Tall-Case Clock, c. 1906
Painted maple, ebony, mahogany, gilded brass, glass, silver plated copper, clockworks; lacquered white; ebonized and natural wood marquetry; gilded brass face and door, repousse; patinated bronze bands, silver-plated copper dial hands
179.5 x 46.5 x 30.5 cm (70 5/8 x 18 1/4 x 12 in.)
Laura Matthews, and Mary Waller Langhorne endowments, 1983.37
European Decorative Arts
Not on Display
In 1903 the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna workshop) was established by a number of artists, designers, and craftsmen to produce objects that were both useful and beautiful. The austere case of this Tall Case Clock was designed by architect Josef Hoffmann; its exuberant brass front doors were designed by Carl Otto Czeschka. The spiral patterns of the metal relief are in the late-19th-century Art Nouveau style, whereas the clean, simple lines of the clock itself are characteristic of the functional approach that came to dominate 20th-century design.