Mocha set, Josef Hoffmann, ca. 1925, Porzellanfabrik Augarten, Vienna, Austria

Description

With the name „Wiener Porzellanfabrik Augarten“ the „Staatliche Porzellanmanufaktur Wien“ was continued  since 1923/4. For the second oldest European porcelain factory it was not aimed to take over just the historical models, but to continue in the spirit of the present time. Augarten uses the rich artistic potential in Vienna, the most renowned members of the Wiener Werkstätte provided their designs: in the first place Josef Hoffmann, than Michael Powolny and Otto Prutscher.

Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956) is known as the most productive and most fascinating artists of the 20th century: student of  Otto Wagner, founder of the  Wiener Secession (1897), the Austrian Werkbund, a.s. all artist associations, founder (1903) und head of the Wiener Werkstätte (until 1931) Professor at the Wiener Kunstgewerbeschule ( 1899-1951). In the context of his lived idea producing designs for all branches he worked on furniture, metal, jewelry, leather, glass, textiles, ceramics and lining. So that Hoffmann exerted a decisive lasting influence on the development of applied art.