Italian layout workplace Make That Studio has unveiled a jug based on the water-smoothed shapes of riverbed pebbles .
The oval jug takes its cues from an ancient Sicilian container that dates back hundreds of many years and was typically employed to retailer oil or water – even though it is now primarily sold as a souvenir in the district of Caltagirone.
The distinguishing characteristic of the jug is a stoppered funnel that leads up from the base, enabling it to be filled from the bottom.
Historically the container was conical-shaped and featured a protruding side spout. But Make That Studio referred to the water-smoothed shapes of pebbles discovered in the Simeto – the main river that runs via Sicily – for its redesign. Its version is named Pètra.
Like its predecessor, the ceramic container has a hole in the bottom that indicates it can be filled from an inverted position, as effectively as a single puncture hole in 1 side that allows liquid to be poured in a thin stream.
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“We wanted to give a new life to the aesthetics of this jug, creating a modern tableware accessory that represents the background of the Sicilian island, characterised by many cultural influences,” stated the studio, who perform across a assortment of disciplines like graphic style, art direction and styling.
The constrained-edition jugs are available in each glossy white and matt stone from Prontabarre, and come as numbered pieces.
Other designers have also dabbled with reinventing jugs for contemporary audiences. Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola reinterpreted a Basque jug style for Bilbao eating places, retaining its distinctive slanted shape, although Ian Aandersson purposefully deformed classic shapes to improve functionality.