Fibonacci Cabinet
Celebrating the mathematical sequence found in nature.
The Fibonacci sequence, which is named after the 12th century Italian mathematician Leonardo Pisano (nicknamed Fibonacci), is one of the most famous mathematical formulas. Each number in the sequence is the sum of the two preceding numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, and so on.
Also known as ‘nature’s secret code,’ the sequence is widely seen in the naturally occurring patterns of flowers, fruit and shells.
One example is the spiral arrangement of seeds in a sunflower head. If you divide the spirals into those curving left and those right, you get two consecutive Fibonacci numbers such as 34 and 55 – or 89 and 144 spirals for a larger sunflower. And of course, the total number of spirals is a Fibonacci number, too.
The cabinet’s transitioning ochre hues and the marquetry pattern of the rippled sycamore celebrate two characteristics of sunflowers – colour and the Fibonacci sequence.
