ticketsMember | Make a donation

Brooch

Designer Ferdinand Hauser Austrian
ca. 1912–13
Not on view
Austrian and German Jugendstil did not subscribe to the exaggerated attenuation and sinuously curvilinear organic forms of Art Nouveau, its Franco-Belgian counterpart. Although Jugendstil designs also frequently drew inspiration from nature, they were often stylized to the point of abstraction; Jugendstil decorative motifs frequently took on specific symbolic meanings. Hauser, an Austrian-born sculptor and goldsmith who moved from Vienna to Munich sometime around 1900, was an active participant in the movement.

Hauser's principal motif for this brooch is the night-blooming lotus, a member of the water-lily family, which for centuries has been a symbol of evolution and enlightenment. The stylized flowers, growing on delicately tapering wavy stems, seem to float upward, as if attracted to the soft glow of the large cabochon moonstone. The flecked lapis-blue enameled background suggests the liquid reflection of a starry nighttime sky. Thirteen pendant moonstones hang from gold chains like murky water drops. The semiprecious materials and symbolist imagery would have appealed to a progressive European clientele, much like the jewels designed by his French counterpart René Lalique.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Brooch
  • Designer: Ferdinand Hauser (Austrian, 1864–1919)
  • Date: ca. 1912–13
  • Medium: Gold, enamel, moonstones
  • Dimensions: 2 3/4 × 1 11/16 × 9/16 in., 0.1 lb. (7 × 4.3 × 1.5 cm, 27.216g)
  • Classification: Jewelry
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Dorothy Merksamer Bequest, in honor of Cynthia Hazen Polsky, 1998
  • Object Number: 1998.356
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Tea service, Josef Hoffmann Austrian, Silver, amethyst, carnelian, and ebony
Tea service
Josef Hoffmann
Wiener Werkstätte
ca. 1910
Fruit dish, Vally Wieselthier Austrian, Tin glazed earthenware
Fruit dish
Vally Wieselthier
Wiener Werkstätte
ca. 1920
Burner with holder, Josef Hoffmann Austrian, Silver
Burner with holder
Josef Hoffmann
ca. 1910
Teapot, Josef Hoffmann Austrian, Silver
Teapot
Josef Hoffmann
ca. 1910
Burner stand, Josef Hoffmann Austrian, Silver
Burner stand
Josef Hoffmann
ca. 1910

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.