VINTAGE JOANNA LYLE ALESSI STAINLESS STEEL CHIMU BOWL

Vintage Joanna Lyle for Alessi Stainless Steel Chimu Bowl. Inspired by the creations of the pre-Columbian Chimu culture this hemispherical bowl made from polished stainless steel, supported on three small conical feet with wooden band inserts, and cut at the top to form a rim of a continuous, regular waving pattern just above a frieze of small globular protrusions, each ascending curve of the wave arching over. This bowl is an example of Alessi's most interesting products of the 1990s. Being designed by a young English designer, it also illustrates a significant change in approach to 'guest' designers at the firm at the time. During the last decade of the 20th century, Alessi decided to target young international designers, as opposed to those well-known or famous. Joanna Lyle was one of 200 young (under 30 years old) women who were commissioned to provide designs for the firm. Lyle's 'Chimu' bowl is an excellent example of objects produced as part of the project.