Vienna Circa 1780: An Imperial Silver Service Rediscovered

Following the acquisition in 2002 of two Viennese silver wine coolers from the Sachsen-Teschen Service, most of the set’s surviving parts were discovered in a French private collection. This superb ensemble was last displayed at the beginning of the twentieth-century. Wine coolers, tureens, cloch... Read more

Following the acquisition in 2002 of two Viennese silver wine coolers from the Sachsen-Teschen Service, most of the set’s surviving parts were discovered in a French private collection. This superb ensemble was last displayed at the beginning of the twentieth-century. Wine coolers, tureens, cloches, sauceboats, candelabra, candlesticks, dozens of plates, porcelain-mounted cutlery, and other kinds of tableware totaling over 350 items, represent the splendor of princely dining during the ancien régime. It was made for Duke Albert Casimir of Sachsen-Teschen (1738-1822), and his consort, Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria (1742-1798) by the Imperial court goldsmith Ignaz Josef Würth. The Sachsen-Teschen Silver Service, an embodiment of Viennese neo-classicism, will be shown in the context of contemporary silver from other countries.