Girotondo Book End

A row of little cut-out figures, hand in hand, holding your books in line.

Girotondo is one of Alessi's most recognisable motifs, a border of perforated paper-doll characters first drawn by the design duo King-Kong, Stefano Giovannoni and Guido Venturini, for the A di Alessi line. Here the pattern wraps a bookend in polished 18/10 stainless steel.

It is functional enough to keep a shelf upright and light enough in spirit to sit on a desk without feeling severe. The mirror finish and the playful silhouette are pure Girotondo, a design that has stayed in production precisely because it never takes itself too seriously.