Now, joking... Have you ever seen a wooden spinning top this big? The size of our fruit bowl and centrepiece? We thought of bringing the shape of the spinning top to the table, evoking one of the favourite childhood games from the generations of traditional play: the jogo do pião (spinning top game)!
There was also the jogo do lenço (handkerchief game), jogo da macaca (hopscotch), jogo do mata (dodgeball) and jogo do macaquinho do chinês (the Chinese man's little monkey game – similar to “What's the time, Mr Wolf?”). Hands-on games that involved lots of running for the "ready, set, go’s”, shouting names at each other until we turned purple, sweating until our clothes and hair were drenched, and then having to explain at home what had happened to us.
"Children from Quadrazais playing with a spinning top 50 years ago." Unknown author. Source: capelaarraiana.pt.
The spinning top game fascinates us with its dynamic and static balance, or in other words, its spinning and resting. The dynamic balance results from the initial impulse given by the guita (cord or string), which, after being wrapped around the spinning top, is pulled as it is thrown to the ground so that it spins. Our fruit bowls still bear the marks of countless times the cord has been wound around it!
Pião Fruit Bowl (left) and Guita Fruit Bowl (right), both in Australian Acacia Wood. © After Hall 2024
The dynamic of sharing is another great feature of this piece. Is there anything more quintessentially Portuguese than the joy of sharing at the table? No longer do you need to ask and impatiently wait for your turn to choose the fruit after a meal. No, now you just spin the fruit bowl to whichever side is most convenient!
Pião Fruit Bowl, in Australian Acacia Wood. © After Hall 2024
We’ve kept the original material of the spinning top, wood, but carefully removed the metal tip to avoid damage to tables for those who can't resist the nostalgia and want to see it in action. Besides, our Pião Fruit Bowl, when at rest, after all that spinning, it takes on the typical image of a hero resting after arduous tasks (like tidying up the kitchen or washing the dishes).
For the less adventurous, averse to high-speed antics, we’ve also removed the cone, resulting in a flatter, less frenetic version — our Guita Fruit Bowl. While it contributes to the much-desired domestic stability, it’s less fun, we must admit!
Now, seriously... The aim is to highlight the importance of play in our daily relationships — ways of having fun that help strengthen our bonds, bring us closer together, allow us to get to know each other better, and share in memorable moments that unite us and where memories are made. In the end, they make our days happier.
DISCOVER THE PIÃO COLLECTION
Cover photo: Spinning Top Game. Lisbon. 1940s. Unknown author. Source: Reddit.