In 1990 Swid Powell asked a handful of architects to design sumptuous statement objects that would be part of a limited-edition group called the Architect’s Collection. Michael Graves created this elaborate centerpiece fabricated by the metalsmith Michael Brophy. A silver trough is supported by ten columns of lapis lazuli and marble in a checkerboard pattern. The trough has a cobalt blue glass insert that echoes the color of the lapis lazuli. The Wiener Werkstätte has been a recurring source of inspiration for Graves and is apparent in this design. The hammered silver surface and incorporation of semiprecious stones relate to the metal work of Josef Hoffmann, although the ambitious scale is more in keeping with late twentieth-century design. Annotations on sketches housed in the Swid Powell Records indicate that Graves originally called this design a fruit bowl.