Haushund ( house dog ) - Carl Otto Czescha (1878-1960), designer and book illustrator, who worked with the WW from 1905-7, but continued to contribute designs after he left, in all fourteen textile designs. Haushund was printed in four colourways.
The Wiener Werstatte was established in 1903 by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, who were members of the Vienna Sessionist art movement, which placed emphasis on the applied arts. They brought together architects, artists and designers working in ceramics, fashion, silver, furniture and the graphic arts with the aim of reforming the applied arts. It is regarded as a pioneer of modern design, and its influence can be seen in later styles such as the Bauhaus and Art Deco. Better to work 10 days on one product than to manufacture 10 products in one day was WWs motto. By 1905 the Workshop employed 100 with 37 being masters of their art. Their wares mostly appealed to other artists and Jewish upper middle class supporters of the Austro Hungarian empire. Other branches were opened in Switzerland, Germany and America. After WW1 there were material shortages and financial problems and the WW closed in 1932.
Architectural commissions with coordinated interiors were undertaken. They took part in many exhibitions. The WW wanted to create total artworks, the building and contents down to the last door handle.
Textiles were the WWs most successful area of production. From 1905, the Wiener Werkstatte produced designs for handblock printed linens and silks. Johann Backhausen and Sohne of Vienna printed and woven the fabrics for the WW but by 1910/11 a fashion and textile division was established, where the WW printed & wove their own textiles. This length does not have the WW monogram in the selvedge. Only one length has the WW monogram and that appears to have had the black paper top removed. I am rather assuming that as I bought all four lengths at the same time, they came from the same pattern book, and are therefore of same date and were printed by the WW themselves.
This piece was taken from a pattern book and has the original paper label on the reverse. It is interesting that the label tells us the designer, the name of the fabric, the width and price.
The repeat linear pattern of eighteen rows of black interconnecting hearts on white linen, the top with a 2 in; 5 cm black paper strip, the reverse with a hand stitched printed paper label, the information hand written in black ink.
ENTWURF; C O Creschka
MARKE: Haushund 1 L.2
BREITE: 70.
PREIS:
Excellent apart from the black paper top band 2 in; 5 cm, with three holes. This is a softer linen, so presumably for curtaining.
Textiles of the Wiener Werkstätte 1910-1932 by Angela Völker,
www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/223686?position=18
Harvard Art Museum have a similar piece. Accession No. BR55.41
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Carl_Otto_Czeschka
All images and text © meg-andrews.com 2021
