The Nendo collaboration with world brand Coca-Cola is both forwards thinking and backwards looking. A touchstone of 20th century design, these bottles are receiving a whole second life as blown glass tableware. By re-sculpting the now iconic Earl R. Deal contour bottle, Nendo’s imaginative concept is both modern and reassuringly familiar.
Debuted at Designtide Tokyo 2012, this “bottle ware” series consists of five dishes and bowls that are made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles. As each piece is individually handcrafted, the Japanese aesthetic principle of Wabi-sabi, or transience of imperfection is preserved within the greenish-colored hue of the glass. Additionally, distinctive care was taken to maintain the ring of dimples and the stamped Coca-Cola logo on the bottom of all the glassware – subtly recalling the original incarnation of each piece. Produced in the Aomori Prefecture in Japan, this collection exemplifies a growing trend in modern design to reincorporate the past into the present, and transform the commonplace into the singular.
