When my wife was a child, her father gave her svilpaunieks made of wood - a forest owlet which soon became Tatjana's favourite toy and thus also the prototype of mine. We believe that the sound of the svilpaunieks will cheer you up and remind you of your childhood.

This summer we noticed a beautiful and unseen bird in our backyard. Looking it up in the encyclopaedia we found out that it's a hoopoe - a rare bird species nominated as Latvia's Bird of the Year 2014. Celebrating this encounter we turned a piece of clay into this magnificent bird.

Latvians see birds as messengers. A lark calls to weddings, a tomtit brings news from soldiers, a nightingale wakes the ploughmen in spring mornings, an oriole is the herald of rain but a corncrake foresees rye harvest. Let it bring the message you're expecting!

God took clay and created human. Ancient Latvian in-between making clay pots created svilpaunieks - just to brighten up someone's day. And to this day we still do it. Is it a tradition? Certainly! But it's also a reminder not to forget to be happy while doing the important things!