SAGOSKATT soft toy, Fried Egg, designed by Zosia (aged 7) for IKEA, Poland/Sweden, 2021

Soft toy based on a child's drawing, representing an anthropomorphic fried egg, made from white, yellow and black polyester plush. The toy has an irregular shape resembling the outline of a fried egg, with a yellow yolk in the centre and black arms and legs. The white is printed with grey in some areas to suggest depth and texture. Its face consists of two black eyes and a smiling mouth with a protruding red tongue. Some areas of the toy are filled with a scrunchy material for tactile enjoyment.

Given by IKEA UK and Ireland

IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943 by then-17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad (1926-2018). The name is an acronym of the founder’s initials, plus the first letters of the names of the family farm where he was born, Elmtaryd, and the village of Agunnaryd, where he grew up. The company is best-known for its flat-pack furniture and other homeware. From 2008, it was the world’s largest furniture retailer. IKEA is known for its simple, modernist designs, attention to cost control, and continuous product development.

IKEA considers the child’s right to play as a core value. In order to promote the best interests of children, by 2030 the company aims to integrate children’s perspectives into all its business activities. From 2015, the company held an annual competition inviting children to submit drawings to be made into soft toys. The ‘SAGOSKATT’ toys were then sold at low prices, with the full amount from each sale donated to a local charity. In 2021 in the UK, IKEA’s official charity partner was Barnardo’s. The finished products in each edition notable for their faithfulness to the original drawings.

66,259 drawings were submitted for the 2021 edition of SAGOSKATT, with five being selected for production. The range was made available for retail in October 2021.

'I like seeing my parents crack eggs over a pan - the different shapes they make, and so delicious! My toy practices yoga and football, but now he's reading a book about chickens to see how eggs are made.'
- Zosia, aged 7, who designed this toy with IKEA

B.13-2022