"Bosnian handicraft meets Scandinavian design" in Monica Förster's range for Zanat
Stockholm designer Monica Förster has created wooden furniture and accessories for Bosnian company Zanat, using a hand-carving technique that could soon become protected by UNESCO (+ slideshow).
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_0.jpg)
The collection comprises a dining chair, a shelving and cabinet system, and a series of bowls, developed as part of Monica Förster's role as design director for Bosnian company Zanat.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
"The collection comes from a multidisciplinary context where Bosnian handicraft meets Scandinavian design," Förster told Dezeen.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_4.jpg)
The pieces are all carved by hand from oak, maple, ash, cherry, walnut and elm using a special set of tools. Unique to the company, this traditional practice is a candidate for the 2015 UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List – which identifies cultural skills and techniques in urgent need of preservation.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
Förster's designs are shaped using three sets of knives and chisels, and the products are patterned with indentations to demonstrate the technique.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_20.jpg)
"For the wood-carving motifs we were inspired by water flow and movement," said Förster, who named the furniture items after Bosnian rivers.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_18.jpg)
"Our aim was to bring a feeling of lightness to solid and plain wood, using thin edges and slender structures," she added.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_11.jpg)
The Unna dining chair is decorated with optional scallop-shaped carvings on the back of the seat, available with a natural or stained finish, and with or without a moulded leather cushion.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_16.jpg)
"Finding inspiration in nature, we have modernised Zanat's traditional carvings, preserving the genuine technique," said Förster.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_15.jpg)
The Tara storage system includes freestanding shelves and a cabinet in different heights. They can be used singly or in combination, and against a wall or as a room divider. Each cabinet can be personalised with abstract hand-carved patterns based on Zanat's craft techniques.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_9.jpg)
"The aim was to show the exquisite craftsmanship of Zanat in the fine joinery and in the unique hand-carving techniques," said a statement from the brand.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_5.jpg)
Circular bowls sit on rounded stands that feature repeating patterns improvised by Zanat's wood carvers. The containers are available in various heights and widths.
![Monica Förster Design Studio for Zanat](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Monica-Forster-Design-Studio_ZANAT_dezeen_468_6.jpg)
The collection was launched at Stockholm Design Week 2015 earlier this year as part of Sarajevo Sessions: Scandinavian Designers Discover Bosnian Handicraft. The exhibition took place at Stockholms Auktionsverk – the world's oldest auction house and a part of Lauritz auction houses.