T SAKHI Marries Venetian Craftsmanship With Murano Glass For 'Tasting Threads' And 'Nomads' Tableware Collections

November 18, 2020

All Images by Romain Bassenne, Courtesy of T Sakhi

by Lynne Myers

“We wanted to design functional objects for everyday use that bring people together and allow people to interact and share moments over food and alcohol.”

~ Tessa & Tara Sakhi of T Sakhi

Tessa and Tara Sakhi – otherwise known as T SAKHI – are bringing glorious colors and exquisite textures to the dining table with two charming tableware collections, called 'Nomads' and 'Tasting Threads' respectively. Inspired by both Lebanese shapes and traditional Venetian craftsmanship, the multi-disciplinary designers seek to emphasize the similarities that lie in these two very different Mediterranean cultures.

Both collections were born after the Lebanese-Polish sisters first visited Italy's Murano Island – a place synonymous with glassmaking. On this first trip four years ago, they began working with local glassblowers and became fascinated with the process:

“The process of glassmaking, its malleability and fluidity which turns to solid, made us want to explore the different possible textures,” Tessa told DLISH.

This collection is an experimentation process of the amalgam between Murano and recuperated metal waste. The aim is to achieve new textures and alter the glass' component into stone-like natural formations. A reinterpreted traditional Venetian chandelier as well as a modular floor lamp will be executed to highlight the texture through light infiltration and reflection.

T Sakhi Murano Workshop

The first collection to arise from T SAKHI's Murano workshop is called 'Nomads' and it's inspired by human interaction and traditional forms. The project comprises a series of alcohol flasks that are designed to be a 'universal accessory' that 'any culture can relate to:

“The Nomads is a collection of alcohol flasks and alcohol is a substance that disrupts the social masks, revealing the full spectrum of human emotions in their rawest form. Its design offers different ways of consumption, each reflecting a particular state of mind, from solitary moments to social gatherings,” explained Tessa when she spoke to DLISH in an interview earlier this year.

“Nomads” is a collection of alcohol drinking flasks, a timeless iconic accessory that transcends an ever-evolving pattern of life. Its design is inspired by traditional shapes and offers different ways of consumption, a larger size to use as a carafe and a miniature size designed as a portable object. A universal accessory any culture can relate to – alcohol, it is a substance that disrupts the social mask imposed by social etiquettes, and reveals human emotions in its rawest forms. The pieces are unique and mouth-blown by local Venetian craftsmen in the lagoon of Murano in Italy.

The Nomad Collection by T Sakhi

Perfect for dinner parties with friends or livening up a quiet drink alone, the designs are available in large carafes for the table or smaller, portable drinking flasks. Like an ancient wine jug, the simple, rounded shape evokes an iconic timelessness. The 'Nomads' are named after six different human virtues, letting you choose the one that most speaks to you: wisdom (ISRA), faith (DALIA), beauty (KALLA), rebellion (MAYRA), vengeance (HERA), or infidelity (FREA).

Following the 'Nomads' alcohol flasks, T SAKHI later found inspiration in traditional tableware to create 'Tasting Threads' – a plate and glass collection that gives shape and color to two cultures combined:

“The Tasting Threads collection is a tableware collection highlighting the strong duality of two Mediterranean cultures – the beauty and delicacy of the Murano glass and the traditional iconic shapes of Lebanese tableware,” said Tessa.

“Tasting Threads”, is a tableware collection of unique mouth-blown pieces in Murano by local Venetian craftsmen. The collection is a series of plates and drinking glasses designed with different dimensions to create a dynamic and playful table setting for different modes of consumption and dining.; small glass for shot drinks, wide and small glass for beverages with ice, long narrow glass for water, flat plates and deep bowls for sharing, as the traditional Lebanese ‘Mezza’. Their rich texture is attained by infusing Murano glass with steel threads creating uncontrolled shapes. The glass, tainted with wide hues of color, ranges from alessandrite and amethyst to amber, ruby and cobalt.

Tasting Threads by T Sakhi

As well as highlighting the parallels between Italian and Lebanese cultures, which both place a huge importance on social gathering and dining, 'Tasting Threads' also offers a unique, tactile rendering of traditional Murano glass. Each handcrafted piece is combined with metallic threads, giving the collection its name and endowing the objects with a beautiful textured effect that's different every time:

“We decided to do something with the glass, wanting to play with its textures and boundaries. We would gather leftover aluminum, copper, and brass from metal factories in Venice and try to incorporate them with the Murano glass,” continued Tessa.

In an effort to make table settings more dynamic and playful, 'Tasting Threads' is available in various sizes. The collection comprises short and tall glasses, two different-sized flasks, a deep bowl and a large plate. Each piece comes in seven vivid shades, from cobalt blue to ruby, and emerald green to orange.

Click here to discover the 'Nomads' and 'Tasting Threads' collections in DLISH's Limited Editions Shop.

Read more DLISH interviews with influencers in the world of design:

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Interview With T Sakhi

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Meet The Visionary Behind The Alessi 'Dream Factory'

Redefining The World Of Design With Formafantasma

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