Fruit Basket
ca. 1904 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The severe rectilinear lines of this fruit basket are typical of the early metalwork designs of the Viennese architect Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956). This piece has a distinctly modern style and dates from about 1904. Towards the 1920s Hoffmann turned to a much more curvilinear and decorative style which was in marked contrast to the design you see here.
The design was executed by the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese workshops). Hoffmann co-founded these exclusive workshops in 1903 with fellow architect and designer Koloman Moser and financial support from the wealthy businessman Fritz Warndorfer. Hoffmann and Moser had visited England where they had been inspired by the Guild of Handicraft founded by the English architect and designer C.R. Ashbee. The Wiener Werkstätte became known for their progressive designs for furniture, glass and metalwork, such as this piece. It was disbanded in 1932.
The design was executed by the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese workshops). Hoffmann co-founded these exclusive workshops in 1903 with fellow architect and designer Koloman Moser and financial support from the wealthy businessman Fritz Warndorfer. Hoffmann and Moser had visited England where they had been inspired by the Guild of Handicraft founded by the English architect and designer C.R. Ashbee. The Wiener Werkstätte became known for their progressive designs for furniture, glass and metalwork, such as this piece. It was disbanded in 1932.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Electroplated nickel silver, hammered and embossed |
| Brief description | Electroplate, Vienna ca.1904, made by the Wiener Werkstatte, designed by Josef Hoffmann. |
| Physical description | The sides of the basket rise vertically from a small, square base and then splay outwards at an angle of 45 degrees. The feet are placed in the centre of each side, at right angles to the body of the vessel. The inner edges of the side of each foot follow the shape of the body itself while the two external edges form a right angle. The two sides of each support are separated by a thin strip of metal, extending the entire height of the vessel and running parallel to the vertical sides of the base. At each external extremity, the feet are supported on small discs of metal with rounded edges. The top edges are decorated with a single row of embossed pellets. The external surfaces, apart from the base, have a hammered finish while the internal surfaces have been left plain. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Summary | The severe rectilinear lines of this fruit basket are typical of the early metalwork designs of the Viennese architect Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956). This piece has a distinctly modern style and dates from about 1904. Towards the 1920s Hoffmann turned to a much more curvilinear and decorative style which was in marked contrast to the design you see here. The design was executed by the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese workshops). Hoffmann co-founded these exclusive workshops in 1903 with fellow architect and designer Koloman Moser and financial support from the wealthy businessman Fritz Warndorfer. Hoffmann and Moser had visited England where they had been inspired by the Guild of Handicraft founded by the English architect and designer C.R. Ashbee. The Wiener Werkstätte became known for their progressive designs for furniture, glass and metalwork, such as this piece. It was disbanded in 1932. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.11-1982 |
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| Record created | March 4, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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