Massive Willy Guhl Elephant Ear Handkerchief Cement Planter for Eternit
View Similar Items
Massive Willy Guhl Elephant Ear Handkerchief Cement Planter for Eternit
About the Item
- Creator:Eternit (Manufacturer),Willy Guhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 13.39 in (34 cm)Width: 32.68 in (83 cm)Depth: 32.68 in (83 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages. In good vintage condition given age and materials - please see full description.
- Seller Location:London Road, Baldock, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: 22531stDibs: LU2364333873812
Willy Guhl
Decades prior to the mass popularity of neo-industrial cement floors and furniture taking shape, there was Willy Guhl. The Swiss creative is considered one of the first “industrial” designers in his home country. He pioneered a rugged, organic style of modern furniture and decor — stylish planters, shapely seating and lots more — that remains widely coveted by many today.
Guhl was born in 1915 in Stein am Rhein and worked as a carpenter before beginning studies at the Zurich School of Applied Arts (known today as the Zurich University of the Arts), where he would go on to teach for nearly 40 years.
While Guhl is well-known for his range of provocative garden elements as well as his patio and outdoor furniture, today’s legion of mid-century modern enthusiasts are likely familiar with the designer’s iconic Loop chair (introduced in 1954). For this sculptural seat and other furnishings, Guhl tended toward industrial materials, which he bent and shaped into organic forms for a striking juxtaposition. Much of his work is crafted from either concrete or Eternit, a mixture of cement and asbestos developed by the Belgian company Etex, which, in the 1950s, commissioned Guhl and his students at the School of Applied Arts to conceive planters in the material. The resulting vessels — some hourglass-shaped, some in the form of handkerchiefs, all suitable for indoors or exteriors — remain some of Guhl’s most collectible pieces.
Guhl’s affiliation with the Swiss “neo-functional” movement centered on the idea of simplifying design without sacrificing form. According to Guhl, his mission was “achieving the most with the minimum of effort.”
In addition to his work as a designer, Guhl left his mark on subsequent creatives through his 39-year tenure at his alma mater, where he was instructor to the likes of Robert Haussmann, Kurt Thut and Bruno Rey. Modern-day shoppers at IKEA owe Guhl a debt of gratitude too. He was an early advocate of flat-pack furniture, championing its ability to make good design more widely accessible.
At its core, though, Guhl’s work was inherently human-centric: “At the center of my efforts, I put people and their living requirements,” he once said. “My products must be useful to people.” Guhl died in 2004 at the age of 89.
Find a range of vintage Willy Guhl furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
- Cees Braakman CB05 Birch Chest of Drawers for UMS Pastoe, 1952, NetherlandsBy Cees Braakman, PastoeLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA Cees Braakman CB05 Birch chest of drawers for UMS Pastoe, designed 1952, Netherlands. A Cees Braakman designed CB05 birch chest of drawers, part of the Combex range. Consisting ...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- Pair of 6.5ft Giant Column Lamps by Andre Cazenave for Singleton Italy, 1970'sBy Singleton, Andre CazenaveLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA very hard-to-find, highly collectable and impressive pair of column lamps by French designer André Cazenave for Singleton, Italy, 1970s. Constructed of fibreglass and ground pow...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsPlastic, Fiberglass
- Philippe Starck "Pepper Young" Coffee Table for Disform, 1983, SpainBy Philippe Starck, DisformLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireRare and with a great look, "Pepper Young" coffee table by Philippe Starck. Manufactured in the 1980's by Disform, Spain. The feet are metal with granu...Category
Late 20th Century Spanish Post-Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage 1960s Floor Lamp on a Triangular Base with Pleated ShadeLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA vintage 1960s floor lamp, consisting of a triangular three-rod base which has a twisted finish housing the bulb holder fittings, the stand also has a walnut wooden tier and pleated...Category
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Vintage French Turned Column Pedestal Plinths, Reminiscent of Charles DudouytBy Charles DudouytLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA pair of French pedestal plinths with a turned column stem, reminiscent of Charles Dudouyt designs. Plinth form most probably dates from the early-Mid 20th Century with the turned ...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Pedestals and Columns
MaterialsWood
- Vintage French Turned Column Screw Plinth, Reminiscent of Charles DudouytBy Charles DudouytLocated in London Road, Baldock, HertfordshireA French plinth with a turned column stem, reminiscent of Charles Dudouyt designs. The plinth form most probably dates from the early-mid 20th Century ...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Pedestals and Columns
MaterialsWood
- Willy Guhl for Eternit Rectangle Concrete Outdoor Planter, 1970s, SignedBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis designer on-trend architectural 23.75" long rectangular concrete planter is by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, crafted in the 1970s Switzerland and signed and dated unde...Category
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$640 Sale Price / item41% Off - Willy Guhl for Eternit Large Rectangle Concrete Outdoor Handle PlanterBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis designer on-trend architectural rectangular concrete planter is by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, crafted circa 1968, Switze...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$499 Sale Price / item52% Off - Willy Guhl for Eternit Large Rectangle Concrete Outdoor Handle PlanterBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis designer on-trend architectural 27.5" long rectangular concrete planter is by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, crafted circa 1...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$720 Sale Price / item42% Off - Willy Guhl for Eternit Large Rectangle Concrete Outdoor Handle PlanterBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis designer on-trend architectural 23.5" long rectangular concrete planter is by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, crafted circa 1...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$645 Sale Price43% Off - Willy Guhl for Eternit Rectangle Concrete Outdoor Handle Planter, circa 1968By Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis designer on-trend architectural rectangular concrete planter is by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, crafted circa 1968 Switzer...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$470 Sale Price / item50% Off - Willy Guhl for Eternit Large Rectangle Concrete Outdoor Planter, 1970s, SignedBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis designer on-trend architectural rectangular concrete planter is by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, crafted in the 1970s Switz...Category
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
$490 Sale Price / item48% Off