Gunnar Nylund Furniture
Swedish artist-designer Gunnar Nylund — who worked at iconic porcelain manufacturer Rörstrand for decades — was never satisfied with the status quo. He played with organic shapes, rich colors and dazzling patterns to create some of the most exquisite ceramic and porcelain sculptures, vessels and other furnishings and decor of the 20th century.
Born in Paris to artists Fernanda Jacobsen-Nylund and Felix Nylund, Gunnar lived in Finland as a child but when the Finnish Civil War broke out in 1918, he moved with his mother to her native Denmark. He initially pursued architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts but cut his schooling short when he accepted a position at the Bing & Grøndahl porcelain factory, where he worked for artist Paul Gauguin’s son, Jean, for several years, creating a range of stoneware pieces.
Dissatisfied with the factory's traditional approach to art, Nylund moved on from Bing & Grøndahl and sought to create works in a modernist style. In 1929, Nylund and chemist Nathalie Krebs opened their own ceramics workshop called Saxbo in Saxbo, Denmark. The company’s works garnered praise at a Svenskt Tenn exhibition, and the prestigious Swedish manufacturer Rörstrand offered Nylund a position as creative director.
While he later worked for Nymolle Ceramic Factory in Denmark for a short period, Nylund produced his most famous works while employed by Rörstrand. Fresh ideas and methods intrigued Nylund and he was always eager to try new techniques at the manufacturer. He worked in the Art Deco style, creating warm-toned matte-glazed stoneware sculptures and ceramic tableware that are devoid of lavish ornamentation. Later, he crafted numerous figurines and highly stylized animal sculptures. Nylund’s work can be found at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, the Designmuseum Denmark and elsewhere.
Find vintage Gunnar Nylund serveware, sculptures and vessels on 1stDibs.
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Creator: Gunnar Nylund
Dealer: Almond & Co.
Stoneware Vase by Gunnar Nylund
By Rörstrand, Gunnar Nylund
Located in San Francisco, CA
An elegant ceramic vase by Gunnar Nyland with a tall spouted neck and curved handle in shades of blue. Made for Rorstrand, inscribed with Rorstrand mark and GN AXQ.
Category
Late 20th Century Swedish Gunnar Nylund Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Stoneware Vase by Gunnar Nylund for Rörstrand
By Gunnar Nylund
Located in San Francisco, CA
A Gunnar Nylund vase in hare's fur glaze of tans and cinnamon. Crafted by Rörstrand and inscribed {R Sweden GN}.
Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Modern Gunnar Nylund Furniture
Materials
Stoneware
Vase by Gunnar Nylund for Rörstrand
By Gunnar Nylund
Located in San Francisco, CA
A Gunnar Nylund vase in hare's fur glaze of tans and mossy green. Crafted by Rorstrand in the 1960s, and inscribed {R Sweden GN}.
Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Modern Gunnar Nylund Furniture
Materials
Stoneware
Gunnar Nylund Bowl
By Gunnar Nylund
Located in San Francisco, CA
ARO stoneware bowl in shade of tan and brown. Inscribed with artist signature and Rorstand studio mark.
Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing.
Category
1950s Swedish Modern Vintage Gunnar Nylund Furniture
Materials
Stoneware
Ceramic Vase by Gunnar Nylund for Rörstrand
By Rörstrand, Gunnar Nylund
Located in San Francisco, CA
A ceramic vase by Swedish designer Gunnar Nylund. Glazed in a palette of earth tones, the vase is signed Nylund and marked Rorstrand on the base.
Category
1950s Swedish Vintage Gunnar Nylund Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
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Midcentury Stoneware Bowl by Gunnar Nylund for Rörstrand, Sweden, 1950s
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Beautiful stoneware bowl by Gunnar Nylund, in an oval boat shape with an undulating edge. Vibrant blue glaze with nuances of brown.
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Rubus Vase by Gunnar Nylund 1960s Rörstrand, Sweden
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Lovely Ceramic Vase, Gunnar Nylund, Rörstrand
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A vase with a handle designed by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand. The vase has a lovely black and green color. It is 27.5 cm high and in very good condition. The vase is marked as 2nd qua...
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Gunnar Nylund was one of the most influential ceramicists and designers of the Swedish mid-century period. He was Rörstrand’s creative leader from 1931 until 1949 and as such propelled the artistic work at the factory and served as mentor to younger artists, among them Carl-Harry Stålhane and Hertha Bengtsson.
