01 THE STORY
From Sketch to Table
The line begins with Tias Eckhoff's study of proportion. In Maya 2000, the handle, transition and functional form are resolved as one continuous object.
02 THE DETAILS
The Details
Maya 2000 develops the triangular Maya form into a longer and slimmer silhouette. The streamlined proportions give the pieces a lighter, more elongated expression while preserving the broad, comfortable handle.
A note from Tias Eckhoff
Tias Eckhoffs relationship with cutlery became especially important in 1962, when he designed Maya for Norstaal. The broad handle narrows into a triangular form, while rounded edges give the pieces a strong but comfortable grip. The design became one of the defining Scandinavian cutlery patterns of the twentieth century, later entering Phaidon Design Classics and museum collections including MoMA in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Eckhoff continued to explore the table through collections including Una, Chaco and Maya 2000, each revisiting proportion, balance and the relationship between strict geometry and softer curves. His work rarely depended on ornament. Character emerged instead from the way an object was refined — slowly, physically and with extraordinary attention to the smallest shifts in form.
“I work slowly, I would like to file on a piece of cutlery for a year.” — Tias Eckhoff
Tias Eckhoff
Questions about Stelton Maya 2000 Cutlery Set 24 Pieces
What happens when a designer stretches his own classic into a new century?
Maya 2000 is Tias Eckhoff’s evolution of his original Maya design from 1962. He preserved the distinctive triangular principle of the handles but made the pieces longer and slimmer, giving the familiar design a more streamlined expression for a new generation of tables.
What is the difference between the original Maya and Maya 2000?
Both collections were designed by Tias Eckhoff and share the same triangular design principle, but their proportions are noticeably different. The original Maya dinner knife measures 20.0 cm, the fork 17.7 cm and the spoon 18.0 cm. Maya 2000 extends these to 22.0 cm, 20.2 cm and 20.5 cm respectively. Maya therefore feels shorter, broader and more compact, while Maya 2000 appears more elongated and streamlined.
Why did Tias Eckhoff keep the triangle instead of starting again?
Because the triangular transition was already the visual DNA of Maya. Rather than replacing a successful idea, Eckhoff changed its proportions. Maya 2000 demonstrates how dramatically a design can evolve through length and slenderness while remaining unmistakably related to the original.
Can six place settings make a change of only a few centimetres feel significant?
Yes. Repeated across knife, fork and spoon at six places, the extra length changes the rhythm of the whole table. Maya 2000 feels more linear and spacious, while the original Maya creates a more compact visual presence. Small differences in proportion become much more visible through repetition.
When does a redesign become a design classic of its own?
When it has enough identity to stand without the original beside it. Maya 2000 carries Tias Eckhoff’s earlier idea forward, but its elongated proportions give it a distinct character. The relationship to Maya remains visible, yet the collection reads naturally as a complete design in its own right.