Pole Pole wooden figures

Handmade one by one, each one slightly different from the other, very light, essential, black and white, so smooth as to be velvety, and Japanese too! The Pole Pole animals had all the characteristics to make us fall in love at first sight, that’s why they came first in our Vud Loves selection.

These delightful little animals are produced by T-Lab Japan, who chose the name Pole Pole, which means “slowly slowly” in Swahili, referring to the nature of the figures, carefully and slowly carved and painted by the hands of expert artisans.

Production process

The making of these little works of art reminds us, in some stages, of that of our cutting boards.

Each model is first drawn on a piece of wood from T-Lab’s eco-responsible forest and then cut into a matrix, which is a sort of mold for the animal.

The next step is very delicate because it consists of drawing the animal in 3 dimensions to give it its final shape by carving it gently layer by layer with a knife. The animal is then polished with two different thicknesses of sandpaper to make it pleasant to the touch.

The final touch is to bring the animal to life by applying a layer of black paint with 100% natural plant pigment. Each animal has a unique facial expression and instantly becomes “yours”, creating an instant bond.

A sustainable forest.

Pole Pole animals are made in Bali, Indonesia, from an incredibly soft wood, Albizia Falcata. It’s a lightweight, sustainable wood grown in the T-Lab forest. Fun fact: if animals go slow, Albizia is one of the fastest growing tropical trees in the world, second only to bamboo!

Our favorites

There are about 60 models, with new ones every season, but we definitely have our favourites!

Starting your collection is very easy, just click here!