Lot 98

Josef Hoffmann (1870 - 1956) A PAIR OF BASKET VASES

These white painted metal vases were designed for Wiener Werkstätte based on a design by one of the founders of the celebrated Arts & Crafts workshop, Josef Hoffmann. The complete absence of ornamentation on the surface gives full voice to its form and geometric pattern of perforated square windows. Pure lines liberated from adornment, a response to  Historicism and numerous copies thereof, emphasize function, a typical characteristic of Wiener Werkstätte’s work. The vases include glass inserts.