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Josef Frank Decorative Boxes

Austrian, 1885-1967

Austrian architect and furniture and fabric designer Josef Frank was a leading voice for a gentle, humane modernism. His advocacy of warm, comfortable, eclectically styled environments was highly influential in his adopted country of Sweden, and it’s now widely regarded as a harbinger of the backlash against doctrinaire modernism and the embrace of the homespun that occurred in the late 1960s.

The son of a successful Viennese textile manufacturer, Frank studied architecture at Vienna University of Technology, graduating in 1910. From the first years of his practice, he marched counter to the orderly, symmetrical architectural layouts and decors prescribed by contemporaries such as Adolf Loos.

Frank drafted rooms of varying shapes and called for flexible interior-design arrangements. His furniture pieces are light and easy to move — and his chairs are always made of wood, most often with lushly curved steam-bent arms and slatted backs. Frank openly loathed the tubular steel furnishings and “machine for living” aesthetic promoted by Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and other Bauhaus principals. “The home must not be a mere efficient machine,” Frank once said. “It must offer comfort, rest and coziness…. There are no puritan principles in good interior decoration.”

Frank — who was Jewish — sensed the dire implications of the rise of Nazism in Germany and Austria, and in 1933 he moved to Stockholm with his Swedish wife, Anna. He became the design chief for the furnishings maker Svenskt Tenn and found a perfect match culturally for his brand of simple, relaxed and bright creations. Like many modernists — notably Charles and Ray Eames and Alexander Girard — Frank had a deep love of folk art, which influenced his designs for a wide array of colorful, richly patterned upholstery fabrics, many based on the classic “Tree of Life” motif.

In all his designs, Frank took inspiration from a broad variety of sources. In his furniture, one can discern traces of Asian patterns, Rococo, Italian Renaissance, Scandinavian handicrafts and even Chippendale pieces. As such, the work of Frank — the friendly modernist — is at home in any type of décor.

Find vintage Josef Frank pillows, armchairs, floor lamps and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Josef Frank
Hand painted "Apple" jar by Josef Frank for Svenskt tenn
Hand painted "Apple" jar by Josef Frank for Svenskt tenn

Hand painted "Apple" jar by Josef Frank for Svenskt tenn

By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank

Located in Hägersten, SE

Rare lidded jar in the shape of an apple designed by Josef Frank. Produced by Firma Svenskt Tenn during the 1950s. Made from Aluminum with hand painted decor. Very good vintage condi...

Category

1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Josef Frank Decorative Boxes

Materials

Aluminum

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Glass Box by Josef Frank
Glass Box by Josef Frank

Glass Box by Josef Frank

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Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län

Beautiful glass box by Josef Frank, with a pewter and brass frame joining the bottom with the lid. Seamless design, luxurious with its rich red color and crisp details.

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Estrid Ericson & Josef Frank, Chest by Svenskt Tenn

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Estrid Ericson & Josef Frank, Chest by Svenskt Tenn

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Josef Frank decorative boxes for sale on 1stDibs.

Josef Frank decorative boxes are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of paint and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Josef Frank decorative boxes, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original decorative boxes by Josef Frank were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in sweden during the 1950s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider decorative boxes by CG Hallberg, GAB Guldsmedsaktiebolaget, and Svenskt Tenn. Prices for Josef Frank decorative boxes can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,211 and can go as high as $1,211, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,211.