Seal

Designer Josef Hoffmann Austrian
 Manufacturer Wiener Werkstätte

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 910

Hoffman’s simple grid showcases the marquetry of precious wood and mother-of-pearl. This seal belongs to a desk set (MMA 1977.72.1ab–5) that is an early example of a modernist aesthetic based on geometry rather than natural elements, a formal conceit that spanned various scales, from buildings to ink pads. The basic volumes and shapes of the set suggest mini-architecture, or an urban landscape.

Seal, Josef Hoffmann (Austrian, Pirnitz 1870–1956 Vienna), Wood, mother-of-pearl, ebony, silver

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