Willy Guhl Large Diablo Planter

A tall Willy Guhl planter in the diablo shape: two cones joined at a pinched waist, so the wide planting basin on top is mirrored by an equally broad base below and the volume lifts off the ground rather than sitting heavy on it. What sets this one apart is its surface. A thick, chalky off-white coating is peeling away across the lower half, exposing the raw pale gray fiber cement underneath in large patches. Inside the rim the surface darkens into mineral stains and coarse weathering.

It stands 38 inches high and 21 inches in diameter at the top. It is an original Eternit piece, Swiss and mid-century. The flaking is stable and is the most interesting thing about the planter; we have not sealed it and would not advise painting it.

The height makes it an upright element rather than a bowl, so it suits a gravel courtyard, a shaded terrace, or the corner of a loggia, and it holds a plain contemporary elevation well, even before a trailing vine goes in. Two together frame a doorway. This Willy Guhl planter is in our yard in Marina Del Rey; come and see it, or we will send more photographs and a quote.