Some place mats are meant to protect the table from getting damaged. Others are designed to decorate the table setting. This Trick Mat, on the other hand, is definitely intended to amuse diners, making it look like the table is starting to sink under the weight of their plates and cutlery.
Made by Japanese studio AP Works, the place mat uses a simple optical illusion to make it look like the table’s surface is bending downwards under the weight of fine tableware. That way, when you pile in a gigantic amount of lasagna on your plate and the table still hasn’t sunk in much further, you can conclude that the portion you’re having is actually very light and, as such, will not have any ill effects on your existing weight loss targets. Yeah, self-delusion is your strong forte.
The Trick Mat features lines on a grid pattern that bend down to give the illusion of sinking on three sections of the mat: the center, where you’re putting the plate, and two vertical areas beside it where the cutlery will go. It measures 36 x 45.5 cm (h x w), just big enough for a regular-sized plate, so that, again, you can pretend your weight loss efforts are still in check. Construction is twill for the mat, with the lines silkscreened onto it. It comes in two color schemes: an Arabian blue background with off-white lines and another that reverses the colors.
We can’t find availability or pricing details, but you can find out more about the Trick Mat from AP Works’ website.