My treasured object is this brass sculpture that my father, Rafael Miyar, bought in Mexico City in 1975. It joined the family the same year I did, so we’ve had a long history together. For birthdays, he loves to give a piece with a connection to our shared story. A few years ago, he gave me this.
You can just see the signature of the artist – a Hungarian called Pál Kepenyes, who was working in Mexico City – on the mane. At first glance it looks like a lion, but when you start analysing the components you can see how it takes a lot of decorative heritage from pre Hispanic artwork – there’s a man with an eagle headdress, an owl on the flank, these wonderful red glass eyes and asymmetrical whiskers.
The mane looks like flames or rays of the sun. Aztec motifs were used by a European man who embraced local traditions and expressed them in a really innovative way.
My father has given me many beautiful things, but this one has particular resonance because everything I love about good design is here: the materiality and combination of decorative elements; the slightly brutalist quality. I love a metal that shows the patina of age, that can be moulded to take on a different character – it’s not pristine, but it still feels elevated. The artist’s hand imbues each piece with a life of its own. The imperfections are perfect to me.
It also connects me to the collector heritage that my father instilled in me. To this day, if I’m buying something special, I send him a picture and ask for his opinion. The lion now lives on the coffee table in my London apartment, but I can close my eyes and picture him there in my old family home in Miami after we moved from Mexico, where my siblings and I were born. It’s important to live with pieces that have an emotional resonance and remind you of where you come from. nataliamiyar.com
