Commissioned by Italian architect Michele De Lucchi for the Michelangelo Foundation, each piece is a collaboration between an international contemporary designer and an artisan specialised in a technique or material prevalent in a particular region of Europe.

Each pair was briefed by De Lucchi to create their own interpretation of a unique theme: a freestanding object with an interior inspired by the spiritual notion of the tabernacle – a residence or dwelling place, intended to contain something precious. Designer and artisan then worked together over a process of many months, the object evolving through their face-to-face collaboration.

The result is eight objects reflecting the diversity of artisanal and design skill i ...