Designed by the renowned Michael Graves in 1985, the stainless steel 9093 kettle with the red bird-shaped whistle quickly became an icon of 20th century design. Today, 30 years later, the kettle is still one of Alessi’s most popular projects, which led to the idea of designing a new version in honor of its lasting power to delight.

To mark its anniversary Graves envisioned a new evolution of the kettle, redesigning its whistle. The initial idea, completed before his death, transformed the bird into a cross between an imaginary and mythological prehistoric creature. The “Tea Rex” whistle is a jade green dragon that symbolizes strength and fortune in the Chinese culture. Made out of 18/10 stainless steel and produced, like the original, at the company’s Crusinallo site, the “Tea Rex” kettle comes with a jade whistle combined with a blue handle, and with a metallic colored whistle with copper paired with a black handle. To celebrate the anniversary, the wording “Tea Rex 9093 30th anniversary” is stamped on the lid of the kettle around the ball grip. The graphics of the 30th anniversary packaging are also special with the icon of the new whistle set in contrast to that of the original project.

Of the new whistle, designer Michael Graves said: “In bird years, thirty is equivalent to Methuselah’s life span! So When Alberto Alessi asked me to design a new whistle to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of our teakettle, I imagined a new evolution in the history of our kettle. One where our little bird might transform into a super-hero: a reptilian creature that is at once prehistoric, mythological, and futuristic. I chose the dragon imagery and its jade green color because of the rich cultural heritage found in Chinese folklore that uses the dragon to symbolize power and good luck. Our Dragon is friendly and he decidedly does not breathe fire, but perhaps lets off a little steam! He has a smile on his face, an easy-to-hear whistle and a wing span that makes it easy to remove him from our teakettle when the water boils. We hope our dragon will proudly protect our kettle and your kitchen for years to come.”

The Tea Rex kettle is produced in the same Crusinallo, Italy factory as the famous original and comes in two versions. The color of the familiar curved handle corresponds to the choice of whistle: blue grip with orange accents for the jade dragon, and black with blue accents for the copper fire-breather. In both versions, the ball-grip for the lid comes in the original black, and a base of magnetic steel makes it suitable for all varieties of cooktops, including induction. Tea Rex also comes in special packaging that highlights the contrast between the original and new whistles.

The celebrated 9093 kettle with its charismatic whistling bird represented a meeting of great design and mass production when it debuted in 1985. Michael Graves worked tirelessly to achieve this combination, incorporating his influences from Art Deco, Pop Art and even cartoons with his unique gift for creating objects that are as delightful to look at as they are to use. With this accomplishment, Michael brought an uninhibited playfulness to European design. He would become a prolific collaborator with Alessi, the author of a whole suite of coordinating kitchen items still in production today. A second design by Graves is even released in Alessi’s collection for 2015: a tea infuser that pays homage to the 9093 kettle as well.

The release of this new kettle is particularly poignant for Alessi with the passing of Michael Graves in March of this year. This celebration of an icon’s longevity is a fitting tribute to the treasured relationship between Alessi and the inimitable Mr. Graves, as well as his tremendous career in the architecture and design community. Alberto Alessi notes, “It’s the last project by one of our design heroes.” His contribution to Alessi’s history, and design’s, will never be forgotten.

As an accompaniment for tea lovers, Alessi presents the MG35 tea infuser, which recalls the kettle’s bird-shaped whistle. The bird and closure for the infuser are made from silicone, and are removable from the stainless steel cone to facilitate cleaning.