Mirror DZ84 by Benno Premsela for ’t Spectrum, 1956

In 1956 Benno Premsela came up with the ingenious and simple design of the Benno Mirror. After almost 70 years, the mirror has become a real design icon.

The story goes that Spectrum asked Premsela to design a beautiful interior accessory. Premsela looked through the supplies and semi-manufactures that Spectrum already had and took out a wooden ring intended for a table. He made a slot in it and informed Spectrum his design was ready. The Benno mirror was a fact.

The Benno mirror consists of a beech plywood circle with a 50 cm diameter. The square mirror is inserted into the frame through a slot on the topside. The mirror as a whole is 7 cm deep.

(source: www.spectrumdesign.nl)

This version is a vintage, early one, from the collection of 1964 – ’71.

The mirror is still in a good condition with some user marks such as a little wear of the white lacker and the mirror glas has some ageing spots, in the right bellow corner mirror glass has a chip but not very disturbing as it falls mostly into the wooden frame.  See all images for a good impression.