Jugendstil mantel clock Moritz Hacker ca. 1905

In his metal processing factory “k. & k. Hof-Silber-und Chinasilberwarenfabrik” Moritz Hacker produced accessories for upscale home decor in the then modern Secession style. The product range included elegant centerpieces, candelabra, toiletry and writing desk sets.
With the mantel clock, Hacker takes up a traditional furnishing piece and delivers a modern interpretation. A roof and freestanding columns are classic elements of a portal clock. However, with its eclectic ornamentation of scroll patterns and stylized flowers, he highlights its secessionist character. In addition, the silver-plated surface combined with translucent blue glass columns lends the clock an attractive appearance. In the dial’s design, one can detect Hacker’s borrowings from the Secessionist style of Joseph Maria Olbrich, who had designed Vienna’s Secession building a few years earlier.
In this timepiece, high quality craftsmanship and Secessionist taste are combined to create an exquisite art object of refined Viennese lifestyle culture around 1900.