Paperweight (Owl)

In Japanese, the owl is called fukurō (フクロウ)—a word whose characters can be read as “no hardship” (不苦労), making it a quiet symbol of good fortune. This paperweight, cast in iron by Suzuki Morihisa, carries that meaning in solid form.

Suzuki Morihisa is a Nambu tekki studio now in its 16th generation, based in Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan. Nambu tekki—the region’s centuries-old cast iron tradition—is known for pieces that are weighty, tactile, and built to last far beyond a single lifetime.

The owl’s features are rendered with restraint: broad-set eyes, compact form, a surface that holds the matte texture of sand-cast iron. It sits well on a desk or shelf—functional as a paperweight, considered as an object.