Tea and Coffee Piazza service
Designer Michael Graves American
Manufacturer Alessi S. P. A. Italian
Not on view
In the 1980s, the Italian manufacturer Alessi commissioned eleven architects to design tea and coffee sets, with the tray serving as the "piazza" and the vessels positioned like "buildings." The Graves design was one of the most popular in the series, with its whimsical mixture of Greco-Roman architectural forms that evoke fluted classical columns; splashes of vivid color; and clean, postmodernist design simplicity. The forms refer to early twentieth century architecturally inspired examples by Wiener Werkstätte designers such as Josef Hoffmann, while also channeling the playful, colorful, and humorous style of the Memphis design group that was so popular during the 1980s.
