The metal bird sculptures are one of our most popular lines. This product line is an exclusive of Mbare Ltd. All of the birds are carefully hand crafted into whimsical poses, produced from scrap metal and old oil drums. Zimbabwean ingenuity turns this waste into innovative sculptures, with birds of both the African and American variety.
Birdwoods Metal Sculpture was established by Louise Stobart in 1991, using her designs to create a wide range of unique metal sculptures made from recycled 40 gallon oil drums. The sculpture was a companion enterprise to the farm which her husband, Bruce, had established as a highly successful mixed cropping and livestock operation employing 60 families. As the metal sculpture business grew, it provided employment for an additional 30 families. Due to economic conditions, Louise and her family had to move to New Zealand in 2004, and the Birdwoods craftsmen and their families relocated to Harare where they continue to produce Louise’s designs in limited numbers.
The Birdwoods philosphy is that everything has a story. "For almost every thing we have here, we’ve met or know the person who created it. We are not interested in mass produced and manufactured or replicated work – we love things that are authentic, individual, quirky and honest. Things that have their own character and history. We love the ‘waste not, want not’ nature of so much of the craft work and art that comes out of Africa. After all, waste is not a luxury they can afford, and products that make use of old things in new ways more often than not have greater charm and intrinsic value."
