Willy Guhl Cauldron
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
Concrete
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Vintage 1970s French Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Cement
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Cement
People Also Browsed
2010s American Modern End Tables
Maple
2010s Mexican Brutalist Contemporary Art
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
2010s American Organic Modern Side Tables
Wood, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Daybeds
Fabric, Wood
2010s South African Minimalist Night Stands
Burl, Poplar
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Greek Stone Sinks
Marble, Limestone
2010s American Organic Modern Side Tables
Travertine
2010s European Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Industrial and Work Ta...
Steel, Bronze
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Concrete
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
21st Century and Contemporary French Organic Modern Vases
Bronze
2010s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Antique Early 19th Century Georgian Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Copper
Antique Early 1800s Georgian Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Copper
Recent Sales
20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Other
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Cement
Mid-20th Century French Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
20th Century European Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Vintage 1950s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Vintage 1950s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters, Cachepots and Jardin...
Cement
Mid-20th Century French Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Late 20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Mid-20th Century Planters and Jardinieres
Concrete
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
Concrete
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
Concrete
Vintage 1950s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Concrete
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Cement
Vintage 1970s Swiss Modern Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Cement
Vintage 1950s Swiss Industrial Planters and Jardinieres
Cement
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Other
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
Other
Willy Guhl Cauldron For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Willy Guhl Cauldron?
Willy Guhl for sale on 1stDibs
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.