moon viewing restaurant

Moon Viewing Restaurant (Favourite Things #146)

Artist's notes on style, materials and inspiration:

This elegant autumn season wood girl is dressed up as the Moon Viewing Restaurant - a place to come to both dine with friends and have a fantastic view of the moon at the same time.

My favourite full moon to view each year is the autumn harvest moon, the full moon that falls closest to the autumn equinox. I walk down to a farmers field (almost always it has been recently ploughed ready for the next phase in the farming year) and wait for the moon to rise over the horizon. Autumn is very much in the air, but it isn't usually too cold and the sunsets beforehand are often beautiful too. This particular full moon seems to be especially observed all over the world, and all over East Asia there are mid-autumn festivals and thanksgivings during this time; moon viewing parties were enjoyed in Japan from the Heian period (794 - 1185), where special viewing platforms were set up to admire the moon's beauty and to compose and recite poetry. Many a haiku has formed in my mind whilst watching this scene unfold and on the walk to and from the field.

Under the mossy grey tiled roof of this restaurant you will find the entrance shaded by a blue-green noren curtain with a large moon motif, as well as a lantern and signage reading 'o-tsukimi' (the Japanese festival honouring and celebrating the autumn moon). This restaurant is well known for its amazing displays of the 'seven flowers of autumn' (bush clover, miscanthus, arrowroot, pink dianthus, maidenflower, thoroughwort and bellflower), which can be seen when you walk around the restaurant in a big wooden planter. You will also find a painting of a rabbit pounding the mochi to make the rice cakes offered during the moon viewing festival, and a moon gazing rabbit sat on an aircon unit! Rabbit motifs are common in moon related decorations and foods in East Asia, because in that part of the world it is believed that a rabbit can be seen in the moon markings. The other great thing about this restaurant is that the full moon always seems to rise over it's roof...

My 'favourite things' wood girl series share the places and things I love, a favourite motif, object or theme, or are inspired by a microseason. Turned from American Tulipwood, a sustainable and interestingly grained timber, the pieces are turned by a production wood turner in the UK to my designs, then added to and painted by me, a British artist. They are finished in a clear matt acrylic protective top coat.

Favourite Things girls are numbered on the base, this one is #146.

This girl is approximately 26cm in height.

My pieces are painted in a naïve and simple style, with visible brush strokes and differing paint consistencies. It is important to note that these dolls are made from real wood which will have naturally occurring markings and grain, and sometimes there will be small amount of bleeding along the grain, or knots, which is to be expected when using untreated wood - please make sure you consult the pictures carefully before purchasing.

PLEASE NOTE: Wood girls should be kept away from water which can damage the wood and painted surface, and also away from direct heat/ sunlight which also can affect the surface colour and the timber itself.

US CUSTOMERS: Please be aware that new import fees (tariffs) are now being applied by the US government to all imported goods - they vary by country of manufacture, which means 10% on goods manufactured in the UK (everything in my store). The good news is that if you purchase something from my store between now and February 2026 I will be trialling an 'all duties paid' service, which means you won't have to pay extra when the items arrive in the US. Large pieces are shipped separately.