Michel De Cubber's favorite object is a knife. It has special meaning for him through the multi-generational family tradition of an ornamental knife being given from father to son as a symbol of the transition to adulthood.

'Le Couteau' is a dinner table with a drawer passing through it. The length of the drawer is longer than the table, so something is always offered at one end of the table. The notion of the drawer never closing is a symbol of Michel's family's father to son transaction.

—

"The knife for me is first of all an object to pass on, from father to son. To me it’s not a weapon at all, it’s a tool to share bread with family members."

This piece is part of Fabrica's 'Objet Préféré' collection, the result of a workshop at Grand-Hornu in Belgium, September 2010. The set consists of furniture that reflect personal stories relating to the favourite objects of Grand-Hornu staff.

130 (w) x 74 (h) x 74 (d) cm.
Client: Grand-Hornu
Studio: Fabrica
2011