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Pedro Friedeberg Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Mexican, 1936-2026

The sculptor and painter Pedro Friedeberg worked in a richly detailed, Surrealist and eccentric artistic style that blended influences from neoclassical art, M.C. Escher and native Mesoamerican symbolism. He was best known for his Hand chair — a functional sculpture that is an icon of design-as-art.

Friedeberg was born in Florence to German parents and moved with his mother to Mexico at the outset of World War II. As a university student in Mexico City in the 1950s, he initially studied architecture, but his designs for fantastical buildings ran afoul of his rationalist, Bauhaus-oriented teachers.

By chance, Friedeberg’s drawings came to the attention of Mathias Goeritz, the German-born Dadaist painter and sculptor. He encouraged Friedeberg and made him a protégé. Friedeberg credits his mentor for instilling in him a fanatical attention to detail in his work. Friedeberg produced his first Hand chair in 1961, and has since created numerous iterations. He has also made several variants using other human limbs in different functional forms such as tables and clocks.

While Friedeberg’s sculptures have a gentle character that is sometimes described as spiritual, his paintings and prints are something entirely different. He employs deep perspective to create hypnotic, painstakingly rendered canvases that suggest rooms and cityscapes.

Whatever the medium, Friedeberg’s work is arresting and instantly recognizable. The Hand chair, though familiar, remains a captivating piece — both furniture and artwork — that stands apart in any interior. Examples are often priced between $20,000 and $30,000, depending on formal variations (such as a foot-shaped pedestal), material and condition. Smaller functional items such as tabletop clocks bring about $9,000. His paintings and drawings require space; they are meant to be contemplated. Prices on original examples start at about $30,000; prints generally sell in the region of $900.

As you will see on 1stDibs, the art and design of Pedro Friedeberg is singular and memorable.

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Creator: Pedro Friedeberg
Pedro Friedeberg Clock
Pedro Friedeberg Clock

Pedro Friedeberg Clock

$18,500

Pedro Friedeberg Clock

By Pedro Friedeberg

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

A wonderful gold-leafed variation of this form. Signed under the foot.

Category

1970s Mexican Vintage Pedro Friedeberg Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

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Surrealistic Sculptural Clock by Pedro Friedeberg
Surrealistic Sculptural Clock by Pedro Friedeberg

Surrealistic Sculptural Clock by Pedro Friedeberg

$13,500

Surrealistic Sculptural Clock by Pedro Friedeberg

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An iconic carved sculptural clock by the famed Mexican surrealistic artist and designer Pedro Friedeberg (Mexican, b. 1937) circa 1960s. The whimsical...

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1960s Mexican Modern Vintage Pedro Friedeberg Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Wood

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Pedro Friedeberg table clocks and desk clocks for sale on 1stDibs.

Pedro Friedeberg table clocks and desk clocks are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Pedro Friedeberg table clocks and desk clocks, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original table clocks and desk clocks by Pedro Friedeberg were created in the modern style in north america during the 20th century. Prices for Pedro Friedeberg table clocks and desk clocks can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,000 and can go as high as $18,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $13,500.

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