Icelandic designer Róshildur Jónsdóttir has designed a toy construction kit that uses fish bones as components.
The kit includes discarded fish bones, glue and paint.
Róshildur presented the project, called Something Fishy, at 100% Design Tokyo in November.
Here's some text from Jónsdóttir:
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Something Fishy
Something fishy is a model making kit for adults and children where a creative imagination is the key. You can glue the fishbones together in any way you imagine and create anything from angels to spaceships, monsters and goblins. I find the best way to create a figure is to pick up one bone and look at it from every angle and before you know it you will see an image, for example an elephants head an angels wing or a monsters foot. You will then find it quite easy to find the rest of the bones which will finalize your imagined creature.!
I created this product when I had been researching the use of Icelandic animal products in design through the ages. My ancestors used to use every part of the animal for food, clothing, household items, farming tools, toys and even building material. Each of these products took a lot of imagination, time and nurturing and was thus used to the fullest and even passed from generation to generation.
We now throw away tonns of bones, hides, horns and other side products of fish and meat. Today most of our everyday imported objects have very little sentimental value to us and in general we have way too many of these items. This is very true of toys, most of which are plastic imitations of everyday items which leave very little to the child's imagination or creativity. This means that they don't appreciate each toy for very long and we buy even more.
As soon as we create our own things which take time and nurturing we immediately feel differently about them. We don't throw them in a box with all the other goods, we display them and feel proud of them. I hope I have created something which will help us to remember that we can create our own products from local materials and that we might be happier with fewer but better objects in our lives. Lets not forget our creative side.