AO Journal

Antiquing in the City of Dreams

As the home of lavish imperial houses, enchanting Baroque streets, historical and cosmopolitan museums, a lively cultural, cuisine and design scene not to mention a city that is steeped in music and history, Vienna is the city of the moment. And with all this grandeur and opulence, is it any wonder that Austria’s capital city boasts some of the best antique shops in the world? From a mid-century Mies van der Rohe table to museum-worthy Art Nouveau pieces, the city is a virtual treasure hunt for art aficionados, antique collectors and interior designers alike.

Here are a few of our favorite ArtOrigo dealers in Vienna:

City Antik

Located on Stallburggasse 4 in the Viennese city centre, City Antik’s 25 years in the industry have earned them a devoted following. The shop’s specially curated inventory ranges from figurines and Viennese and German silver to Meissen and Herend porcelain and Art Nouveau lamps, vases and furniture.

Credit: Courtesy of City Antik

^{Limewood and gilded mirror created by Dagobert Peche (1887-1923)}

^{Sculptured female head designed by Vally Wieseltheir (1895-1945)}

Galerie Bei Der Albertina-Zetter

Founded in 1973 by renowned Art Nouveau and Austrian modern art specialist Christa Zetter, the Galerie is the go-to place for 20th and 2lst century Austrian fine and applied art. Under the helm of managing director Katherina Zetter-Karner since 2003, art lovers can find the works of leading artists such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Kiki Kogelnik and Maria Lassnig just to name a few. Housed in the city centre at Lobkowitzplatz 1 / Ecke Gluckgasse A-1010 (next to the Albertina Museum), the gallery features a broad range of Austrian Art Nouveau and Classical Modernism.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Galerie Bei Der Albertina-Zetter

^{Glass Cabinet by Joseph Maria Olbrich}

Galerie Zeitloos

Treasures from renowned Austrian and international architects such as Aubock, Rainer, Eames, Panton, Hagenauer, Colani, Carlo di Carli, Zanuso, Cesare Lucca, Gio Ponti and Joe Colombo await at Galerie Zeitloos. The showroom, located at Kirchengasse 44 & Burgasse 47, 1010 in Vienna, offers an intriguing mix of lighting, furniture, decorative art and objects from the 1940s to the 1980s.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Galerie Zeitloos

^{Sputnik chandelier by Bakalowits & Sohne, Austria, manufactured in Mid-Century (late 1960s or early 1970s)}

Kunsthandel Kolhammer

Situated in the heart of Vienna at Plankengasse 7 | A – 1010, Kunsthandel Kolhammer showcases high quality art objects of Viennese Art Nouveau. Founded by brothers Florian and Nikolaus Kolhammer, buyers will find an array of paintings, captivating timeless modern art objects of the Hagenauer workshop and Art Nouveau glass (including works from the glass manufactory Johann Loetz-Witwe.

Credit: Courtesy of Kunsthandel Kolhammer OG

^{Franz Hagenauer monumental kneeling nude with silk bands late 1970s}

WOKA Lamps Vienna

Husband-and-wife duo and owners Wolfgang and Simone Karolinsky of WOKA Lamps are a Vienna based manufacturer of iconic lamps from the early 20th century. The couple’s pieces from the Wiener Werkstatte and Bauhaus periods are licensed and reproduced and read like a who’s who of prestigious designers such as Adolf Loos, Otto Wagner and Carl Witzmann. The gallery on Palais Breuner Singerstrasse 16, A-1010 also showcases a large collection of chandeliers from the 18th century to the 1960s along with rare antiques from the 20th century.

Credit: Courtesy of WOKA Lamps Vienna

^{Collection of Hammered Wiener Werkstaette Vienna Seccessionist Table Lamp with Josef Frank Fabric}

And while in Vienna, be sure to take a break from antiquing and see all this magnificent city has to offer. Here are a few recommendations from our illustrious dealers in the know….

“Vienna grew to be one of Europe’s biggest centres during the later 19th century under the reign of Austrian Hungarian Hapsburg Dynasty,” notes Oliver Hunter of City Antik, “and the city is still a cultural hotspot these days.” He recommends adding the Hofburg, Schloss Schönbrunn, Liechtenstein and Prinz Eugen Palaces and the Kunsthistorisches and the Albertina Museums to your travel itinerary. If contemporary art is of interest, Galerie Bei Der Albertina-Zetter and Galerie Zeitloos suggest the Wien 1900 (Vienna 1900) exhibit at the Leopold Museum (followed by a stop at the traditional Viennese Bonbonniere Pianobar).

^{The octagonal dome Kunsthistoriches Museum is one of the world’s most prestigious museums.

Credit: Photo by Aguettl on Pixabay}

^{Housed in the Museumsquartier, the Leopold Museum features one of the largest collections of modern Austrian art.

Credit: Courtesy of Leopold Museum}

And speaking of libations and dining, Simone Karolinsky of WOKA Lamps says, “Vienna is so special because of its history, its culture and its old town in the heart of Vienna, in which our Gallery is located. Our favorite restaurants are various, traditional Viennese "Wirtshäuser" (taverns).” Hunter also details that “Vienna is a town of pleasant leisure with its coffee houses such as Café Sacher Café Central, Confectioner, Café Landtmann, Café Prucker and Café Overlaa.”

^{Cover Photo Credit: Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash}