Uncommon Ancestor’s Story footstools are miniature fairytales, each a time capsule offering a glimpse into a cherished memory or moment. Conceived by founder Kara Douwma, every design begins as a series of hand-drawn sketches which are transformed into intricate embroidery on a sumptuous velvet cushion and set atop a solid walnut frame in an East London workshop. Dead or Alive belongs to the Haikuriosity series, its embroidered motifs—fish, flower and bottle—inspired by the original haiku verse: “Hand me the bottle / He was my favorite catch / Then he swam away.”