I lived a year each in Rome, Florence and Venice and apart from the breath taking architecture and art all around me, Italian food was next best to Indian cuisine! Their herb infused oils and vinegars were absolutely delicious. My very kind landlady Anna Maria with whom I lived for a year in Rome gave me a tall oil and what I call a ‘zig zag’ vinegar bottle. These came with me when I returned to England and of course at the back of my mind was always a thought that I would make a mould out of these and they would not only serve as functional forms but also sculptural.