A stunning solid cast iron chess set designed by Carl Auböck III in the 1960s. This is an authentic first generation set. The pieces are very tactile, heavy in weight, and with a rich patina, also inside the hollow spaces on top of the the king, queen and tower.
The Auböck family owned and managed a Vienna-based Werkstätte since 1906. The workshop, part of the Austrian art movement Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Secession) is known for its modernist design. In a period of almost 120 years, the workshop has been run by Carl Auböck I, II, III, and IV.
The Carl Auböck workshop developed a very particular style, which is now considered one of the great examples of Austrian modernism.
The ideas derived from abstraction, and the knowledge and skills within the small family workshop. The workshop to this day remains among the last of its kind.
Once founded as a metal workshop, the traditional Carl Auböck workshop is still located in the 7th district of Vienna at Bernardgasse 23. In the early years the workshop mainly produced the so called ‘Wiener Bronzen’. When the workshop was passed from father to son in 1926, new and radical design ideas emerged, marking the beginning of the characteristic Auböck design. Nowadays the workshop is run by the 4th generation of the family, crafting both their traditional and new designs.
Literature: Die Kataloge der Werkstätte Carl Auböck 1925-1975, ISBN 3-200-00176-3.
