Not currently on display at the V&A

Dry

Cutlery Set
1982 (designed), 1982 (made)
Artist/Maker
Alessi S.p.a. (maker)
Castiglioni, Achille (designer)
Place of origin
Milan (designed)
Milan (made)

The handles of this set of cutlery are shaped like a bar ingot with straight sides and a slightly curved end. The upper edge of the knife blades continue the line of the handle and then crops, with a small indentation, to continue in a parallel line to a rounded point. The serrated cutting edge slopes gradually away from the end towards the handle and then returns sharply to connect with the underside. The thin neck of both the forks and the spoons has concave sides. The forks have a curved bowl, straight sides and four elongated prongs. The bowl of the spoons are ovoid; the base of each bowl is off centre. The surface of each handle is given a satin finish in contrast to the highly polished blades and bowls.


Object details

Categories
Tableware & Cutlery
Metalwork
Object type
Cutlery set
Parts
This object consists of 10 parts.

  • Knife
  • Fork
  • Spoon
  • Knife
  • Knife
  • Spoon
  • Teaspoon
  • Teaspoon
  • Serving Fork
  • Serving Spoon
TitleDry (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Stainless steel
Brief description
'Dry' cutlery set, stainless steel, made by Alessi, Italy, 1982.
Physical description
The handles of this set of cutlery are shaped like a bar ingot with straight sides and a slightly curved end. The upper edge of the knife blades continue the line of the handle and then crops, with a small indentation, to continue in a parallel line to a rounded point. The serrated cutting edge slopes gradually away from the end towards the handle and then returns sharply to connect with the underside. The thin neck of both the forks and the spoons has concave sides. The forks have a curved bowl, straight sides and four elongated prongs. The bowl of the spoons are ovoid; the base of each bowl is off centre. The surface of each handle is given a satin finish in contrast to the highly polished blades and bowls.
Marks and inscriptions
'ALESSI INOX 18/10' (Trademark stamped on underside of each handle)
Credit line
Gift of the manufacturer through Penhallow Marketing Ltd.
Object history
Cutlery set awarded the Compasso d'Oro prize in 1984. The cutlery set drew on a previous cutlery set titled 'Secco' designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1959.
Bibliographic reference
Scarzella, Patrizia. Steel & Style, From Project to Product, The Story of Alessi Household Ware. Milan : Arcadia Edizioni, 1985 (translated 1987), p. 140.
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
M.16 to I-1990

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Record createdJune 1, 2007
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O135765/dry-cutlery-set-castiglioni-achille/
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