GLOBAL – This is the Belgravia Ceramic Knife made by Edge of Belgravia. It’s a rather gorgeous looking piece of kitchenware, so perhaps it’s no surprise that it was nominated for an award by leading design organisation D&AD (Design and Art Direction).

It didn’t win the coveted “yellow pencil” for product design, though, an award that’s reserved for design that’s “outstanding, rather than merely brilliant”.

Instead, those awards went to the Tip-Ton chair, a design that’s not only eye-catching, but also good for your back:

The only other yellow pencil winner in the product design category was something our readers will be quite familiar with. The Nokia N9.

We’re absolutely thrilled at this award. We knew the Nokia N9 was a beautifully designed product, both inside and outside, but recognition from an authority like D&AD is no less exciting anyway. And we’re sure that owners will be delighted to know that their smartphone has been identified as one of just two “outstanding” product designs released in 2011.

Nokia’s own design chief, Marko Ahtisaari, was foreman of a jury of designers and creative directors that decided the Product Design category, however he naturally abstained from judging Nokia’s own products.

We’re also delighted for our fellow winners and nominees, and we have to concede: the Tip Ton chair is better for sitting on than the N9 and the Belgravia knife makes a much better job of chopping vegetables.

Check out the other nominees for yourself and let us know what you think.