ALESSI Circus 2014-2016

Designers: Marcel Wanders, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Manufacturer: Alessi SpA., Crusinallo di Omegna (NO), Italy Italy

 The circus is in town!

“The circus is full of marvellous characters”, writes Marcel Wanders, “and each one plays a part in making it a great show”. Drawing on these characters and the magical imagery that is part and parcel of their world, the designer created an exclusive series of items, offered as part of a limited edition. Wanders presents five circus characters, each with a fantastic, compelling story: “The Candyman”, “The Strongman”, “The Jester”, “The Ringleader” and “The Ballerina”.

Experiences, emotions, snippets of life: the designer presents these characters, all eager to enter our homes and our lives.

The culmination of an elaborate process that is half way between industrial and artisan production, these items are the result of incredible manufacturing expertise: precious little figures to be passed from one generation to the next, like family jewels. Fine items to collect, but also to use, the five figures spawned by Wanders' imagination all actually have a function: they are a bon bon dish, a nut cracker, a corkscrew, a dinner bell and a carillon.