Argentor-Werke Rust & Hetzel was a significant Austrian metalware manufacturer in Vienna.
Argentor's origins date back to 1863 when Carl Adalbert Münchmeyer and Ernst Rust founded C.A. Münchmeyer & Co. The initial focus was on silver and gold-plating metal objects using a galvanic process.
The company established factories in several major European cities: Berlin, Vienna, and Paris.
In 1902, the company was restructured and renamed Argentor-Werke Rust & Hetzel.
Argentor was particularly famous for creating frames to mount the iridescent glass vases produced by the Bohemian glassworks Johan Loetz.
They were appointed official suppliers to the Austro-Hungarian Imperial House, a testament to the quality and prestige of their products. Branches were also established in Budapest and Brno.
The company was forced to close its doors in 1970.
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Style Art Deco
"The name Art Deco was assigned in the 1960s, at the exhibition "Les Années 25" held in Paris at the Museum of Decorative Arts.
The first pieces could be seen at the International Exhibition of "Decorative Arts and Modern Industry" held in Paris in 1925. This exhibition was a direct response to the Turin exhibitions of 1902 and Milan of 1906.
The Art Deco style emerged between 1920 and 1940 and is represented by symmetrical, rectilinear lines, abstract designs, and bold colors.
It featured the implementation of exotic materials such as parchment, shagreen (the skin of a small shark or ray), chrome pieces, and enamels, as well as ivory and mother-of-pearl inlays.
In contrast, Art Nouveau was more focused on asymmetrical, curved lines inspired by nature."
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