04/01/2004
As with all antiques, factors such as rarity, provenance (ownership history), historical significance and condition are critical components of the value of Wiener Werkstätte objects. Important pieces often have a provenance documented in books about the workshop, or recorded in the archives at the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, and include those created on commission from important clients, such as the Purkersdorf Sanatorium in Vienna (a spa/hospital where Hoffmann and Moser collaborated on decoration) and the Stonborough-Wittgenstein family (longstanding patrons of the Wiener Werkstätte). Items such as these are the most sought after and have skyrocketed in value.
“When buying silver and other metalwork, be sure to check for the
Wiener Werkstätte stamps, which changed over the years,” advises Denis Gallion
of Historical Design. “People try to pass off works that look like Wiener
Werkstätte—whether unmarked or seemingly signed—that are not authentic. And keep
in mind that condition flaws such as dents, which destroy the structural purity
of a piece, or broken inlaid stones will reduce the value of an item.” 
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