P.E.L. Izeren for De Genneper Molen Modernist Coat Rack, Model 275, 1920s to 1930s A modernist and highly decorative Dutch Art Deco coat rack, designed by P.E.L. Izeren for De Genneper Molen. The model is documented in the original De Genneper Molen catalogue as no. 275. (see last two pictures) This is a large (100 cm wide) and impressive piece, conceived as a family coat rack rather than a modest hallway accessory. Its design is distinctly related to the Hague School idiom: geometric, strongly constructed and architectural in its rhythm. The form is built from oak, with details and angular solid hooks in macassar ebony, also known as coromandel. They create contrast and depth. The coat rack has a powerful presence, It is practical, but never merely practical. Like the best Dutch Art Deco furniture of the period, it treats utility as an opportunity for design. The silhouette is rational, yet the use of macassar ebony gives it a decorative charge. It combines beautifully with modernist interiors, Hague School furniture, Amsterdam School pieces and early 20th-century art. P.E.L. Izeren was head design at De Genneper Molen and remained connected to the firm until the late 1930s. De Genneper Molen began as a sawmill in the town of Gennep, housed in an old water mill. The name referred to the water wheel that originally powered the sawmill. Around 1917, the company began producing small furniture such as side tables, umbrella stands, coat racks and tea cabinets. These pieces were advertised in their catalogues as “supplementary furniture”, but soon became the core of the business. The designs made by De Genneper Molen show a clear relationship to the modernist language of the Haagse School, associated with designers and architects such as Hendrik Wouda, Frits Spanjaard and Cor Alons. Izeren’s work shares that same interest in construction, proportion and architectural clarity, while retaining its own slightly expressive Dutch Art Deco character. This example is in good condition, with minor age-related wear consistent with its period. A rare documented piece of Dutch Art Deco furniture, both useful and visually commanding.