Where does imagination come from?

Where does imagination come from? And what about creativity? Is our world the only world? Or is there more than that which we can see and touch? Has this gorgeous chair merely been adorned with the decorated wings of a butterfly? Or does it’s intricate inspiration come from other realms?

Given children’s propensity to believe there is more to this world than meets the eye, what better piece of furniture could you imagine to inspire their games and flights of creativity?

This is a new and exquisitely designed chair, which calls not only to such imagination and creativity, but also to Y Tylweth Teg, the fair folk, and to Annwn, the Celtic ‘otherworld’, the land that appears in the old Welsh tales as a kingdom of splendor and brilliance.

In Welsh folklore interactions between humans and fairies are common, and while the kind and mindful are typically blessed, the greedy and spiteful generally get their comeupance.

For instance, we have the Welsh Fairy King Gwyn ap Nudd and the stories of King Arthur and Guinevere, which are closely related to Welsh fairy-lore. Morgan le Fay, Arthur’s half-sister may even have lived in the otherworld.

In other stories, fairy rings are often seen as a portal to the otherworld. The rings are seen to signify an underground fairy village. Welsh folklore also considers them be areas of fertility and fortune, crops grown around them and livestock feeding nearby are bound to flourish.

Welsh Fairies star in the greatest ‘modern’ fairy story ever told, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with the fairies themselves being much more in the mould of Welsh fairies than their English counterparts. While gleaning intimate knowledge of such folklore from the Welsh actors in his company, Shakespeare would probably have developed his magical characters from the account of Geraldus Cambrensis, (Gerald of Wales), Archbishop of Brecon and his 1191, “Itinerary through Wales”.

Alternately, if you are very lucky you could attract a fairy to your home, as Y Tylwyth Teg are known to visit human dwellings after dusk. While this chair could be the key element in such an encounter, also be aware that Y Tylwyth Teg appreciate a well kept, orderly home with a clean and tidy hearth. They also enjoy thoughtful touches, such as a vessel containing water, so they can quench their thirst and freshen up before making their return journey.

Can you imagine giving this new prototype chair a fitting home? With it’s hand carved wings, which make the most of the wood’s natural features. This is an intricate and beautiful piece that is decorated with a mixture of branding and staining . . . built to last and withstand the elements and the challenges of a life outdoors.

In addition, maybe this chair will also allow adults to glimpse another, more mystical world? Visit such a place for a day, at least, or as the old tales have it, for a year and a day. What could you discover there? What wisdom will you bring back to enrich this world?

Tell friends you bought it for the children, but maybe it will unlatch something inside of you too? Some connection to a deeper, more resonant world? And if these are some of the possibilities open to adults, imagine what stories such a magical chair could provoke children to tell? What creative flights and adventures could it engender in younger minds?