Dr. Oetker - Balance or scale - Bakelite - 1938 Bauhaus style
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Dr. Oetker, a German manufacturer, presents a 1938 Bauhaus‑style kitchen scale in Bakelite with a brown housing and cream weighing bowl, measuring 21 cm high, 11 cm wide and 21 cm deep, capacity 1,000 g, in excellent condition and in working order.
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Description from the seller
A remarkably rare and highly decorative design object is this German Dr. Oetker kitchen scale dating from 1938, combining technical ingenuity with the clean, functional aesthetic associated with late Bauhaus and German modernist design during the national socialist era. Dr. Oetker in Bielefeld was a pioneer for convenience baking products.
This model is particularly interesting from a design-historical point of view, as it belongs to the very early generation of German household scales produced with a moulded plastic housing. At a time when most kitchen scales were still made predominantly from metal, the use of a bordeaux red/brown moulded synthetic material gave the object an exceptionally modern appearance.
The design is reduced to clear geometric forms: a compact rectangular body with softly rounded corners, a large semicircular dial, and a contrasting cream-coloured weighing bowl. The restrained combination of dark brown and ivory is typical of high-quality German household design of the late 1930s.
The front carries the moulded Dr. Oetker name together with the characteristic portrait emblem. The scale is graduated up to 1,000 grams, and the original side adjustment wheel is still present.
A particularly important feature is the original cream-coloured plastic weighing bowl. These bowls are often missing, cracked or damaged today because of the relative fragility and ageing characteristics of early plastics. On this example, the bowl has survived completely intact, without the usual breaks or losses, making the scale considerably more desirable for collectors.
The underside and rear construction also illustrate the sophisticated moulding technology used for the casing, with integrated structural ribs and fitted mechanical components.
Condition
The scale is in excellent original working condition for its age.
The reddish brown bordeaux housing retains a very attractive surface and gloss, with only minor traces of age and use. The dial remains clearly legible.
Most importantly, the rare original cream-coloured weighing bowl is fully preserved and undamaged.
Part of the lot is a second replacement mechanism with scale as a spare part! (LAST PHOTO)
The scale is also functional: the mechanism responds correctly and the pointer moves as intended.
Please study the photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description.
Historical and design significance
This is much more than an ordinary vintage kitchen scale. It represents the moment when modern plastics began to enter German domestic life on a larger scale, replacing or supplementing traditional materials such as metal, wood and ceramic.
Its combination of early moulded plastic technology, functionalist form, contrasting colours and mechanical precision makes it an excellent example of German industrial and household design immediately before the Second World War.
Complete examples of this model are now very difficult to find, particularly with the original weighing bowl preserved in such good condition.
An outstanding object for collectors of:
early plastics and Bakelite-era design
German industrial design
Bauhaus-influenced household objects
historic kitchen equipment
Dr. Oetker advertising and company history
1930s functionalist design
Germany, 1938.
Original Dr. Oetker kitchen scale.
Capacity: 1,000 g.
Rare early moulded-plastic housing.
Original cream-coloured bowl preserved intact.
Excellent condition and functional.
A scarce design object and highly evocative survivor from the early history of modern plastic design.
A remarkably rare and highly decorative design object is this German Dr. Oetker kitchen scale dating from 1938, combining technical ingenuity with the clean, functional aesthetic associated with late Bauhaus and German modernist design during the national socialist era. Dr. Oetker in Bielefeld was a pioneer for convenience baking products.
This model is particularly interesting from a design-historical point of view, as it belongs to the very early generation of German household scales produced with a moulded plastic housing. At a time when most kitchen scales were still made predominantly from metal, the use of a bordeaux red/brown moulded synthetic material gave the object an exceptionally modern appearance.
The design is reduced to clear geometric forms: a compact rectangular body with softly rounded corners, a large semicircular dial, and a contrasting cream-coloured weighing bowl. The restrained combination of dark brown and ivory is typical of high-quality German household design of the late 1930s.
The front carries the moulded Dr. Oetker name together with the characteristic portrait emblem. The scale is graduated up to 1,000 grams, and the original side adjustment wheel is still present.
A particularly important feature is the original cream-coloured plastic weighing bowl. These bowls are often missing, cracked or damaged today because of the relative fragility and ageing characteristics of early plastics. On this example, the bowl has survived completely intact, without the usual breaks or losses, making the scale considerably more desirable for collectors.
The underside and rear construction also illustrate the sophisticated moulding technology used for the casing, with integrated structural ribs and fitted mechanical components.
Condition
The scale is in excellent original working condition for its age.
The reddish brown bordeaux housing retains a very attractive surface and gloss, with only minor traces of age and use. The dial remains clearly legible.
Most importantly, the rare original cream-coloured weighing bowl is fully preserved and undamaged.
Part of the lot is a second replacement mechanism with scale as a spare part! (LAST PHOTO)
The scale is also functional: the mechanism responds correctly and the pointer moves as intended.
Please study the photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description.
Historical and design significance
This is much more than an ordinary vintage kitchen scale. It represents the moment when modern plastics began to enter German domestic life on a larger scale, replacing or supplementing traditional materials such as metal, wood and ceramic.
Its combination of early moulded plastic technology, functionalist form, contrasting colours and mechanical precision makes it an excellent example of German industrial and household design immediately before the Second World War.
Complete examples of this model are now very difficult to find, particularly with the original weighing bowl preserved in such good condition.
An outstanding object for collectors of:
early plastics and Bakelite-era design
German industrial design
Bauhaus-influenced household objects
historic kitchen equipment
Dr. Oetker advertising and company history
1930s functionalist design
Germany, 1938.
Original Dr. Oetker kitchen scale.
Capacity: 1,000 g.
Rare early moulded-plastic housing.
Original cream-coloured bowl preserved intact.
Excellent condition and functional.
A scarce design object and highly evocative survivor from the early history of modern plastic design.
Details
Era
1900-2000
Title additional information
1938 Bauhaus style
No. of items
1
Country of origin
Germany
Manufacturer/brand
Dr. Oetker
Material
Bakelite
Colour
Brown, Cream
Style
Bauhaus
Condition
Excellent condition: barely used with minimal signs of wear
In Working Order
Yes
Height
21 cm
Width
11 cm
Depth
21 cm
Estimated period
1930-1940
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