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Pair of Kalmar Ice Glass Wall Sconces, Austria, 1960

About the Item

Pair of Kalmar Austria wall sconces, glass and metal ca. 1960`s. Very good condition. The Kalmar “Werkstätten” (workshops) are as well part of Austrian culture as of modern design. Julius August Kalmar founded the Viennese company in 1881 as a cast bronze factory and lighting company. His son Julius Theodor realigned it to the pioneering “Werkbund movement” in Austria. For almost 140 years now, Kalmar has been known for its modernist experiments and meticulous craftsmanship. From 1925 Kalmar products were offered in the noble furniture store "Haus und Garten", which belonged to the architects of the Werkbund, Josef Frank and Oskar Wlach. From 1931 onwards, only designs by Werkbund artists were produced, including Oswald Haerdtl, Oskar Strnad and Clemens Holzmeister. Kalmar established the Burgtheater, the Vienna Opera and the Vienna Stock Exchange. Kalmar remained connected to the ideas of the Werkbund with its special lighting objects: an interdisciplinary design approach that combined craftsmanship and art with architecture. Julius Theodor had first studied architecture. His teacher there, Josef Hoffman, was not only a designer but also co-founder of the "Österreichischer Werkbund" (“Austrian Werkbund”), which had a significant influence on Kalmar's later work. He also acquired his skills at the Birmingham School of Art and the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. J.T. Kalmar was also a trained master blacksmith in the tradition of the family business. Through the complete reorientation of the company in the first half of the century by Julius Theodor, it has continued to this day in the 4th generation. The great designs were used to furnish the presidential palace in the Kremlin, in the RMS Queen Mary 2, in the hotels of the sophisticated Ritz-Carlton Group, the Grand Hyatt, the Waldorf Astoria, the Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental. They can also be found in the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Creator:
Kalmar Lighting (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 8.67 in (22 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40 cm)Depth: 4.73 in (12 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Glass,Metal
Place of Origin:
Austria
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1960s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Frankfurt / Dreieich, DE
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU98081073192

Shop All Kalmar Lighting

Kalmar Lighting

In 1881, Julius August Kalmar founded Kalmar, a Viennese company that produced handcrafted objects of cast bronze. Kalmar developed a fine reputation and exhibited internationally often, but it was Kalmar’s son, Julius Theodor Kalmar, who took over in 1913 and made the company shine with its modernist lighting.

Having studied at the Birmingham School of Art and Design and under the Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann at the Vienna School of Applied Arts, Julius was deeply inspired by the shift to modernity taking place in Europe and sought to work with the leading architects and designers of his time, including Austrian Werkbund architects Josef Frank and Oskar Wlach as well as Ernst Plischke, Clemens Holzmeister and Oswald Haerdtl. Similar to the Wiener Werkstätte cooperative cofounded by Hoffmann that prized materials, form and function, Kalmar viewed his company’s lighting fixtures as “quite humble things” meant to “fit in and serve their purpose of functionally illuminating spaces without glare.”

In 1925, Kalmar began selling in Haus und Garten, the forward-looking decor shop founded by Frank and Wlach. By 1931, a close partnership with the Austrian Werkbund association of architects, artists and craftsmen allowed the company to realize its vision of early 20th-century modernity — a distinctly Viennese pairing of traditional workmanship with contemporary technology. These collaborations included chandeliers and other fixtures using traditional materials such as glass, bronze and brass while focusing on function over ornamentation. As the company grew, so too did the scope of its projects, and soon Kalmar was installing extravagant chandeliers for the Vienna Opera, the Burgtheater, Vienna stock exchange and other sites.

Under the guidance of Rudolf Calice, Julius Theodor Kalmar’s son-in-law, the 1960s saw Kalmar’s popularity grow, thanks in part to the success of more decorative pieces like the ice-glass fixtures created with Austrian sculptor Karl Gruber. Thomas Calice, the great-grandson of Kalmar’s founder, led the company in the 1990s and its expansion to international lighting projects while shifting away from serial production. In 2009, Thomas’s son August Chalice established Kalmar Werkstätten to produce fixtures that reference the Kalmar archives but also feature updates on the iconic designs. Kalmar continues to produce bespoke fixtures while also working on custom lighting projects around the world, from cruise ships to the Burj Khalifa.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Kalmar lighting that includes wall lights, floor lamps and other fixtures.