6063 - Designed by Josef Hoffmann, 1928, 900 silver and ebony, Wiener Werkstätte, four-piece set, round tray with teapot, cream pitcher, and sugar bowl, each marked on the underside: JH, Wiener Werkstätte, fineness mark, hoopoe, Made in Austria, elaborate design with fluted column bases, Art Deco ornaments applied to the hammered sides, the four-sided wooden knobs ornamentally carved, the wooden handles are tail-shaped with inlaid fine silver bands; slight signs of wear; a silver inlay missing from the wooden handle of the cream pitcher; otherwise in very fine condition; H approx. 14.5 to approx. 17.5 cm, tray diameter approx. 35.5 cm, total gross weight approx. 2,739 g, provenance: private collection in Saxony. This opulent tea service dates from the late period of the Wiener Werkstätte and represents a creative high point in the work of Josef Hoffmann. The clean, architectural design language is embellished with a multitude of finely crafted ornamental details. Combined with the exquisite craftsmanship and the fine materials used, Hoffmann created an exceptionally magnificent ensemble. Josef Hoffmann (1870 Pirnitz – 1956 Vienna) is considered one of Austria’s most significant architects; he was a co-founder of the Vienna Secession artists’ association, alongside Koloman Moser (1868–1918) a founding member of the Wiener Werkstätte; he was also a professor at the Vienna School of Applied Arts and ran his own architectural firm. The tea service was released in the year of the Wiener Werkstätte’s 25th anniversary and, according to existing records, was produced in only seven copies. Another set is housed in the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna; it was most recently exhibited in the major Josef Hoffmann retrospective in 2022 as well as in the permanent collection of the MAK Vienna; see the catalog *Josef Hoffmann 1870–1956*. Progress Through Beauty, 2021, p. 285.