This work table created by Josef Hoffmann in 1913 for the boudoir of Hermine Gallia epitomises the philosophy of design pursued by Hoffmann and the Wiener Werkstätte. The table presents a clean, modern appearance, and its smooth, white-painted surfaces are highlighted by flat-carved and gilded, stylised floral motifs. The object stands in marked contrast to the dark, carved, historical-revival furniture that was fashionable among Vienna’s traditional elites at the time. However, while the table’s appearance may be self-consciously modern, its function speaks of a very traditional social milieu in which women’s place was in the home, occupied by traditional activities such as needlework.