Willy Guhl for Eternit Tall Handkerchief Planter
View Similar Items
Willy Guhl for Eternit Tall Handkerchief Planter
About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 22 in (55.88 cm)Width: 34 in (86.36 cm)Depth: 34 in (86.36 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Great vintage condition.
- Seller Location:Wichita, KS
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5325228717872
Willy Guhl
Decades prior to the mass popularity of neo-industrial cement floors and furniture taking shape, there was Willy Guhl. The Swiss creative is considered one of the first “industrial” designers in his home country. He pioneered a rugged, organic style of modern furniture and decor — stylish planters, shapely seating and lots more — that remains widely coveted by many today.
Guhl was born in 1915 in Stein am Rhein and worked as a carpenter before beginning studies at the Zurich School of Applied Arts (known today as the Zurich University of the Arts), where he would go on to teach for nearly 40 years.
While Guhl is well-known for his range of provocative garden elements as well as his patio and outdoor furniture, today’s legion of mid-century modern enthusiasts are likely familiar with the designer’s iconic Loop chair (introduced in 1954). For this sculptural seat and other furnishings, Guhl tended toward industrial materials, which he bent and shaped into organic forms for a striking juxtaposition. Much of his work is crafted from either concrete or Eternit, a mixture of cement and asbestos developed by the Belgian company Etex, which, in the 1950s, commissioned Guhl and his students at the School of Applied Arts to conceive planters in the material. The resulting vessels — some hourglass-shaped, some in the form of handkerchiefs, all suitable for indoors or exteriors — remain some of Guhl’s most collectible pieces.
Guhl’s affiliation with the Swiss “neo-functional” movement centered on the idea of simplifying design without sacrificing form. According to Guhl, his mission was “achieving the most with the minimum of effort.”
In addition to his work as a designer, Guhl left his mark on subsequent creatives through his 39-year tenure at his alma mater, where he was instructor to the likes of Robert Haussmann, Kurt Thut and Bruno Rey. Modern-day shoppers at IKEA owe Guhl a debt of gratitude too. He was an early advocate of flat-pack furniture, championing its ability to make good design more widely accessible.
At its core, though, Guhl’s work was inherently human-centric: “At the center of my efforts, I put people and their living requirements,” he once said. “My products must be useful to people.” Guhl died in 2004 at the age of 89.
Find a range of vintage Willy Guhl furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
- Rectangular Balconia Planter Willy Guhl for Eternit, 1960sBy Willy GuhlLocated in Wichita, KSRectangular planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit. Planter is made of cement and has good color and patina. Great lines and clean design. This planter would be magnificen...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsConcrete
- Rectangular Balconia Planter Willy Guhl for Eternit, 1960sBy Willy GuhlLocated in Wichita, KSRectangular planter with lip by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit. Planter is made of cement and has good color and patina. Great lines and clean design. This planter would be m...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsConcrete
- Rectangular Balconia Planter Willy Guhl for Eternit, 1960sBy Willy GuhlLocated in Wichita, KSRectangular planter with lip detail by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit. Planter is made of cement and has good color and patina. Great lines and clean design. This planter wou...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsConcrete
- Rectangular Balconia Planters Willy Guhl for Eternit, 1960sBy Willy GuhlLocated in Wichita, KSRectangular planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit. Planter is made of cement and has good color and patina. Great lines and clean design. This planter would be magnificen...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsConcrete
- Trapezoid Willy Guhl Planter, two availableBy Willy GuhlLocated in Wichita, KSRare vintage square taper shaped Willy Guhl planter. This shape is not common and hard to find. wonderful handles on the Side and great patina. Would make a lovely planter inside or ...Category
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
MaterialsConcrete
$1,700 / item - Large Impressive Vintage Fluted Concrete Planters, a pairLocated in Wichita, KSThese beautiful and impressively sized concrete planters are unique in style and scale. They are fluted with deep ridges and can hold larger trees in containers and beautiful plantings. They are reminiscent of Willy Guhl in style and can mix with any style - modern or traditional. They are not drilled at the bottom so drainage but can be as they are made of cement. To view all...Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl for Eternit, Mid-Century Modern Concrete Garden Handkerchief PlanterBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in London, GBWilly Guhl for Eternit, a very rare 21 inch tall Mid-Century Modern sculptural concrete garden Handkerchief elephant ear planter. It looks like a large seed pod and will look very sp...Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Massive Willy Guhl Handkerchief PlantersBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAMassive cement planter by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl for Eternit. 44" diagonally, corner to corner. Fantastic patina. Great planter or sculpture for the garden...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsCement
$3,200 / item - Willy Guhl for Eternit Large Handkerchief Elephant Ear Planter with Loss to EdgeBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in London, GBWilly Guhl for Eternit large handkerchief elephant ear concrete planter with loss to edge Loss to one wave of the rim, shown clearly in the images. Will sit snugly against a wall an...Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Rare Willy Guhl for Eternit Stackable Planters Mid-CenturyBy Willy GuhlLocated in St.Petersburg, FLRare stackable planters by Willy Guhl for Eternit. Each one stamped on the bottom. Three yellow and three grey or concrete available. Planters have ...Category
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
- Willy Guhl Large Vertical Handkerchief PlanterBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAUnique concrete planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Planter in the shape of vertical handkerchief. Excellent patina and coloring. Great scale. Great vintage condition. Only one av...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl Vertical Handkerchief Planter, 1960s SwitzerlandBy Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAUnique concrete planter by Swiss architect Willy Guhl. Planter in the shape of vertical handkerchief in its original grey concrete patina. Rare design in original condition. The inte...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete