Ball Souvenir of the Concordia Ball, 1909

The architect and designer Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956), who was a co-founder of the Wiener Werkstätte, designed this ball souvenir in keeping with Jugendstil for the 1909 Concordia Ball. The exterior of this hinged object is made from a piece of wrought brass and decorated with vegetal elements, including tendrilous spirals and bellflowers, a central, oval medallion featuring a pen as the attribute of the guild of writers, as well as details about the occasion. Upon opening this ball souvenir, executed by the Wiener Werkstätte, the left interior reveals a colorful marbled paper as end paper, while the right side features a sheet with the sequence of dances. Organized by the eponymous press club, the Concordia Ball has been held – safe for a few interruptions – from 1863, and was long considered the highlight of the Vienna ball season.

MR, 2021