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Bernhard Rohne

German, Canadian, b. 1944

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.

Average Sold Price
$4,289
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Materials
Related Creators
1970’s Etched Brass Coffee Table by Bernhard Rohne
By Bernhard Rohne
Located in PÉZENAS, FR
Wonderful pair of coffee tables , etched brass by Bernhard Rohne , mastercraft edition in 1970’s Bernhard Rohne Furniture Widely recognized for the line of furniture he designed for...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Bernhard Rohne

Materials

Brass

Mastercraft Brass & Burl Walnut Console Table by Bernhard Rohne
By Bernhard Rohne, Mastercraft
Located in East Hampton, NY
This burled walnut and brass console table by Bernard Rohne for Mastercraft, features a wonderful textured brass inlay in crackled finish. Brass column pedestal legs and a GREAT scale.
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernhard Rohne

Materials

Brass

Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Hollywood Regency Burl and Brass Dining Table
By Bernhard Rohne, Mastercraft
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Mid-Century Modern Hollywood Regency extension dining table By Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Furniture USA, 1970s Beautiful burled Carpathian elm wood, with inlaid bra...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernhard Rohne

Materials

Brass

Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Acid Etched Brass Extension Dining Table, 1970s
By Bernhard Rohne, Mastercraft
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous mid-century modern Hollywood Regency extension dining table By Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft USA, 1970s Acid-etched brass and ebonized wood, with inset beveled glass t...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernhard Rohne

Materials

Brass

Mastercraft Brass Trefoil Table by Bernhard Rohne
By Bernhard Rohne, Mastercraft
Located in Hanover, MA
Mastercraft trifoliate form pedestal table base clad in mirror polished and clear lacquered brass sheet with art metal bands of acid etched brass by artist Bernhard Rohne. 27.5 inc...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernhard Rohne

Materials

Brass

Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft Brutalist Acid-Etched Metallic Wall Art 1970s
By Bernhard Rohne
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A 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

1970s Vintage Bernhard Rohne

Materials

Copper

Bernhard E. Rhone Oxidized Metal Etching
By Bernhard Rohne
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Rhone Oxidized Metal Etching c.1970s, Canada. Rhone, a German born artist began experimenting with metal oxidation and acid etching in the late 1960s to create a body of wor...
Category

1970s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Bernhard Rohne

Materials

Metal

1970's Mastercraft "Tree Of Life" Acid Etched Brass Cabinet by Bernhard Rohne
By Bernhard Rohne, Mastercraft
Located in Hartville, OH
Iconic Shaved Corner Acid Etched Brass Credenza by Famed Artist Bernhard Rohne for Mastercraft. The "tree of life" cabinet is one of the most recognized work by Rohne for Mastercraft...
Category

1970s North American Art Deco Vintage Bernhard Rohne

Materials

Brass

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Bernhard Rohne furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Bernhard Rohne furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Bernhard Rohne furniture, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Bernhard Rohne were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Brueton, Nicos Zographos, and Leon Rosen. Prices for Bernhard Rohne furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $5,800 and can go as high as $6,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,150.

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