Willy Guhl for Eternit Handkerchief Concrete Planters, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Willy Guhl (Designer),Eternit (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)Diameter: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In very good condition with original weathered patina.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Chappaqua, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Willy Guhl for Eternit Handkerchief Concrete Planters, 1960sBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Willy Guhl for Eternit sculptural handkerchief concrete planters or jardinières, Switzerland, 1960s. These exquisite planters are made from weather-resistant fiber cement...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl for Eternit Large Handkerchief Concrete Planters, 1960sBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Willy Guhl for Eternit sculptural large handkerchief concrete planters or jardinières, Switzerland, 1960s. These exquisite planters are made from weather-resistant fiber ...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl for Eternit Large Concrete Biomorphic Planters, 1960sBy Willy Guhl, EternitLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Willy Guhl for Eternit large biomorphic or clam shell shaped concrete planters or jardinières, Switzerland, 1960s. These exquisite planters are made from weather-resistan...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl for Eternit Large Concrete Biomorphic Planters, 1960sBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Willy Guhl for Eternit large biomorphic or clam shell shaped concrete planters or jardinières, Switzerland, 1960s. These exquisite planters are made from weather-resistan...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl for Eternit Large Concrete Diabolo Spindel Planters, 1960sBy Willy GuhlLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Willy Guhl for Eternit large architectural Spindel concrete planters or jardinières, Switzerland, 1960s. These iconic modernist planters are made from weather-resistant ...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl for Eternit Medium Concrete Diabolo Spindel Planters, 1960sBy Willy GuhlLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Willy Guhl for Eternit architectural pair of Spindel concrete planters or jardinières, Switzerland, 1960s. These iconic modernist planters are made from weather-resistan...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl, Concrete Spindle Planter, Eternit, 1960sBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Berlin, DEWilly Guhl, spindle planter, manufactured by Eternit in the 1960s. Very nice patina, rare lower model with larger diameter!Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Large 'Handkerchief' Concrete Planters by Willy Guhl for Eternit, c. 1968By Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis beautiful pair of large sized (35" diameter) 'Handkerchief' concrete planters by Swiss architect Willy Guhl for Eternit, circa 1968 Switzerland has beautiful patina including fi...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Concrete Planter by Willy Guhl for Eternit, Switzerland ca. 1960sBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Geneva, CHLarge eternit planter by Willy Guhl produced by Eternit AG, Switzerland ca. 1960s Original shape. 85 x 85 x 19 cmCategory
Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl, Concrete Pair of Spindle Planters, Eternit, 1960sBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Berlin, DEWilly Guhl, spindle planters, manufactured by Eternit in the 1960s. Very nice patina, rare lower model with larger diameter!Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- Willy Guhl Eternit Planters, Switzerland, 1960sBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Antwerp, BEBrutalist and minimalist planters, Willy Guhl, Switzerland, 1960s 3 similar size rectangular planters are available + 1 larger (see other listings) Willy Guhl was a pioneering Swis...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Brutalist Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete
- 1960s Willy Guhl Concrete Urn PlanterBy Eternit, Willy GuhlLocated in Los Angeles, CAConcrete urn by Willy Guhl. Rare model. Excellent cream, pastel yellow and grey patina. Urn has a delicate cement ridge around the mouth giving it a beautiful minimalist design with ...Category
Vintage 1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsConcrete