574 No Vanitas

Patricia Urquiola designs a nonconformist yet sophisticated mirror that, starting with its name, rules out vanity and pays tribute to the masterpiece that is the cast-glass murrina. Designed as a perfect circle, No Vanitas reflects the mirrored image around its wide perimeter and positions at the centre a murrina hand-crafted by glass artisans using an arduous, intricate process. The morisa, a glass cordon typical of the Murano tradition, is engraved with a striped motif and applied by hand to the circumference of the murrina itself. An LED light on the back of the piece (activated by a proximity sensor beneath the mirror), creates a dramatic optical effect around the perimeter and illuminates the murrina at the centre.