Although Josef Hoffmann was a prolific designer across mediums, his metalwork designs for the Wiener Werkstätte (1903–32), which he cofounded with Koloman Moser and Fritz Waerndorfer, are regarded as foundational to the establishment of the Vienna Modern style. Initially, Hoffmann’s hollowware designs primarily consisted of geometric shapes rendered with smooth or hammered surfaces and sometimes embellished with cabochons. He also designed lattice or open-weave forms in which the geometric decoration and structure were one and the same. His designs in metal were handmade in the Wiener Werkstätte until 1907, when their production was outsourced to some local firms to allow the workshop to focus on making more complex pieces as well as those for which small amounts would be sold.

 

Hoffmann’s latticework designs were extremely popular and were made in numerous materials ranging from silver to zinc-coasted base metals. Their models included large-scale planters, small-scale baskets, vases, cruets, clocks, and other forms. In 1905 Hoffmann created the slender Flower Basket with a latticework design, one of four flower baskets that he designed that year. Its handle was squared off, and it came with a glass liner. The basket was made in limited quantities in silver but could also be purchased in zinc-coated metal, a less expensive and mass-produced version. Regardless, the overall design was austere and a great commercial success.

 

Soon after, Hoffmann and Moser began to introduce stylized floral motifs into their metalwork designs. Some were incised on the surface, whereas others became part of the structure of the design. In 1909 Hoffmann altered his slender, latticework flower holder by creating a new model (K.I. 12031-23) whose latticework design featured a stylized leaf and a curved handle. Less opaque and not as severe, this specialized design was also used for centerpieces and other forms that previously would have been rendered in the more geometric style.

 

The archive of the Wiener Werkstätte, located at the Museum for Applied Arts and Contemporary Art (MAK) in Vienna, contains a drawing for this Flower Basket model as well as information on its production. According to the records, its production was very limited. It was made six times on October 20, 1909, and another six times in 1910.¹ The hallmarks on the underside, which include Josef Hoffmann’s mark as well as those for the Wiener Werkstätte and Vienna, indicate that the silversmith “KT” created this particular example. While many of the silversmiths who were employed by the Wiener Werkstätte have been identified, “KT” remains unknown at this time. —Cindi Strauss