Retro Reissue: 1920s Brick Screen by ClassiCon

ClassiCon has reissued Brick Screen, which was originally designed by Eileen Gray between 1922 and 1925. Sure to be a collector’s item, this folding screen (authorized by Aram Designs Ltd.) uses an “exquisite eight-layered lacquer finish.” An Irish artist and architect, Gray was a trendsetter in the vanguard of modern design during the 1920s and 30s. She is well known for her tubular steel furniture.

Brick Screen. Designed by Eileen Gray. Manufactured by ClassiCon.

Modern Tribute to Lacquer

Captivated by traditional Japanese lacquerware, Gray learned and perfected the craft over many years. Brick Screen stands as an homage to the rich history of this artistic technique: “More than just a room divider, this folding screen with its understated elegance commands the presence of a sculpture.” The contemporary incarnation also boasts attention to detail—its panels are lacquered by hand layer by layer “in a process that takes several weeks.”

Brick Screen. Designed by Eileen Gray. Manufactured by ClassiCon.

Brick Screen has both fixed and moveable panels on a nickel-plated steel rod frame. The piece features solid bronze shims, spacers and end caps coated in clear varnish. With its highly reflective finish, Brick Screen bounces light in all directions. And its weave seduces the eye, giving a sense of kinetic movement to a traditional brick pattern.

About the Manufacturer: Headquartered in Munich, ClassiCon stands for classic contemporary design. The original manufacturer of many standards of modern furniture, ClassiCon continues to work with designers to establish new ideals: “Our modern classics are collector’s items—not only the masterpieces of yesterday, but of tomorrow as well. We aim above all to produce individual pieces of great originality and formal perfection—pieces with the potential to become classics in their own right one day.” Today, the company has showrooms around the globe: Munich, Zurich, Tokyo, Toronto, Sydney, and Seoul.

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