Mid-Century Modern Bernard Rohne Mastercraft Acid Etched Cabinet Chest, 1970s
View Similar Items
Mid-Century Modern Bernard Rohne Mastercraft Acid Etched Cabinet Chest, 1970s
About the Item
- Creator:Bernhard Rohne (Designer),Mastercraft (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 27 in (68.58 cm)Width: 31 in (78.74 cm)Depth: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1970s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Keego Harbor, MI
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2715316440081
Bernhard Rohne
Widely acclaimed for the range of case pieces he designed for Michigan manufacturer Mastercraft during the 1970s, metal artist and furniture designer Bernhard Rohne has been creating distinctive acid-etched brutalist furnishings, home accessories, sculptures and other works for decades. The German-born Vancouver-based designer’s cabinets, coffee tables, credenzas and more are statement pieces in any interior and can introduce contrast and vigor into living rooms and dining rooms.
Born in Peine, Rohne attended the WKS Hanover art school. It was in his material science class that Rohne immersed a small painted copper plate into a container of acid. After some time, he couldn’t detect whether or not any kind of chemical reaction had taken place, so he left the plate in the acid and went to lunch.
When Rohne returned, yellow clouds had filled the room and the school had to be evacuated. However, when he was able to retrieve the copper plate, Rohne saw that there had indeed been a reaction between the metal and the chemical. The incident, while most definitely dangerous, sparked his interest and set him on a path of material exploration and design that collectors and art enthusiasts continue to celebrate to this day.
Rohne moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1967. During the 1970s, Grand Rapids-based furniture manufacturer Mastercraft — known to collectors of mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency design — partnered with Rohne and produced a large group of case pieces featuring applied brass plaques and panels, acid-etched with forms and patterns that are marked by the influence of Abstract Expressionism and Geometric Abstraction.
For his best known pieces, Rohne worked with brass, aluminum, copper and zinc metal sheets, which he oxidized and etched in order to create fascinating surface panels for his walnut console cabinets and sideboards that, with their patinated bronze and black lacquer doors, are sculptural attention-grabbing works in today’s interiors.
Rohne’s work, like many pieces of brutalist furniture and sculptures designed by him or like-minded metalworker Paul Evans, remains popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.
Find vintage Bernhard Rohne tables, storage pieces and wall decor on 1stDibs.
Mastercraft
Compared to that other furniture-makers in historically minded Grand Rapids, Michigan, the work of Mastercraft seems positively flamboyant. The company was founded in 1947 by brothers Charles and William Doezema, who hailed from a long line of cabinetmakers. They went overseas during their service in World War II, and returned home with a plan to make furniture with cosmopolitan flair. Their firm specialized in chairs and case pieces that have modernized traditional forms, finished in exotic wood veneers such as amboyna, yew, burl and fruitwood, and trimmed in brass. Bureaus and credenzas often feature cabinet fronts with decorative brass details such as silhouettes of flowers and birds, or figures that resemble Chinese characters.
In later years, Mastercraft created chairs and glass-topped coffee tables with brass frames. Some pieces included touches like the Greek key — a motif that appears in the decorative arts of both Asian and European antiquity. After Mastercraft was acquired by industry giant Baker Furniture in 1974, the company produced a large group of case pieces featuring applied brass plaques, acid-etched with semi-abstract forms by the German-born, Vancouver-based artist Bernhard Rohne.
The latter are some of the most popular Mastercraft pieces, and like all the company’s wares range in price from about $2,000 to $12,000 depending on size, condition and the amount of decorative trim. As you will see on 1stDibs, Mastercraft furnishings made a bold but artful statement — perfect for lending a bit of dash and brawn to a contemporary decor.
- Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Brutalist Acid-Etched Metallic Wall Art 1970sBy Bernhard RohneLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA dynamic brutalist acid-etched metallic design wall art by Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft. Circa 1970s. Original gallery tag on verso. Bernard Rhone (1944- ) is known for his distin...Category
Vintage 1970s Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsCopper
- Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Brutalist Acid-Etched Metallic Wall Art 1970sBy Bernhard RohneLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA dynamic brutalist acid-etched metallic design wall art by Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft. Circa 1970s. Original gallery tag on verso. Bernard Rhone (1944- ) is known for his distin...Category
Vintage 1970s Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsCopper
- Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Brutalist Acid-Etched Metallic Wall Art 1970sBy Bernhard RohneLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA dynamic brutalist acid-etched metallic design wall art by Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft. Circa 1970s. Original gallery tag on verso. Bernard Rhone (1944- ) is known for his distin...Category
Vintage 1970s Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsCopper
- Bernard Rhone Acid Etched Tree of Life Brass Credenza for MastercraftBy MastercraftLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA Bernard Rhone acid etched tree of life credenza for Mastercraft. This gorgeous credenza is a real statement piece. Its bold use of brass construction and deep black accents make for a shining piece of furniture. This piece also prominently features three beautiful doors...Category
Late 20th Century Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
- Mid-Century Modern Style Bar CabinetBy Paul EvansLocated in Keego Harbor, MIFor your consideration is a phenomenal, metal bar side cabinet, in the style of Paul Evans Argente. In excellent condition. The dimensions are 23.5" W x 23" D x 32.5" H. Acc. #506.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsMetal
- Mid Century Modern Hairpin Leg Sliding Door CabinetLocated in Keego Harbor, MIA mid century modern hairpin leg sliding door cabinet. A very pretty little cabinet featuring white metal hair pin legs, a full wood construction, white sliding doors, and brass inde...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsWood
- Bernard Rohne for Mastercraft Acid Etched Brass Credenza Mid Century 1970sBy Bernhard Rohne, MastercraftLocated in Troy, MIExquisite six door sideboard designed by Berhnard Rohne for Mastercraft circa 1970s The cabinet features Rohne's signature acid etched panel work framed in burnished brass with soli...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
- Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Acid Etched Brass Credenza, 1970sBy Bernhard Rohne, MastercraftLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis mesmerizing acid etched brass console cabinet was designed by Bernhard Rohne and produced by Mastercraft in the 1970s. Exquisite acid-etched artwork on the top, sides and front ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
$11,700 Sale Price22% Off - Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Acid Etched Brass Credenza, circa 1970sBy Bernhard Rohne, MastercraftLocated in West Palm Beach, FLUnique acid etched design, six hinged doors open to a vacant interior ready for storage, the brass top molding that is an excellent condition, No dings with vibrant colors and very l...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
- 1970s Mastercraft Burlwood Nightstands Bernhard Rohne MichiganBy Bernhard Rohne, MastercraftLocated in Chula Vista, CA1970s Mastercraft Bernhard Rohne Flamboyant Nightstand Chests Sensational burlwood lacquer & brass Grand Rapids, Michigan cosmopolitan flair exotic wood with acid etched brass. Made ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsBrass
$3,040 Sale Price / set20% Off - Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Burl Wood and Acid Etched Brass Dresser, 1970sBy Bernhard Rohne, MastercraftLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous mid-century modern Hollywood Regency triple dresser or credenza By Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Furniture USA, 1970s Burled Carpathian elm wood, with acid etched bras...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Outstanding Acid Etched Brass Credenza by Bernard Rohne MastercraftBy Bernhard RohneLocated in Pemberton, NJOutstanding Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft credenza sideboard cabinet. Exceptional six-panel acid etched brass credenza with brass pulls housed in a brass frame. Designed by Bernhard...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass