Your first glance would give you no clue this beautifully presented ashtray is 3D-printed steel from the “Connection” series of designer Philippe Malouin. The “Connection” series of straightforward everyday objects includes bowls, candle holders and ashtrays that are far from obscure. Rather, they’re made of 3D printed steel, copper and porcelain, and demonstrate the rapid advancement of this maturing printing technique. Malouin believes the only way to discover their intricate construction details is not only to study their form but to focus on their tactile precision. Like thousands of connections between everything in the physical world, we can not truly see all of them with just our just eyes.