Black Lidded Vase No. 36 by Alessandro Mendini for Alessi, Germany, 1992

Limited edition porcelain vase from Alessandro Mendini’s iconic series for Alessi. The bullet-shaped form is simple yet powerful and serves as a canvas for a collective artistic experiment:
This black vase is part of a limited edition of 10,000 pieces, comprising 100 different designs, each produced 100 times. Every surface design was created by one of one hundred selected individuals from fields such as art, architecture, design. The white porcelain form was understood as a neutral ground—a space for signs, stories, and identity.
Stamped on the underside of each vase are the names of all one hundred contributors in alphabetical order, along with the edition number. The identity of each specific design is not directly revealed, but rather indicated through its place in the sequence. This example has the edition number 3511/10000 and features design No. 36, created by fashion designer Yoshiki Hishinuma.
A conceptual exploration of series, authorship, and diversity—and a testament to Mendini’s poetic approach to design.