YZ Bird Corkscrew Bottle Opener

A YZ bird corkscrew designed by draftsman & cartoonist Bernard Charles Howell for Henry Howell & Co., 1925. This wonderfully eccentric bottle opener combines an assortment of materials typical of YZ's imaginative production. Its body is carved wood, the head a piece of rattan, the yellow eyes cased glass and the large beak navy blue Bakelite. Extending beneath the body, the steel corkscrew brilliantly doubles as the bird's improbably long legs. Both playful and distinctly Art Deco, the characterful design makes ingenious use of each material, transforming an everyday implement into a wonderfully strange little creature. Although unbranded, as there is no surface upon which to place a mark, the design of this bird's head and body are documented in the YZ Archive.