From the greek pyr, meaning fire, used to make sparks and set fire when hit against stone or metal, the pyrite mineral is the inspiration for this cabinet. Also known as ‘fool’s gold’, the mineral presents itself as a cuboid crystalline structure and is represented in the piece through an assembly of multiple cubic containers of different volumes and sizes, meeting at odd angles to bring the ‘crystalline inspiration to life. The piece is presented as a majestic ornamental sculpture, half mineral, half abstraction, just like ‘fool’s gold’. The stoney and irregular base supports the cubist set perfectly, with the structure of pyrite resting on top. The cabinet openings are hidden to create a sense of surprise. Arranged on the 3 sides of the cabinet, they are of different sizes opened in two ways : the three front doors can be tilted whilst the two side doors are hinged. The wooden structure is coated with a special metal-based paint that undergoes complex processing to give it the typical colour of natural pyrite crystal. The whole piece blossoms and is suspended as if it were a metallic flowering of the marble on which it rests or from the wall on which it can be suspended. In fact the marble base in Portoro marble from Cinque Terre can also be removed and the cabinet suspended from the wall, like a natural crystallisation generating from it.
Fmm design - collectible by Francesco Maria Messina
Credits : Serena Eller
