Josef Hoffmann Hammered Silver Covered Bowl

$39,500
Hoffmann’s covered bowl is a striking synthesis of Egyptian, Chinese, and medieval European design. Its lid, with a rounded conical profile and cabochon malachite finial, draws inspiration from Qing dynasty mandarin hats. Hoffmann, Gustav Klimt, and Emilie Flöge frequently referenced Qing textiles and accessories in their textile designs. In summer, Chinese officials wore liangmao—conical hats topped with jeweled finials that signified court rank. The translation of such cultural symbols into tableware reflects Hoffmann’s commitment to elevating everyday objects through cosmopolitan references and refined ornament. The vase's pierced ring foot features a frieze of cartouches and stylized lotus blossoms, echoing the simplified lotus motif seen in ancient Egyptian wall paintings, typically depicted as a calyx flanked by two volutes. Egyptian design had a lasting influence on Hoffmann’s aesthetic, evident in works ranging from his stage sets for Mozart’s The Magic Flute to the interiors of the Palais Stoclet. Here, Hoffmann seamlessly blends historical motifs with modern form, crafting an object that bridges past civilizations and the ideals of the Secessionist movement.
Category: Decorative Arts Gifts $20,000 - $50,000 Museum Acquisitions New Acquisitions Wiener Werkstatte
Product Details

Item #: YSI-22021
Artist: Josef Hoffmann for the Wiener Werkstätte
Country: Austria
Circa: 1906
Dimensions: 6.5" height, 5.5" diameter.
Materials: Hand-hammered silver
Signed: Goddess Diana Head in Hexagon (2A), 900, Josef Hoffmann Monogram, WIENER/WERK/STÄTTE stamp, WW monogram, Galerie Miethke Logo
Literature: Hoffmann, Josef, Sigrid Barten, and Kunstgewerbemuseum Zürich. 1983. Josef Hoffmann, Wien : Jugendstil Und Zwanziger Jahre : Museum Bellerive, ZüRich, 25. Mai-14. August 1983. Zürich: Kunstgewerbemuseum und Museum Bellerive, p. 64, no. 53

Item #: YSI-22021
Artist: Josef Hoffmann for the Wiener Werkstätte
Country: Austria
Circa: 1906
Dimensions: 6.5" height, 5.5" diameter.
Materials: Hand-hammered silver
Signed: Goddess Diana Head in Hexagon (2A), 900, Josef Hoffmann Monogram, WIENER/WERK/STÄTTE stamp, WW monogram, Galerie Miethke Logo
Literature: Hoffmann, Josef, Sigrid Barten, and Kunstgewerbemuseum Zürich. 1983. Josef Hoffmann, Wien : Jugendstil Und Zwanziger Jahre : Museum Bellerive, ZüRich, 25. Mai-14. August 1983. Zürich: Kunstgewerbemuseum und Museum Bellerive, p. 64, no. 53

Curator's Notes
Josef Hoffman’s oeuvre embodies the seismic aesthetic and philosophical shifts that defined avant-garde art and design at the turn of the 19th century. He was a founding member of the Vienna Secession, an organization of artists and designers who sought to breakaway from rigid historical precedents, and later, the Wiener Werkstätte, a workshop dedicated to the production of craftwork of everyday objects including ceramics, textiles, and furniture. Hoffman was integral to defining Western applied arts during this period. The Stoclet Palace (1905–11), Hoffman’s masterpiece, embodies the artistic tension of this era and reveals the architect’s prescience; the mansion’s decorative details recall the fluid stylization of Art Nouveau, while the stark exterior walls—sheets of white marble edged in gilded metal—anticipate the austere planes and strict geometry of the International Style.
Josef Hoffman’s oeuvre embodies the seismic aesthetic and philosophical shifts that defined avant-garde art and design at the turn of the 19th century. He was a founding member of the Vienna Secession, an organization of artists and designers who sought to breakaway from rigid historical precedents, and later, the Wiener Werkstätte, a workshop dedicated to the production of craftwork of everyday objects including ceramics, textiles, and furniture. Hoffman was integral to defining Western applied arts during this period. The Stoclet Palace (1905–11), Hoffman’s masterpiece, embodies the artistic tension of this era and reveals the architect’s prescience; the mansion’s decorative details recall the fluid stylization of Art Nouveau, while the stark exterior walls—sheets of white marble edged in gilded metal—anticipate the austere planes and strict geometry of the International Style.
Tiffany Objects

Tiffany Objects

 Browse the Collection
Tiffany Lamps

Tiffany Lamps

 Browse the Collection
Jewelry

Jewelry

 Browse the Collection