Willy Guhl Tilted Planter

A Willy Guhl planter in the tilted form, the basin resting on a pinched pedestal and cut away at a steep downward pitch, so you look straight into the bowl without leaning over it. The surface looks like parched, hardened ground. A heavily weathered ashy crust coats the outside and breaks into rough gritty patches around the narrow neck. Inside the slanted cavity, long exposure has left intense charcoal mineral stains that stand out hard against the lighter exterior.

It measures 25 inches across and 18 inches high. It is an original Eternit piece, Swiss and mid-century, with its weathering left intact. The crust is stable and the pedestal is sound.

The sunken rim presents low plants and trailing vines without hiding them behind a wall, so it suits sedums, succulents and ivy. It moves easily between a living room and an open garden: on a terrace, in a gravel court, or by a pool it reads as an object first and a container second. Against plain modern walls the aged surface is the contrast the room needs. This Willy Guhl planter is in Marina Del Rey; see it by appointment, or ask for photographs and a delivered price.