the architect and painter karl friedrich schinkel is one of the most important representatives of classicist architecture in germany.
his designs for cast-iron objects and furniture, on the other hand, remain relatively unknown, although his works are connected in many ways to this technology, which was very modern at the time.
cast iron, which has been used decoratively since at least the 15th century, experienced its heyday in prussia at the end of the 18th century, which lasted up until the late 19th century. for a long time, cast iron was one of the most popular materials for realising artistic ideas and, at the same time, played a special role as a cheap material that could even be produced in prussia.
at the turn of the 19th century, prussian citizens exchanged their gold jewellery for iron jewellery for their king in order to finance the wars of liberation: 'i gave gold and received iron'. in the ensuing years of peace cast iron became known as 'fer de berlin' throughout europe.
besides this iron jewellery, schinkel designed a whole range of cast-iron accessories throughout his career, including candleholders, bowls, tins and centrepieces which, along with his cast-iron furniture (which still stands in schloss glienicke and charlottenhof), made up the avantgarde of the classicist craft industry.


Designer: Karl Friedrich Schinkel