Wiener Werkstätte Jewelry

Book excerpt: The jewelry of the Wiener Werkstätte blurs the lines between gorgeous ornament and miniature sculpture The Wiener Werkstätte, or Vienna Workshops, was founded in 1903. The firm's artistic cofounders, Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, subscribed to the English Arts and Crafts ideal of exceptionally well-made objects designed by artists and executed by specialized craftsmen. Following the example of near contemporaries René Lalique and Louis Comfort Tiffany, Hoffmann and Moser shared the belief that jewelry should be valued for its artistic merit and not simply for its monetary value. This opulent publication highlights masterpieces created by the Wiener Werkstätte between 1903 and the early 1920s. It features significant pieces by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, Carl Otto Czeschka and Dagobert Peche, among others. Supplemental materials include relevant periodicals, design drawings and photographs of prominent clients.