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6.30.2009

more racist caricatures for your kitchen


These three little racially caricaturized figures are toothpick holders, part of a larger collection of household items called the OrienTales Monkey & Banana Collection. It's a design collaboration between the National Palace Museum in Taiwan and our old nemesis Alessi, maker of the Mandarin Juicer and the Mr. Chin Kitchen Timer.

It's an entire collection of designs featuring monkey caricatures with slanted eyes. Chinky Monkeys, if you will. Alessi appears to be obsessed with Oriental-ized everday household items passed off as cute, playful design. By the way, one of these toothpick holders will set you back 40 bucks.

For further proof check out the cover of OrienTales, a book conceived and designed by Stefano Giovannoni to showcase this collection and his other similarly themed work. Yes, an entire book of salt shakers and bottle stoppers with chinky eyes. That's racist!