Biscuit barrel and cover, silver and ivory, Vienna, ca.1915, designed by Josef Hoffmann, made by the Wiener Werkstätte.

The casket, an eight lobed body with vertical sides, each lobe has an applied oval decorated with heart-shaped leaves; on eight ivory cylinders resting on a circular base. The cylinders are kept in possession below the rim of the bowl with screws lopped by ivory heads with four petals. Only one of these heads has the original knob in the centre. A wavy flange holds the slightly domed and shaped cover, ornamented at the edge with a running pattern of pointed leaves; a finial of ivory set in a collet of silver with similar leaf decoration stamped on the underside with a monogram apparently that of Robert Örley, the title WIENER/WERK.STATTE, the monogram of the workshop and the Austro-Hungarian mark (the head of Diana) for 1866-1922.

Given by Miss Josephine Morrison

Given by Miss Josephine Morrison
Label says: designed by Josef Hoffman (1870-1956) and made in the Wiener Werkstatte, Vienna, about 1915, Vienna mark 900 silver.
Josef Hoffman studied architecture in Munich and Vienna where he was briefly a pupil of Otto Wagner, the architect in charge of the Vienna Stadtbahnn project. In 1897, Hoffman joined the Vienna Secession led by the painter Gustav Klimt. In 1899, Hoffman was appointed Professor of Architecture at the Vienna Academy of Applied Arts; a post he held until 1941. In 1903, Hoffman visited England with Koloman Moser. Inspired by the example of Ashbee's Guild of Handicraft and supported by the wealthy businessman, Fritz Warndoffer, Hoffman and Moser founded the Wiener Werkstätte the following year. Moser left in 1905 but Hoffman remained associated with the Werkstätte until 1931. At first Hoffman's metalwork for the Werkstätte was severely rectinlinear, (see Room 68, case 1) owing much to the Scottish architect, CR Mackintosh but towards the 1920s, Hoffman turned to a much more curvilinear style which was in marked contrast to his earlier manner.

M.303&A-1975