A $17,000 Bottle of Cognac

John Hill
29. September 2020
Photo courtesy of Hennessy

Gehry's collaboration with Hennessy was unveiled on September 25, the same day Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang performed a daytime fireworks event on the Charente River at Hennessy's home in Cognac, France. (The below video shows the archived livestream of the fireworks, but is queued up to footage of Gehry speaking about the decanter.)

Gehry's design isn't just crinkled gold, though. The pricey object comes in a fractured glass glorifier that is meant to amplify the gold-dipped-bronze decanter's evocation of "the radiant movement of water as it reflects the light," per a press release from Hennessy. Additionally, the decanter and glorifier are accompanied by a fusil, also made from brass and gold, a "device [that] keenly reflects the Hennessy cellar master's ritual to extract the extra old cognac."

Photo courtesy of Hennessy

Lastly, the 150 numbered decanters come inside a hinged box made from compressed cardboard, an homage to the corrugated cardboard furniture that Gehry made in the 1970s. By comparison, the Wiggle Side Chair and matching Wiggle Stool, both manufactured by Vitra, are relatively cheap at just $1,900 combined.

Photo courtesy of Hennessy

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