Girotondo Fruit basket, 20 cm

The cut-out "little man" motif that defines Alessi's Girotondo collection was created by design duo Stefano Giovannoni and Guido Venturini, working together under the name King-Kong — the playful, cartoon-like language that helped define Italian design in the early 1990s. Choosing the final silhouette reportedly came down to an office debate settled, almost by accident, by a stationer's offhand pick among a handful of options.

This open-work fruit basket, in 18/10 stainless steel, turns that motif into a functional centerpiece — a ring of linked figures forming a bowl that's as much sculpture as fruit holder. At 20 cm, it's a versatile size for countertop or table.