Manufactory
Horst Kontak
About the object: The slim oak box contains a filigree metal rod that is ideal for storing rings in style. The lid slides onto the box almost automatically when gently placed on top. This unique piece appeals to several senses at once and makes using it a special experience. With their natural, matt surface and thin-walled design, the wooden boxes and bowls from Horst Kontak invite you to pick them up and explore them. The sophisticated closing mechanism of the boxes underlines the special quality of these objects. Each piece of wood has an individual grain and coloring, which is particularly impressive thanks to the natural finish and minimalist design.
Manufacture: The wooden boxes and bowls are carefully handcrafted by Horst Kontak on a lathe. For his work, he mainly uses local woods such as oak, robinia or walnut, which he processes in a dry state. Depending on the design, the individual work steps on the lathe vary slightly, but the basic sequence always remains the same. It is this recurring routine that Horst Kontak particularly appreciates about his work. After processing, the wood remains largely untreated in order to preserve its natural color and texture. If he does decide to treat the wood, he only uses Japanese camellia oil. Among wood turners, the production of a box is regarded as the supreme discipline of the craft, as it is a particular challenge to match the lid and jar precisely.
We offer reliable shipping for our products to various destinations. Here are our shipping options:
Germany:
EU countries:
Switzerland: Information regarding transportation costs to Switzerland can be found here.
Please note that the stated delivery times are estimates and may vary depending on the destination and current circumstances. We are always working to get your orders to you as quickly as possible.
For further information or special inquiries about shipping, please do not hesitate to contact us. to contact. We are happy to answer your questions.
The wooden boxes should always be closed according to the wood grain. The lid should not be twisted, but gently slid open and carefully pulled upwards to open. Over time, small marks may appear on the surface. These can be carefully removed with fine sandpaper. It is essential to sand only in the direction of the grain. Furthermore, the boxes and bowls should not be exposed to intense sunlight for extended periods.
In 1985, Horst Kontak met the wood designer Lüder Baier in his workshop in Dresden. This encounter had a lasting impact on him. Fascinated by the art of woodworking, he was particularly captivated by a finely crafted wooden box. Two years later, he built his own lathe and began experimenting with woodturning. What started as a passion, however, only became his profession in 2017.
Fueled by his ongoing exchange with Lüder Baier, Horst Kontak finally founded his workshop, "Werken in Holz" (Working in Wood), in 2009. It was there that he created his first box from mountain maple, a unique piece that would be followed by many more.
His precisely crafted wooden objects have been exhibited at the Pritzwalk City Museum and presented by renowned design object retailers such as Elbwood and the Remise in Hamburg. They have also garnered attention in specialist and design magazines such as Drechsler Magazin, Art Aurea, and Living at Home.
... For his extraordinary wooden boxes, Horst Kontak received the Von Taube Prize in 2025, awarded for outstanding creative design and the highest level of craftsmanship. The artist crafts his delicate boxes primarily from local woods such as robinia, linden, walnut, and maple. The masterful craftsmanship is immediately apparent as soon as you hold these objects, some of which are turned to a wafer-thin standard, with their ingenious locking mechanism. The lids glide smoothly into the containers when placed in the direction of the wood grain. Once closed, the almost magical mechanism, accompanied by a characteristic sound, invites you to relive this moment again and again.
Horst Kontak consciously gives space to the individual beauty and history of the wood by reducing his forms to their essence. In this way, he succeeds in combining elegance and minimalism with lightness and playful refinement.
Regarding his work, he says: “Wooden vessels, but also other things, are reflected in my thoughts, I see many images, put them on paper, draw, discard, follow an idea and then it starts, always a beginning, just as well…”
