London Design Festival 2016: circus tents, clowns, elephants and strongmen are transformed into kitchenware and tableware in Marcel Wanders' latest collection for Italian design brand Alessi, which will launch in the UK during the London Design Festival (+ slideshow).

Dutch designer Marcel Wanders' Circus collection for Alessi encompasses five limited-edition figures based on common circus characters that each perform a different function, as well as 29 new tableware and kitchen products.

The five figures are limited to 999 pieces and are described by Alessi as "table sculptures". Made from steel plate, each one is named after a fictional circus member invented by Wanders, who is known for his flamboyant aesthetic.

The Strongman, Marcello, is a nutcracker shaped like a strongman performing a weight-lifting feat on top of a small podium. Turning his dumbbells forced his boots down onto the nut, which sits in a dip on the podium.
A corkscrew called The Jester, Gilberto, also sits on a podium, which hides the screw function. Once wound into a cork, the jester's body expands to remove it from the bottle. His hat acts as a handle.

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The Ballerina, Valentina, is a baby elephant that pirouettes on a golden ball on top of a music box that plays the classic circus tune The March of the Gladiators by Julius Fu?ík. A silver mouse is added as her companion in the act.

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