Product sheet Buchungsdesk
Designer:
Otto Wagner
Manufacturer:
Thonet
Year: 1904-1906
Otto Wagner
Manufacturer:
Thonet
Year: 1904-1906
Buchungsdesk from the Österreichische Postsparkasse
In 1898, Otto Wagner moved to Kostlergasse 3 and simultaneously shifted from a floral and organic design aesthetic to one based on geometry. This new direction, espoused by the Secessionist movement as a whole, is exemplified by two bold projects: Die Zeit telegraph office and the Osterreichische Postsparkasse (Austrian Post Office Savings Bank, 1904-1906 and 1910-1912). In the latter, all the architectural and furnishing details worked together to create a sense of monumentality, structure and uniformity.
The spectacular marble and granite façade was covered by rivets and metal details which are echoed in the interior fittings and the furniture The ebonized wood chairs had aluminum sabots as well as plates fastened with visible metal rivets on the arms and sides. The desks, such as the lot offered here, also had aluminum sabots and discs which served the multiple functions of hiding the screws, mimicking the exterior rivets, heightening the structure, and providing a cohesive decorative motif, since they were also used in stools and shelves. Throughout the building, all the objects contributed to the overall aesthetic integrity of the building.
ebonized beech, aluminum
41 1/2 x 42 1/8 x 26 in.
(108 x 107 x 66.4 cm)
Literature:
Funfundzwanzig Jahre Postsparkasse, Vienna, 1908 Paul Asenbaum, ed., Otto Wagner: Mobel und Innenrame, 1984, pp. 211, 271-272
In 1898, Otto Wagner moved to Kostlergasse 3 and simultaneously shifted from a floral and organic design aesthetic to one based on geometry. This new direction, espoused by the Secessionist movement as a whole, is exemplified by two bold projects: Die Zeit telegraph office and the Osterreichische Postsparkasse (Austrian Post Office Savings Bank, 1904-1906 and 1910-1912). In the latter, all the architectural and furnishing details worked together to create a sense of monumentality, structure and uniformity.
The spectacular marble and granite façade was covered by rivets and metal details which are echoed in the interior fittings and the furniture The ebonized wood chairs had aluminum sabots as well as plates fastened with visible metal rivets on the arms and sides. The desks, such as the lot offered here, also had aluminum sabots and discs which served the multiple functions of hiding the screws, mimicking the exterior rivets, heightening the structure, and providing a cohesive decorative motif, since they were also used in stools and shelves. Throughout the building, all the objects contributed to the overall aesthetic integrity of the building.
ebonized beech, aluminum
41 1/2 x 42 1/8 x 26 in.
(108 x 107 x 66.4 cm)
Literature:
Funfundzwanzig Jahre Postsparkasse, Vienna, 1908 Paul Asenbaum, ed., Otto Wagner: Mobel und Innenrame, 1984, pp. 211, 271-272
estimated value:
60.000-100.000 US$
Auction:
19-20th Century Design Art
Sales date: 2002-12-11
location: New York
Lot number: 102
60.000-100.000 US$
Auction:
19-20th Century Design Art
Sales date: 2002-12-11
location: New York
Lot number: 102
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