Nylund was a dedicated functionalist, who brought ideas of democratizing stoneware and creating beautiful, qualitative and affordable everyday items for the people to Rörstand in the mid-1920s. The factory had at the time lost its former leading market position, but Nylund’s efforts gave it a great reboot. He designed ceramic kitchenware inspired by the ideas of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus, for use in homes, restaurants and inside refrigerators (a progressive idea in the early 1940s when it was launched). He is best known for his exquisite decorative stoneware items which include an abundance of vases, wall reliefs, sculptures and animal figurines. The materials range from velvety smooth stoneware to rough and chunky chamotte.
Danish born, Gunnar Nylund started his career in Denmark following art studies, a year of architecture studies and years of private lesson from his sculptor father, the artist Felix Nylund. He worked for Bing & Grøndahl early in his professional life and started the ceramic studio Nylund & Krebs, later Saxbo, with his colleague Nathalie Krebs in 1929. He returned to Bing & Grøndahl throughout the years as a freelance designer. He also worked for the ceramic studio Nymølle from 1957 to 1961.
Gunnar Nylund had a long and active career that except for stoneware included bathroom furnishing designs for Ifö, glass vases for Strömbergshyttan, a dinosaur sculpture...
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1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Gunnar Nylund Furniture
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Stoneware Vase by Gunnar Nylund, Model AXZ for Rörstrand, Sweden 1950s
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Stoneware vase in a clean form by Gunnar Nylund, the undulating rim softens the form. Vivacious blue, green and yellow glaze.
Signed underneath.
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H 5.52 in. W 3.55 in. D 3.15 in.
Blue Speckled Bowl, Gunnar Nylund, Rörstrand, 1950s, Mid Century Vintage
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Located in Stockholm, SE
A blue speckled bowl designed by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand, the bowl is 8 cm (3.2") high and diameter 16 x 12 cm (6.5" x 4.8"). It has a blue speckled glaze, it´s in very good condi...
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Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Gunnar Nylund Furniture
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H 3.15 in. W 4.73 in. D 6.3 in.
Gunnar Nylund Stoneware "GN ARH" Vase for Rörstrand, Sweden, 1950s
By Gunnar Nylund, Rörstrand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gunnar Nylund stoneware "GN ARH" vase for Rörstrand, Sweden, 1950s.
Blue hares fur glazed stoneware relief vase, 1950s. Signed with GN ARH. And R for Rörstrand.
Dimensions:
He...
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Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Gunnar Nylund Furniture
Materials
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Green Speckled Bowl, Gunnar Nylund, Rörstrand, 1950s, Mid Century Vintage
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Located in Stockholm, SE
A lovely green bowl designed by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand, the bowl is 16 x 12.5 cm (6.4" x 5") in diameter. It´s in excellent condition, it is marked as 1st quality.
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Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Gunnar Nylund Furniture
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H 3.15 in. W 4.93 in. D 6.3 in.
Vase, Gunnar Nylund, Rörstrand, 1950s-1960s
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A dark vase (black & brown) with a lovely glaze designed by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand, it´s 17,5 cm (7") high. It´s in very good condition except from a bit sharp edge at the top, t...
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Large Stoneware Vase, Brown, Gunnar Nylund, Rörstrand, Midcentury
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A large floor vase designed by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand, the vase is 39.5 cm high and it is in very good condition except from some scratches and marks in the glaze.
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Previously Available Items
Gunnar Nylund - Ceramic grouping
By Gunnar Nylund
Located in San Francisco, CA
A group of five Gunnar Nylund ceramics with a flecked, earth toned glaze. Incised "GN." Can be purchased individually.
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1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Gunnar Nylund Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Gunnar Nylund- Rorstrand Bowl
By Gunnar Nylund
Located in San Francisco, CA
Rorstrand, Sweden, c. 1960, glazed ceramic, Rorstrand mark
inscribed, additionally marked GN ASH.
Category
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Gunnar Nylund Furniture
Materials
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Gunnar Nylund furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Gunnar Nylund furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of ceramic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Gunnar Nylund furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Gunnar Nylund were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Rörstrand, Carl-Harry Stålhane, and Stig Lindberg. Prices for Gunnar Nylund furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at £152 and can go as high as £16,766, while a piece like these, on average, fetch £1,048.