Kristian Vedel designed red melamine dish by Torben Ørksov of Denmark, 1960s

Kristian Vedel designed red melamine dish by Torben Ørksov of Denmark, 1960s

Kristian Vedel designed his stackable melamine dishes in 1953 as an exploration of the structural and textural effects that could be achieved with the then revolutionary new material melamine. While the exterior surfaces of the dishes have a dry, matte surface resembling spun or brushed aluminium, the polished interiors shine and feel to the touch like glass or high-quality porcelain. The walls of the dishes are thick and chunky at the base, tapering to a paper-thin lip as the interior rises in a glassy arc. The dishes were put into production in 1960 by Danish luxury goods manufacturer Torben Ørskov and won a gold medal at La Triennale di Milano and the Design Award at Interplast in London in 1961. Today the dishes are held in several permanent museum collections including those at New York's Moma (Museum of Modern Art) and Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) as well as Copenhagen's Kunstindustrimuseet (Museum of Art and Design).