Italian designer Moreno Ratti has created a vase from rings of marble offcuts that are piled up like the pieces in a Tower of Hanoi mathematical puzzle.

Moreno Ratti's aNoi vessel is formed around a metal tube, using the Carrera marble disks to create different shapes up its length.

"I used the marble that every day is discarded to make nine Carrara marble rings, cut with a water-jet machine," Ratti told Dezeen.

The stacking of rings is reminiscent of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle, invented by French mathematician Édouard Lucas in 1883.

The game consists of three rods and a series of disks – each with a different diameter – that form a cone shape when stacked on the first rod.

Following a strict set of rules restricting the way the pieces are allowed to stack, the user has to move all of the disks from the first rod to the third so they sit in size order, using the middle rod as an intermediary.

Although only including one rod, Ratti's vase design allows users to remove and replace the rings in any order they choose.

"You can create different shapes, depending on the order in which you have the rings," said Ratti.

The rings measure either two or four centimetres deep, and each has a different diameter.

Once stacked in the preferred order, a metal cap screws onto the top to secure the rings in place but still allow items to be placed inside the tube.

Ratti's other marble designs include a vase that is finished by smashing off its edges with a hammer, and a collection of products made from discarded tiles – both designed with Paolo Ulian.