2003
The Werner Abegg Collection – the Early Years

 4th May – 16th November 2003
daily 2 p.m. – 5.30p.m.



Fascination

From the very beginning Werner Abegg was especially fascinated by textiles. Almost all the significant centres and epochs of textile art were represented in his collection at an early stage. Woven fabrics were most prominent, while embroidery and knitted pieces were more seldom purchased.

Relic Cover of Saint Amandus
West Asia, Seljuk, 11th to early 12th century, inv. no. 1141


Highlights

The most significant acquisitions of the early years include a cope from Salzburg Cathedral, as well as a mitre and a medieval chasuble from St. Peter’s in Salzburg. They found their way into the art market during the early 1930s, when the economic crisis forced many churches to sell works of art.

Cope with a Representation of the Tree of Jesse (Detail)
England, c. 1300, inv. no. 231


Priorities

Apart from textiles, the collection also includes some important Romanesque champlevé enamels and medieval and renaissance bronzes, revealing a special interest in works whose production demands high standards of technical craftsmanship.

Enamel Plaque with Saint Peter
Limoges, late 12th century, inv. no. 8.48.63


Provenance

The young Werner Abegg liked to acquire works from well-known collections. He purchased a number of enamel pieces from the Zurich collection of Alfred Rütschi, which was renowned as a specialist collection of goldsmithery, while other works came from the famous applied arts collection of Albert Figdor in Vienna.

Multicoloured Patterned Velvet
Italy, 15th century, inv. no. 166


History

In 1939 Werner Abegg decided to move from Turin to New York to escape the impending war. He was only thirty-six years old, but could already look back on more than a decade of successful collecting. These early years set important markers for the orientation and character of his collection.

Angel
Workshop of Tino di Camaino, Naples, c. 1330, inv. no. 11.18.67