Paperweight "Chain" - Nickel-Plated Iron

A chain transformed into sculpture.

The “Chain” paperweight was designed by Carl Auböck III in 1963 and belongs to the group of remarkable desk objects from the Werkstätte Carl Auböck that reinterpret familiar everyday forms in unexpected ways.

Rather than simply depicting a chain, Auböck turns the chain itself into the object. Several substantial links form a compact sculptural body. A familiar utilitarian form becomes a sculptural paperweight while remaining entirely functional.

The nickel-plated surface gives the iron a cool, silvery character, creating an interesting contrast with the organically rounded links. Weighing more than one kilogram, the object has a remarkable physical presence on the desk.

At Contemporum., the model is also available in a gold-plated version.

A quintessential Carl Auböck: an ordinary object reduced to its essential form and transformed into an independent design piece.

Designer: Carl Auböck III

Designed: 1963

Archive number: #5072

Material: nickel-plated iron

Made in: Austria