One of the best-selling Alessi objects — and one of the most famous creations of architect Michael Graves — the 9093 Kettle is a smile-inducing modern kettle that arrived on the scene in 1985, quickly attaining iconic status. A gleaming stainless steel kettle with a flared form, this Alessi design is most distinct for its bird-shaped whistle, which comes alive, like a bird singing, when water is sufficiently boiled. Michael Graves took his inspiration from a range of cultural moments — European, American, and pre-Columbian — to arrive at a household object that's at once smart, elegant and playful.