Rundes Modell

In 1906 an exhibition with the name of ‘Der gedeckte Tisch’ (The Laid Table) took place in Vienna. Artists from the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops), including Josef Hoffmann, displayed their designs for crockery, glassware and cutlery on thematic tables. From the tablecloths to the table decoration with fresh flowers, everything was innovative. They even dyed the macaroni black and white for the occasion. Two sets of cutlery by Hoffmann, a flat design and a round one, caused a commotion. Visitors to the exhibition wondered if it was even possible to eat with them and, more importantly: was it possible to dine correctly, in the ‘English style’, with these designs? They were accustomed to cutlery that was more elegant and less solid-looking. Progressive contemporaries saw the spirit of the modern age in the streamlined look of the ‘round design’, with its sturdy, rounded forms, and they ordered silver sets, or silver-plated ones, from the workshops. The Stedelijk Museum owns a set of table cutlery, dessert cutlery and a mocha spoon.