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Josef Frank Platters and Serveware

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
Platter in Brass, Candle Holder, Gold Color, by Josef Frank, 1940
Platter in Brass, Candle Holder, Gold Color, by Josef Frank, 1940

Platter in Brass, Candle Holder, Gold Color, by Josef Frank, 1940

By Josef Frank

Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR

It is a tray from the Art Deco period, in brass with geometric patterns. It is equipped with two candle holders. It was made in Sweden around the 1940s. It is gold in color. The manu...

Category

1940s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Josef Frank Platters and Serveware

Materials

Brass

Set of 12 Josef Frank Seafood/Lobster Plates in Clear Art Glass
Set of 12 Josef Frank Seafood/Lobster Plates in Clear Art Glass

Set of 12 Josef Frank Seafood/Lobster Plates in Clear Art Glass

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Located in København, Copenhagen

Set of 12 Josef Frank seafood/lobster plates in clear art glass Designed in the 1940s by the Swedish designer, Josef Frank, originally as a seafood/lobster plate, also suitable for ...

Category

Late 20th Century Swedish Art Deco Josef Frank Platters and Serveware

Materials

Glass

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Josef Frank platters and serveware for sale on 1stDibs.

Josef Frank platters and serveware are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Josef Frank platters and serveware, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original platters and serveware by Josef Frank were created in the Art Deco style in sweden during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider platters and serveware by and Gustavsberg. Prices for Josef Frank platters and serveware can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $499 and can go as high as $2,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,250.