Super-egg by Piet Hein, glass vase by Holmegaard, large vase by Würtz Ceramics, small vase and sphere by Anders Arhøj, jug by Anette Friis Brahe and bonbonnieres by Ditte Fischer, Broste and Kristina Dam In the early 1960s, the Danish mathematician–turned–poet Piet Hein invented the “super-ellipse,” a precise geometrical cross between an oval and a rectangle. He applied his new mathematical formula to everything from a Swedish traffic hub to designs for tables and chairs and, in 1965, to the 1.5-inch-tall brass nugget he called the “super-egg.” The super-egg was a three-dimensional expression of the super-ellipse—an egg that could stand on its tip. At first, it was marketed as a thinking person’s drinking game. Tip the super-egg over; if it lands on its head, drink. If it lands on its side, drink. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Twenty-One Buy Now Related Stories Design Inside Looking Out A rewilding of interior design in the heart of Milan. Design Issue 44 An Unmovable Feast A place setting stitched for every season. Design Partnerships Together Again The return of the small gathering, in partnership with Fritz Hansen. Design Issue 42 Light Snack A luminous celebration of gelatin. Design Interiors Issue 42 Studio Tour: Fernando Caruncho Gardens sit between the natural and the artificial. George Upton meets the man mediating between the two. Design Issue 42 My Favorite Thing The garden designer, Fernando Caruncho, shares the story behind a painting of his mother.
Design Partnerships Together Again The return of the small gathering, in partnership with Fritz Hansen.
Design Interiors Issue 42 Studio Tour: Fernando Caruncho Gardens sit between the natural and the artificial. George Upton meets the man mediating between the two.
Design Issue 42 My Favorite Thing The garden designer, Fernando Caruncho, shares the story behind a painting of his mother.
