WIENER WERKSTÄTTE 1903-1932
Led by the architect Josef Hoffmann and associates such as Dagobert Peche and Koloman Moser, the Wiener Werkstätte was one of the longest-lasting design movements of the 20th century. As a precursor of Art Deco and the International Style, it drew from movements such as the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau, as well as from traditional folk art.
Silk Kimono, Meisen technique, Taisho or early Showa Era
Private Collection
While this kimono bears a striking resemblance to Matilde Flögl’s 1928 textile design Chypre for the Wiener Werkstätte, the forms resemble African weaponry, ceremonial objects, and jewelry from that continent. African art’s influence on modern art dates to Picasso’s work in the first decade of the 1900s, continuing through the Art Deco period and beyond.
Matilde Flögl
Chypre textile design for the Wiener Werkstätte, 1928
Vienna, Austria
Tuareg Veil Weights, date unknown (antique)
Sahara region, Africa
Kuba spear (l.), Throwing knife (r.), dates unknown (antique)
Congo, Africa
Silk Kimono, Taisho Era
Dagobert Peche was an Austrian artist and designer who joined the Wiener Werkstätte in 1915. In the early 1920s, he introduced a “spiky baroque” style inspired by folk art and using flowers, animals and human figures as decorative motifs.
Dagobert Peche
Daphne wallpaper design for the Wiener Werkstätte, 1922
Vienna, Austria
Dagobert Peche
Chandelier for the Wiener Werkstätte, 1922
Vienna, Austria