Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
The Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann was a central figure in the evolution of modern design, and a leader in an aesthetic movement born in Europe in the late 19th century that rejected florid, extravagant ornamentation in favor of a new emphasis on simplicity of line.
As a founder of the Vienna Secession — a union of artists and designers determined to upend Austria’s artistic conservatism — and later, a founder of the turn-of-the-century Wiener Werkstätte (in English: the Viennese Workshops), a design cooperative that produced superbly crafted furniture and housewares, Hoffmann was a pioneering practitioner of what would become a fundamental principle of modernism: that good design is a way of life.
Hoffmann came of age amidst a shift in the culture of the applied arts, as a conservative order that looked only to the past for inspiration was pushed aside. But what, exactly, would replace that order was in question — and Hoffmann’s career embodies the developing patterns of design’s new spirit. His architectural work reflects his time as a student of the Vienna architect Otto Wagner, who disdained excessive decoration and employed new materials such as steel girders and reinforced concrete to create buildings with airy, open interiors full of light.
As a designer of furniture and interiors, Hoffmann was consistently open-minded about the aesthetics he explored. He was an early adherent of the flowing, organic forms of the Art Nouveau design movement that began to flourish in the late 1880s — but by the opening of the Wiener Werkstätte in 1903, Hoffmann’s designs embraced the beauty of geometry in pieces that feature grids and angular forms.
Hoffmann’s greatest works reflect his ability to combine seemingly conflicting design visions into coherent wholes. His architectural masterpiece, the Stoclet Palace in Brussels, has an exterior that groups together simple geometric forms and spacious interiors marked by subtly naturalistic design details that lend rooms an air of charm and geniality.
Hoffmann’s signature furniture design is an adjustable lounge chair — the Sitzmaschine (1905) — that marries a curving frame with square and rectangular back- and side rests. This piece, like so many others by Hoffmann, reflects a groundbreaking, forward-thinking appreciation for the union of different looks and sources that marks the best of interior design in our own day. Moreover, items offered on 1stDibs — which range from enameled silver jewelry, to silver flower vase baskets and other decorative objects, to sofas, lighting pendants and sconces — testify to the astonishing breadth of Hoffman’s creative pursuits. He was truly a giant of design.
1910s Austrian Vintage Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Brass
Mid-20th Century Persian Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Silver
1830s Russian Russian Empire Antique Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Silver
19th Century British Victorian Antique Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Sheffield Plate, Silver Plate
1990s Italian Modern Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Silver
Early 19th Century English George III Antique Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Sheffield Plate
Late 19th Century Renaissance Revival Antique Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Silver
Mid-20th Century Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Russian Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Italian Modernist Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Silver Plate
1990s Artist Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Jade
20th Century French Art Deco Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Silver Plate
1910s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Josef Hoffmann Jewelry & Watches
Jade, Agate, Chrysophrase, Coral, Gold, Sterling Silver, Silver
Josef Hoffmann jewelry & watches for sale on 1stDibs.
- What did Josef Hoffmann invent?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 7, 2024Josef Hoffmann invented the Sitzmaschine, an adjustable lounge chair that the Austrian designer unveiled in 1905. Literally called a “machine for sitting,” it was originally created for a sanatorium in Purkersdorf, near Vienna. It has a curving frame with square and rectangular back and side rests. Like so many other designs by Hoffmann, this piece reflects a forward-thinking appreciation for the union of different sources, here the Arts and Crafts movement and modern design. Find a collection of Josef Hoffmann furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.