Golden Silverware

By Brandon Johnson The Art of the Table

flatware forks knives spoons dinnerware table

Credit: MoMA Store

Like alchemists, two Italian architects turn silverware into gold—or, at least, into gold-colored beauties. Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas's Colombina flatware, manufactured by Alessi, includes stainless steel forks and knives that have a golden hue, but not through gold-plating. Instead, various metals are combined and put through a process called physical vapor deposition, creating a hard layer of coating. By controlling the metal proportions and the temperature of the vaporization, the coating can become any number of colors, including gold, giving silverware a bright disguise.

The Fuksases, best known for such projects as the Armani stores in the Ginza district of Tokyo and in New York City, also produce silver stainless steel flatware, as well as dinnerware and glassware, but the gold pieces are exclusive to MoMA. These whimsically colored utensils with a contemporary Italian design make cutting into a succulent pork loin or spooning into an apple crisp a visually sensual experience; they're perfect pieces to pick up for holiday dinners and parties.