War glass, 1914

In the wake of the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, manifestations of patriotism and war enthusiasm were in vogue all over Europe. Austria-Hungary was allied with the German Empire. In this context, the Wiener Werkstätte produced a whole series of war glasses to commemorate this alliance. Architect and designer Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956) created the simple cylindrical form, while other artists contributed the decoration. This one goes back to the architect, designer and graphic artist Dagobert Peche (1887–1923), who chose for it geometric-abstract looking two-striped color bands in the national colors of the Empire of Austria (black-yellow), the Kingdom of Hungary (red-white-green) and the German Empire (black-white-red). The trifoliolate laurel leaf with the year 1914 alludes to this pact and the glory associated with it. The making of this glass for the Wiener Werkstätte was undertaken by the Bohemian glass manufactory of Johann Oertel & Co. in Haida (today: Nový Bor).

MR, 2021