Dumba launched his political and business career at a young age and rapidly became one of the wealthiest and most influential men in Vienna during the second half of the 19th century. He maintained a special relationship with the Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry (today’s MAK) from the moment it opened in 1864, spending years as a member of its board and becoming a close friend of its then-director Rudolf von Eitelberger.

This 130-year-old ornamental document’s presentation marks the completion of a diploma project in the field of object restoration at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Restorer Maria Holzleitner analyzed the certificate, conducted examinations of the materials, and replaced and reconstructed elements that were damaged or missing. Holzleitner’s work also affords a glimpse into how the original artists dealt with the technological innovations that transformed the production of arts-and-crafts towards the end of the 19th century.

The four-part construction of this box with its numerous quotations of ornamentation done in silver, enamel, and gilt brass marks this exceptional object as a masterpiece of historical book art.