Ladies’ handbag, 1929

Maria Likarz-Strauss (1893–1971) took over as director of the Wiener Werkstätte’s fashion department in 1924. This wieldy Ladies’ handbag without handles, created in 1929, is made entirely from woven silk repp, making it very light and suitable for daily use. The clasp is made of a brass. The handbag’s shape is based on a design by Likarz-Straus, while the print is the Wiener Werkstätte fabric known as “Wiese” [Meadow], a highly popular pattern that was sold in different colors. The design of the pattern was created by Likarz-Strauss’s colleague Mathilde Flögl (1893–1958). The decor featuring adjoining circles is reminiscent of designs by Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956), the co-founder of the Wiener Werkstätte and her former teacher. The varying colors ease the geometrical pattern’s stringency. Likarz-Strauss and Flögl were both involved with the portfolio Mode Wien [Fashion Vienna] published in 1914/15. They both worked for the Wiener Werkstätte until its dissolution in 1932.

EF, 2021