bauhaus – pencil talk | pencil reviews and discussion

Gmund is a quality paper maker that originated in 1829. Online searching and discussions with stationery enthusiasts suggest that today they mainly operate as a paper industry supplier. They have regularly received attention for providing the golden envelopes used at the Oscars.

Gmund also produces a few consumer products. Here is a video from Matthias at Bleistift regarding one of their notebooks:

Something else that made an appearance at Laywines here is Toronto is a Bauhaus associated paper cube. The cube is part of a larger series. This isn’t just a “tribute” – it is a product that was developed in conjunction with the official Bauhaus Dessau Foundation.

The paper cube has a front with a geometrical design that uses five quadrilaterals and one triangle. One of the colours appears twice.

Do you know more about this design? Please feel free to share!

The cube now sits on my desk, and I want to use these notes rather than sticky notes when it makes sense. You can find the official product page here.

“On the desk of the German architect and Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius sits a solid-brass egg.”

From Perfecting the Paperweight by Victoria Woodcock in the November 20, 2021 How To Spend It, the weekend magazine of the Financial Times.

This paperweight egg shared the desk with companion objects such as pre-Columbian artefacts given to Gropius by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The Financial Times says the desk was designed by Marcel Breuer, while Historic New England credits Gropius himself. The desk broke when shipped from Germany to the US.

The desk remains at Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts. A clear photo doesn’t show an egg.

Click the image to go to the Historic New England site. (c) Historic New England

(Can you see a pencil?)

The original 1952 egg is now made by Auböck’s grandson, and available at London’s Sigmar for £170. I think that’s a pretty reasonable price for a famed design object of such provenance.

The general Auböck catalogue is well worth browsing. Another stationery object – a giant paperclip – is also for sale at Mark+Fold.

Thank you to the Financial Times for illuminating this interesting stationery item.

Tag: bauhaus

The Gmund Bauhaus Dessau paper cube

The Carl Auböck egg paperweight