• Zakopane crib

I’ve just unboxed, as I do at this time each year, a seasonal reminder that I bought in Zakopane in December 1998.  I was there to celebrate Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s 65th birthday with his family and friends.  Everything was deep in snow. The following morning I went with Susan Bamert from Boosey & Hawkes to explore the market at the foot of the ski slope at Gubałówka.  Tempted though I was by fragrant cheeses, my eye was caught by a carved wooden crib of not inconsiderable size and weight.  I could not resist and somehow managed to get it home in one piece.  It has adorned the house every Christmas since.  I love its open and subtle craft, the use of bark, straw and willow, and its lack of commercial veneer.

Here are a few other angles: