An everyday by-product of the food industry gets a luxurious afterlife, thanks to the innovative handling of undervalued organic materials. Ventri shows how something considered waste in many countries is given a new and much higher value through the action of design.
Take the intestines of a cow. After slaughter, the value of a cow’s stomach is nil. In the Netherlands, the best-case scenario for its use is in dog food. In Italy and other countries, such animal “waste” products can end up on people’s plates, often only because they are low-priced.
What happens to the value, however, if the stomach becomes not a food product but a designer bag or chair?
Billie van Katwijk’s project shows beauty in hidden and unexpected places, discovering new materials by taking a different look at what is already there. Van Katwijk studied the richness of textures and specific properties in each of the four parts of a cow’s stomach and, through a labour-intensive tanning process, arrived at a collection of handbags with a unique aesthetic. Says the designer: “I hope that seduced by its beauty, people are aware of it being a cow stomach and inspire a conversation about the value of under-appreciated and everyday materials.”
Thanks to Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie for supporting the project.
Overview:
Incredits
Sustainability
Characteristics
Processing
Colour
Origin
cow’s stomach
compostable
similar to leather
similar to leather
brown
red
white
blue
black
orange
red
white
blue
black
orange
Netherlands
Buy it here:
What
Description
Amount
Buy
RUMEN
The rumen is the first stomach we would slide into. It is the biggest of the four. This first stomach serves as temporary storage in the process of ruminating. Dairy cow rumen can contain 120 kg of food mush (you and I would fit in together!).
The rumen is not round like a ball but is composed of several muscular sacs. The lining of this stomach has scale-like structures that almost look like fur in some places. These textures increase the surface, allowing for better absorption of substances. Other parts of this stomach are wrinkled like the skin of an elephant.
The rumen is not round like a ball but is composed of several muscular sacs. The lining of this stomach has scale-like structures that almost look like fur in some places. These textures increase the surface, allowing for better absorption of substances. Other parts of this stomach are wrinkled like the skin of an elephant.
100,00 € ︎
RETICULUM
The second stomach is the reticulum. The rumen and reticulum are remarkably similar in structure and function. They are separated only by a muscular fold of tissue. In both stomachs, digestion happens through fermentation by microbes. They can be considered as one organ but differ in the texture of their lining. The reticulum is much smaller than the rumen. It has a netlike structure, creating little chambers in the stomach lining. This structure reminds you of honeycombs and feels almost reptilian.
86,00 € ︎
OMASUM
The omasum is the third stomach. The lining of this stomach is highly folded. The folds and creases are covered with little globules and soft prickles. The numerous folds trap digestive particles so the maximum amount of nutrients can be absorbed. In the slaughterhouse, the folds are called leaves, and the Dutch name of the omasum refers to them as pages: this is also called the ‘book stomach’ (boekmaag). This leather reminds of a winding landscape.
95,00 € ︎
Comments:
Maya R.
Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis.
Carolyn H.
Consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. ❤️ At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua.
Ramses I
At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus. 🔆
