Ornamental Box

This ornamental box is one of the most magnificent silver works created in the Wiener Werkstätte. The multicolored cabochon gemstones, which are embedded in embossed leaf tendrils on the back wall and the base plate with cavetto moulding, create a great contrast to the smooth surfaces of the wall. The colorfulness of the object is additionally emphasized by enamel images of standing young men which are applied at the front. Design and construction of the rectangular ornamental box were made by the graphic artist Koloman Moser who implemented the element of painting into the work of the Wiener Werkstätte. The ornamental box is one of the first purchases made by the Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry, today the MAK, from the Wiener Werkstätte.