Widely acclaimed for the range of case pieces he designed for Michigan manufacturer Mastercraft during the 1970s, metal artist and furniture designer Bernhard Rohne has been creating distinctive acid-etched brutalist furnishings, home accessories, sculptures and other works for decades. The German-born Vancouver-based designer’s cabinets, coffee tables, credenzas and more are statement pieces in any interior and can introduce contrast and vigor into living rooms and dining rooms.
Born in Peine, Rohne attended the WKS Hanover art school. It was in his material science class that Rohne immersed a small painted copper plate into a container of acid. After some time, he couldn’t detect whether or not any kind of chemical reaction had taken place, so he left the plate in the acid and went to lunch.
When Rohne returned, yellow clouds had filled the room and the school had to be evacuated. However, when he was able to retrieve the copper plate, Rohne saw that there had indeed been a reaction between the metal and the chemical. The incident, while most definitely dangerous, sparked his interest and set him on a path of material exploration and design that collectors and art enthusiasts continue to celebrate to this day.
Rohne moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1967. During the 1970s, Grand Rapids-based furniture manufacturer Mastercraft — known to collectors of mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency design — partnered with Rohne and produced a large group of case pieces featuring applied brass plaques and panels, acid-etched with forms and patterns that are marked by the influence of Abstract Expressionism and Geometric Abstraction.
For his best known pieces, Rohne worked with brass, aluminum, copper and zinc metal sheets, which he oxidized and etched in order to create fascinating surface panels for his walnut console cabinets and sideboards that, with their patinated bronze and black lacquer doors, are sculptural attention-grabbing works in today’s interiors.
Rohne’s work, like many pieces of brutalist furniture and sculptures designed by him or like-minded metalworker Paul Evans, remains popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.
Find vintage Bernhard Rohne tables, storage pieces and wall decor on 1stDibs.
Bernhard Rohne Mirror for Mastercraft Mid-Century Brass Mirror
By Mastercraft, Bernhard Rohne
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Bernhard Rohne mirror for Mastercraft mid-century brass mirror. This mirror measures: 31 wide x 1.25 deep x 54 inches high. This mirror is ...
Brass
$4,095
H 32.68 in W 39.38 in D 1.97 in
Murano Periwinkle Glass and Brass Mid-Century Wall Mirror, 2020
Located in Roma, Lazio
A strong periwinkle frame, reach the eye of the beholder, leaving him entranced; of Murano periwinkle art glass wall mirror. Beautifully shaped and o...
Brass
$2,574
H 28.55 in W 19.3 in D 0.99 in
Italian Large Mid-Century Vintage Wall Mirror with Original Brass Frame, 1970s
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Italian Large Mid-Century Vintage Wall Mirror with Original Brass Frame, 1970s Beautiful and elegant, large vintage wall mirror with solid shiny brass frame and crystal mirror glass...
Brass
$2,080Sale Price|35% Off
H 49.5 in W 21.25 in D 0.75 in
Mid Century Brass Wall Mirror with Starburst Motif, 1960s
By Tommi Parzinger
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A 1960s mid-century modern wall mirror in rectangular form comprising a segmented brass frame with the top glass bearing a sunburst motif. Clean and understated, it works beautifully...
Brass
Bernhard Rohne Mirror for Mastercraft
By Mastercraft
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Bernhard Rohne acid etched mirror for Mastercraft furniture co. Offered at Gallery Girasole
Brass
$5,266
H 47.25 in W 31.5 in D 1.97 in
Murano Gold Color Glass and Brass Mid-Century Console / Wall Mirror, 2020
Located in Roma, Lazio
A strong gold color frame, reach the eye of the beholder, leaving him entranced; of Murano gold art glass wall mirror. Beautifully shaped and of excellent size, the wall mirror is a real design object. The structure of the wall mirror is in wood, where the gold color Murano glass is housed. The frame of the mirror is made up of a series of bricks, positioned one next to the other. The bricks...
Mirror, Murano Glass, Wood
$1,755
H 23.63 in W 12.21 in D 1.97 in
Murano Periwinkle Glass and Brass Mid-Century Wall Mirror, 1990
Located in Roma, Lazio
A strong periwinkle frame, reach the eye of the beholder, leaving him entranced; of Murano periwinkle art glass wall mirror. Beautifully shaped and of excellent size, the wall mirror...
Brass
$3,500
H 42 in W 42 in D 2 in
Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirror, Embossed Crocodile Leather, Baughman for Coggin
By Thayer Coggin, Milo Baughman
Located in Stamford, CT
Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirror, Embossed Crocodile Leather, Baughman for Coggin Milo Baughman (1925-2003) for Thayer Coggin large silver leaf over embossed crocodile leather mirror....
Silver Leaf
Mastercraft Burl and Brass Wall Mirror by Bernhard Rohne
By Mastercraft, Bernhard Rohne
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This unique lacquered burl wood mirror features brass trim, and acid-etched brass detail. This large Bernhard Rohne mirror makes this vintage mod...
Mirror, Burl
$2,750
H 51.5 in W 32.25 in D 1.5 in
Vintage Bernhard Rohne Mastercraft Acid Etched Brass & Ebonized Mirror
By Mastercraft
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions: 51.5 inches high x 32.25 inches wide x 1.5 inches deep. An exceptional and highly sought-after vintage acid etched brass mirror designed by Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraf...
Brass
$1,895
H 56 in W 20 in D 2 in
Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Acid Etched Brass Tall Wall Mirror, 1970s
By Bernhard Rohne, Mastercraft
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous mid-century modern Hollywood Regency wall mirror By Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Furniture USA, 1970s Acid etched brass, with black lacquered trim. Measures: 20"W x ...
Brass
$1,755
H 23.63 in W 12.21 in D 1.97 in
Murano Periwinkle Glass and Brass Mid-Century Wall Mirror, 1990
Located in Roma, Lazio
A strong periwinkle frame, reach the eye of the beholder, leaving him entranced; of Murano periwinkle art glass wall mirror. Beautifully shaped and of excellent size, the wall mirror...
Brass
$1,872
H 34.65 in W 20.08 in D 1.19 in
Italian Mid-Century Wall Mirror with Original Brass Frame and New Glass, 1970s
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Italian Mid-Century Wall Mirror with Original Brass Frame and New Glass, 1970s Original oval wall mirror with brass frame from Italian production of the 1960s-1970s. The crystal gla...
Brass
Sold
H 51.5 in W 32.5 in D 1.5 in
Mastercraft Bernhard Rohne Acid Etched and Black Lacquer Sculptural Mirror
By Mastercraft, Bernhard Rohne
Located in North Miami, FL
The abstractions of acid etched designs by Bernhard Rohne frame the exterior of this substantial and timeless sculptural mirror. All of the etched panels are like separate works of...
Brass, Metal