A PLYWOOD STACKING CUPBOARD
A PLYWOOD STACKING CUPBOARD

DESIGNED BY GERRIT TH. RIETVELD IN CA. 1925, EXECUTED BEFORE 1961, PROBABLY BY HIS OWN WORKSHOP

Details
A PLYWOOD STACKING CUPBOARD
Designed by Gerrit Th. Rietveld in ca. 1925, executed before 1961, probably by his own workshop
The rectangular top constructed with dovetail joints above two shelves constructed with mortise joints, one shelf cut out and one shelf reduced in depth, the left side and the back stained black
81 cm. high x 27 cm. wide x 27 cm. deep
Together with an oak peel potato dish, designed by Gerrit Th. Rietveld and probably constructed in his own workshop, before 1957, of square outline with sloping sides constructed with dovetail joints - 6 cm. high x 30 cm. wide x 30 cm. deep (2)
Provenance
Gerrit Th. Rietveld until 1961;
Bertus Mulder, Utrecht.
Literature
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
A set of two similar stacking cupboards is illustrated in 3. page 301, cat. nr. 463. The author mentions that Rietveld designed these in collaboration with Truus Schröder-Schräder.
The process of the design of the stacking cupboard is described in 1. page 109-111, cat. nrs. 106-107.
The cupboard Bertus Mulder is referring to in the catalogue note of this lot, is visible on the photograph illustrated in 4. on the bottom of page 37.

Brought to you by

Nikky Zwitserlood
Nikky Zwitserlood

Check the condition report or get in touch for additional information about this

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

Sign in
View condition report

Lot Essay

"This cupboard appears in the catalogue of the Stedelijk Museum and is dated 1926. Two originals and two remakes are illustrated. The cupboard on offer is similar to the originals. Rietveld used his cupboard in his ever carefree way. He obviously needed it without the upper shelf and with the second though reduced in depth. The upper one he simply cut out. The mortise joints which went through the side walls remained seated. It can now be restored in a simple manner. I deliberately did not 'touch' it to maintain its authenticity.
This cupboard has a great affinity with the design Rietveld made together with Truus Schröder for a stack unit (cat. no. 106). This has the dimensions 78 x 26 x 26 cm., and also has dovetail joints at the corners."

"When Rietveld got married in 1911 he made several pieces of furniture for his household: an octagonal table, a bench and cupboards. In a Dutch household with a bourgeois housewife like Rietveld's wife Vrouwgien, a peel potato dish should not be missing. Being a carpenter Rietveld surely made this himself, certainly when he still had time for it in 1911. And so a well-made square oak dish with sloping walls connected with diagonal dovetails was born. From the time we went to live at Vredenburg we used it whenever potatoes were on our menu."

More from The Decorative Arts Sale

View All
View All