A beautifully crafted Czechoslovak wall-mounted coat and hat rack dating from the 1960s, constructed from bent cane and wicker with five integrated hooks and a generous upper shelf.

The piece is attributed to ÚLUV (Ústředí lidové umělecké výroby), the influential Czechoslovak organisation that brought traditional craft techniques into modern post-war interiors. Its combination of sculptural form, natural materials and highly skilled hand-wrapped construction makes it a particularly appealing example of Czechoslovak craft-led modernism.

About the Piece

This unusual wall rack combines the practical simplicity of mid-century design with techniques rooted in traditional Czechoslovak basketry.

Its long, lightweight structure is formed from slender lengths of bent cane, joined and reinforced with beautifully executed wicker bindings. Five individual hooks run along the lower rail, while the projecting upper section creates a practical shelf for hats, scarves or other accessories.

Look more closely and the construction becomes the most interesting part of the design. Rather than concealing the joints, the maker has made them a decorative feature: cane is tightly wound around the structural elements, while crossed bindings connect the vertical and horizontal sections of the lower frame. At either end, sweeping curved supports connect the coat rail with the upper shelf.

The result sits somewhere between furniture, basketry and sculpture.

The design is attributed to ÚLUV, whose post-war work sought to preserve traditional Czechoslovak craft while adapting it to contemporary living. During this period the organisation produced furniture and interior accessories combining wood, wicker and other natural materials, with specialist basketry production undertaken in Morkovice.

Designer Jaroslav Procházka (1928–2014) was responsible for much of ÚLUV's furniture and interior output from the second half of the 1950s onwards, including small furniture and designs incorporating wicker. His work played an important role in establishing the distinctive modern interior language associated with ÚLUV.

Similar Czechoslovak coat racks from the 1960s have been documented with ÚLUV attribution, although we have not yet found archival documentation identifying the designer or model number of this particular example.

Details

Period: 1960s
Origin: Czechoslovakia
Style: Mid-Century Modern / Czechoslovak Modernism
Material: Cane / rattan / wicker
Maker: Attributed to ÚLUV (Ústředí lidové umělecké výroby)
Designer: Attributed to Jaroslav Procházka or Jan Kalous
Type: Wall-mounted coat and hat rack
Features: Five coat hooks and upper storage shelf
Dimensions: W 69 cm × D 28 cm × H 24 cm

Condition

The coat rack remains in good vintage condition, retaining the warm colour and character developed by the natural materials over more than sixty years.

There are signs of age and previous use throughout, including variations in colour, small marks and areas of wear to the cane and wicker bindings. These are consistent with the age and handmade character of the piece.

The structure has been carefully checked, cleaned and prepared for use in our Brno workshop.

Please refer to the photographs for a detailed record of its condition.

Why We Like It

What makes this piece special is the meeting of modern design and traditional craft.

Its function could hardly be simpler, yet almost every joint reveals the hand of the maker. Bent cane creates the structure, while carefully wrapped and crossed wicker bindings become part of the decoration rather than something to be hidden.

It is precisely this combination that made some of the best ÚLUV work so distinctive: traditional materials and techniques were not treated nostalgically, but reinterpreted for a modern Czechoslovak interior. Scholarly research into ÚLUV describes this combination of furniture making and basketry as an important and commercially successful part of its post-war production.

More than sixty years later, the rack also feels remarkably contemporary. Its open construction gives it very little visual weight, while the warm natural material works particularly well against a plain wall.

A practical everyday object, but also a lovely surviving example of the relationship between craft and modernism in post-war Czechoslovak design.

Delivery & Returns

This coat rack will be carefully packed and shipped from our studio in Brno, Czech Republic.

EU shipping: €20, confirmed at checkout
Estimated EU delivery: 3–5 working days

We also ship worldwide using trusted international couriers. Please contact us for a tailored shipping quote outside the EU.

EU customers have a 14-day right of withdrawal. Please see our Terms & Conditions for full details.

If you’d like to check anything before ordering - from condition and dimensions to delivery - Martin and Amy are always happy to help throughout the process, and also after your piece has arrived.