Kaj Franck 'Kremlin Bells' Decanter & Pitcher

A 'Kremlin Kellot', or 'Kremlin Bells', decanter & pitcher, designed by Kaj Franck for Nuutajärvi Notsjö, Finland, in 1957. One of Franck's most celebrated and sought-after glass designs, Kremlin Kellot transforms a practical household object into something wonderfully sculptural. Designed as a juice set, the lower pitcher was intended for water, while the decanter stacked above it held concentrated juice. The individual components were available in different colours, allowing many contrasting combinations to be assembled. This example brings together a smoke-grey pitcher and bottle-green decanter, crowned by a brilliant ruby-red ball stopper. The wonderfully evocative name refers to the colourful, bulbous onion domes associated with Moscow's Kremlin area, most famously those of St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square. Despite its extraordinary appearance, Kremlin Kellot was conceived as utility glass. Its ingenious stacking arrangement recalls laboratory and scientific glassware, an influence often seen in Franck's work. Kremlin Kellot was exhibited at the 11th Milan Triennale in 1957, where Franck received the Grand Prix, the highest award, for the design.