Memphis Orinoco vase

In Orinoco, Masanori Umeda explores a fascinating interplay of shapes and colours. This ceramic vase, with its white stem and blue spheres at the base, seems to blend elegance and irreverence, creating an object that captures the eye with its uniqueness. The blue spheres not only define the base of the vase, but also act as a link with Parana, a shaped and hand-painted ceramic fruit bowl, reinforcing an aesthetic link between the two objects. Umeda, with his choice of using the names of two of Latin America's largest rivers, Orinoco and Parana, makes a symbolic reference to the power and flow of the waters, while experimenting ironically with the combination of forms, creating a balance between geometry and fantasy. The choice of these names, in fact, is not random: rivers are symbols of greatness and movement, just like the fluid and dynamic forms that characterise Umeda's creations. The result is an object that, despite its simplicity, invites reflection on the relationship between nature and design, tradition and innovation.

• Designer: Masanori Umeda
• Collection: Memphis Milano 
• Material: ceramic
• Year: 1983

Dimensions:

• Height: 290 mm 
• Width: 180 mm 
• Depth: 180 mm