At first glance, this green, yellow, and orange spherical object looks like a decorative item. However, it has a surprise inside! “The sphere that holds its own!” was the slogan used by Villeroy & Boch to advertise its new, stackable, spherical dinner service. Designer Helen von Boch created this 19-piece set in the 1970s. When the sphere is disassembled into its individual parts, it provides a dinner service for four people consisting of flat plates, bowls, and dessert plates as well as three serving platters, two large bowls, and a tureen with a lid. To enable the individual pieces to be assembled to form a perfect sphere, they had to be produced very precisely. With small apartments becoming so widespread in modern towns and cities, especially in the early 20th century, there was a growing need for space-saving, contemporary tableware for everyday use. Stackable shapes were particularly suitable for cramped living conditions – and still are today – as they’re easy to store and take up little space in cupboards.