to Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of philosophy, and patroness of the city of Athens.

Marengo’s Animals with Virtues are made of a black laser-cut metal plate with a thin layer of transparent varnish and synthetic felt stuck on the metal with acrylic glue.

They are sold in a set of two!