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Samovar

Designer Josef Hoffmann (Austrian, 1870 - 1956)
Manufacturer Wiener Werkstätte (Austrian, 1903 - 1932)
Datemanufactured ca. 1911-1923
MediumBrass and walnut
DimensionsOverall: 9 × 6 1/2 × 5 inches (22.86 × 16.51 × 12.7 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: acquired through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Earl D. Wilberg
Object numberF97-13 A-E
MarkingsMaker's marks: "JH" and "WIENER/WERK/STATTE" monogram stamped on outside of footring, on bottom of burner housing, and on bottom of kettle. Other marks: "1" stamped on bottom of burner and on bottom of base. "2" stamped on bottom of burner housing and on bottom of kettle.
On View
Not on view
DescriptionSamovar is in three parts: a kettle, a base, and a burner unit. The kettle is oval-shaped with a single straight wood handle attached to one of its long sides. The kettle's top tapers upward toward a ball-shaped knop. The base is also oval-shaped. On each of its long sides, the base is decorated with two parallel rows of small, circular cutouts; each row has four cutouts. The oval-shaped burner rests inside the base. It is composed of a flat-topped lid with a single straight wooden handle which fits onto a hollow oval body. The body of the burner unit also has a single straight wooden handle.Gallery Label
"To the age its art, to art its freedom." These words, spoken by Austrian architect and designer Josef Hoffmann, underscore his belief that art need not copy the past but rather reflect present-day styles.  Freed from historical constraints, Hoffmann abstracted his designs into simple geometric forms.  Decorative metalwork provided Hoffmann with a malleable medium to be hammered, polished, punched or enhanced with applied ornamentation.  This samovar, composed of a kettle with a base and burner to heat water for tea, exemplifies Hoffmann's ability to combine multiple, functional parts into a unified form with subtle ornamentation.  Despite the samovar's simplicity and moderately priced materials, its golden surface and dark wood illustrate Hoffmann's rich and elegant aesthetics.
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