Tall-Case Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1906
This tall-case clock, made circa 1906 in Vienna, Austria, features a case designed by Josef Hoffmann and metalwork designed by Carl Otto Czeschka. It was executed by specialist craftsmen of the Wiener Werkstätte. The timepiece incorporates painted maple, ebony, mahogany, gilt brass, glass, silver-plated copper, patinated bronze, and clockworks, measuring 179.5 × 46.5 × 30.5 cm (70 5/8 × 18 1/4 × 12 in.).
Hoffmann's case utilizes simple, rectilinear architectonic forms executed in white-painted maple accented by an inlaid checkered pattern. Set into this structure are Czeschka's hand-wrought decorative elements. The door is made of hand-embossed gilt brass inset with cut-glass prisms, presenting a richly textured surface depicting a stylized tree of life motif, positioned beneath a square clock face framed in gilt brass.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The clock represents a collaboration between Vienna Secession figures Josef Hoffmann, a co-founder of the Wiener Werkstätte, and designer Carl Otto Czeschka. While Secessionists and the Wiener Werkstätte initially embraced ideals akin to the Arts and Crafts movement—seeking to produce simple, beautiful objects for everyday use—the workshop's avant-garde output ultimately appealed primarily to a privileged, sophisticated clientele.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Painted maple, ebony, mahogany, gilt brass, glass, silver-plated copper, patinated bronze, and clockworks
- Dimensions
- 179.5 × 46.5 × 30.5 cm (70 5/8 × 18 1/4 × 12 in.)
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Case designed by Josef Hoffmann, Austrian, born Moravia (present-day Czech Republic), 1870-1956, Metalwork designed by Carl Otto Czeschka, Austrian, 1878-1960, Made by the Wiener Werkstätte, Vienna, Austria, 1903-1932
- Place recorded
- Austria
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Art Institute of Chicago collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Tall-Case Clock
- Museum object number
- 1983.37a-b
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.