Otto Prutscher (Austria,1880-1949) & Jacob Low (Austria/Israel,…
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Otto Prutscher (Austria,1880-1949) & Jacob Low (Austria/Israel,1887-1968), Wiener Werkstatte Viennese sideboard, 1922, manufactured at the furniture maker August Knobloch's Nachfolger, Vienna 7, Karl-Schweighofer-Gasse 10-12, to Prutscher's design and with ornate marquetry by Low. A Viennese modernist marquetry and walnut sideboard which features a cross-banded rectangular section with two central cupboard doors, inlaid with classical figures and animals in a landscape, flanked by four rectangular drawers similarly inlaid, on square legged stand with pierced interwoven stretchers to the undercarriage. Initialled in marquetry 'J.L.' to both central doors and dated to one '1922', 350 cm wide, 110 cm high, 60 cm deep, Otto Prutscher (1880?1949) was an architect and designer, an exhibition designer, teacher, and member of all the important Arts & Crafts movements ? from the Secession to the Werkbund. He was one of the first students of the Vienna school of Arts & Crafts. Being taught by Josef Hoffmann and the painter Franz Matsch clearly left its mark on Prutscher's designs: this is evident in both their high-quality draftsmanship and their constant alignment with prevailing architectural trends. His known oeuvre comprises over 50 buildings, almost 50 exhibitions, some 170 interiors, 300 interior designs, and more than 200 pieces and sets of furniture. His designs were executed by over 200 companies, predominantly Wiener Werkstatte related firms like Backhausen and Augarten, Prutscher's work is the subject of an extensive exhibition which opened in November 2019 at the Museum of applied Arts in Vienna: 'Otto Prutscher - universal designer of Viennese modernism'. The exhibition explores his complex creative work and his role in the development of Viennese Modernism, Otto Prutscher was a younger brother of the architect Hans Prutscher. He learned woodworking from his father before he studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule under Franz Matsch and Joseph Hoffmann. In 1902 he started teaching and from 1909 to 1938 he was a professor at the Kunstgewerbeschule. He was a member of the Wiener Werkstatte and from 1922 to 1941 a member of the Kunstlerhaus in Vienna, in 1911 he married Helene Sußmandl and they had two daughters. His marriage led to his forced retirement in 1939 because his wife was Jewish. In 1947 he received the Austrian state prize for Architecture, Jacob low (1887-1968) was born in Galicia in 1887. He initially trained as a sculptor before he attended the college of sculpture in Zakopane. Between 1910 and 1915 he studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna school and undertook study trips to Dalmatia, Italy and Paris. Low worked for the Wiener Werkstatte and was a member of the Hagenbund. He was honoured with an award for his design of the 1926 Austrian state medal. Various exhibitions, including at the Vienna Secession, followed. After the annexation of Austria to the German Reich in 1938 Jakob low immigrated to Israel, We are delighted to be able to offer this large and impressive sideboard, formerly part of a suite of four pieces, long since dispersed.

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  • Inlay - Decorative patterns inserted into the main body of a piece of furniture, generally in wood of contrasting colour and grain, though brass, ivory, ebony, shell and sometimes horn have been used. Inlay may consist of a panel of well figured timber inset into a cabinet door front, geometric patterns, or complex and stylized designs of flowers, swags of foliage, fruits and other motifs. As a general rule, in pieces where the carcase is constructed in the solid, the inlay is relatively simple such as stringing, cross banding and herringbone banding. Where more elaborate and decorative work was required veneer was used. Inlay has been fashionable from at least the latter half of the 17th century, when a variety of elaborate forms were developed
  • Crossbanding - Crossbanding is a decorative technique used in furniture-making, where thin strips of wood, known as crossbands, are applied to the surface of a piece of furniture to create a decorative border or inlay. The crossbands are typically made of a different type of wood or a different color than the main piece of furniture, and are applied in a geometric pattern, such as a checkerboard or herringbone design.

    Crossbanding was a popular decorative technique in furniture-making from the 17th to the 19th centuries, particularly in the Baroque, Rococo, and Chippendale styles. It was often used to create intricate patterns and designs on the surfaces of tables, desks, cabinets, and other pieces of furniture. The crossbands were often made of exotic woods, such as ebony or rosewood, which were imported from other parts of the world and were highly prized for their rich colors and patterns.
  • Pierced Decoration - Ornamental woodwork with part of the background cut through and removed to produce an open-work pattern.
  • School of .... - In the opinion of the cataloguer, a work by a pupil or follower of the artist.
  • Modernism / Modernist - Modernist furniture and design emerged in the early to mid-20th century as a response to traditional styles of the 19th century and prior times, and a reflection of the technological and social changes of the time. Characteristics of Modernist furniture and design include simplicity and minimalism and clean lines and a lack of unnecessary ornamentation are key features. That form follows function is a fundamental principle of Modernist design, and furniture and objects are designed with a focus on their practical use.

    Modernist furniture often incorporates geometric shapes, such as cubes, rectangles, and circles. This reflects a departure from the more ornate and curvilinear forms of previous design styles. The furniture often prioritizes ergonomic design, ensuring that objects are comfortable and user-friendly. Modernist designers aimed to create designs that could be mass-produced, making good design accessible to a broader population.

    Prominent figures associated with Modernist furniture and object design include designers such as Hans Wegner, Verner Panton, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia and Ettore Sottsass
  • Marquetry - In marquetry inlay, contrasting woods, and other materials such as ivory, shell and metal are inlaid either as panels or in a single continuous sheet over the surface of the piece. The design may be straightforward, such as a shell pattern or a basket of flowers, or it may be infinitely complex, with swirling tendrils of leaves, flowers and foliage, such as one finds, for example, in the "seaweed" patterns on longcase clocks of the William and Mary and Queen Anne periods.

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