design by reborn reinterprets a traditional persian rug into a towering 2-meter sculpture

inspired by a one-of-a-kind persian rug from the 1920s, design by reborn has created a huge magnetized sculpture titled ‘ravana the misunderstood’. towering 2 meters in height, the sculpture is adorned with a total of 7236 patterns, all of which have been reinterpreted from the original rug made by persian artisans. 

ravana the misunderstood

ravana is composed of five wooden parts and is held together by custom-made rare-earth magnets. the design team was first inspired to create ravana when they stumbled upon a persian rug in a rug store in new york city called galerie shabab. within this rug they saw floral patterns that resembled galaxies. they then researched the origins and original imagery of the rug before changing the patterns ever so slightly to make them look like spacecraft, black holes, stars, planets, and cosmic beings.

rear view of ravana

a total of over 7236 patterns are adorned all over ravana, which is available in a glossy or matte finish. ravana’s heart caves into a valley of 27 hand-lacquered wooden layers that dives into the center of the sculpture. design by reborn teamed up with traditional vietnamese lacquer artisans to achieve its perfect finish. 

ravana front and back

the name ‘ravana’ is borrowed from a mythical sri lankan king mentioned in the hindu epic ramayana. in the text, ravana is seen as a complex character and evokes polarizing views, some also misinterpreting him in popular belief. some see him as the ultimate force of evil, but he was a knowledgeable scholar, scientist, lover, and a man of principle. a devout follower of lord shiva. (one of the principal deities of hinduism), ravana is even worshipped in many cultures. the reborn studio found the name ravana to have many interpretations, which they found fitting for the transformation of a persian rug.

details of ravana

ravana marks the first design in a new series by the studio. the sculpture is available for pre-order with a limited edition run of just five robots.

ravana in saigon

ravana with the traditional lacquer artisan from vietnam

details of the persian rug and the illustrations of ravana

ravana and the original persian rug

project info:

project name: ravana

design: design by reborn

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom