Muff necklace, gift of Gustav Klimt to Emilie Flöge, 1905

Pieces of jewelry were among the first items produced by the Wiener Werkstätte. Between 1903 and 1907, Koloman Moser (1868–1918) furnished numerous jewelry designs, for instance for pendants, necklaces, brooches and belt buckles, which are all characterized by clear lines. He rarely availed himself of geometrical forms, instead preferring floral and vegetal motifs. The contrasts between lines and planes as well as between planar metal elements and three-dimensional, protruding stones invest the pieces with their inherent tension.

MTh, 2021