Size approx. 32 mm x 28 x 0.8
Bertold Löffler (1874-1960) had studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna under Carl Otto Czeschka before embarking on a successful career as a freelance illustrator. In 1906 he co-founded Wiener Keramik, the important Viennese Art Nouveau pottery manufacturer, with Michael Powolny and a year later contributed graphics and ceramic tiles for the Cafe Fledermaus. He was invited by Josef Hoffmann to contribute a handful of designs for the Wiener Werkstatte, of which this charming piece of fine jewellery is an example.
Depicting a putto riding a sparrow, the pendant is comprised of two separate halves, which swing freely while being worn to allow onlookers glimpses of a personal photo held inside.
It is marked with marked with the monogram Lö, WW, three-line word mark Wiener Werkstätte, a rose mark and a Viennese hallmark.
References:
i) There is an original sketch with the inventory number KI12534-4 and a photograph with the number WWF 94-108-13 in the Museum for applied Arts, Vienna.
ii) See also Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration, Issue 25, 1910, for an illustration on page 95.
iii) Dorotheum Auction House, Vienna, Jugendstil and 20th Century Arts and Crafts, 12/05/2015, Lot number 116. The price realised was 3000 EUR).
Condition:
The front half of the pendant is in excellent condition and it displays beautifully. There is some corrosion and damage to the back half, as shown in the pictures, that requires a little careful restoration. A truly wonderful find that has been in the Room 606 collection for many years.