JOSEF HOFFMANN (1870-1956) FOR ALEXANDER STURM & CO., VIENNA FLATWARE SERVICE, CIRCA 1902

comprising 12 Table Knives, five with plated steel blades, seven with steel blades, eleven stamped SOLINGEN 25.2cm; 12 Table Forks, 21cm; 12 Table Spoons, 20.5cm; 11 Dessert Knives, six with plated steel blades, five with steel blades, each stamped SOLINGEN, 20.1cm; 12 Dessert Forks, 17.5cm; 12 Dessert Spoons, 13.9cm; 10 Coffee Spoons, 10cm; a Sauce Ladle, 19.5cm; a Meat Fork, 25.5cm; a Serving Spoon, 24.5; and a Salt Spoon, 7.5cm, each impressed Viennese poinçon and maker's cloverleaf cypher and with stylised monogram to the terminals AU (Qty: 86) Qty: (86) Provenance: Private Collection, London Footnote: Note: The design of this flatware pre-dates the formation of the Wiener Werkstätte in 1903. Hoffmann used a number of Viennese makers to produce his designs before this time including Sturm. The present design is no. 135 in the Strum archives inscribed in ink Hoffmann Entwurf (Hoffmann design). The archive states that only eight of these services were made, each comprising 170 pieces.