Emanuel Pioté and the Art of Enamelling
Time and again, the name Pioté appears in the family story of A. E. Köchert, so a little history is in order here.
Emanuel Pioté learned the art of goldsmithing in Limoges, renowned since the 17th century as a leading centre of enamelling. The true mastery of this art lay in the skillful bonding of enamel to its precious metal base – gold, platinum or silver – while using technique and dexterity to achieve luminous colours and the finest brushwork.
Limoges enamel proved vastly superior to other techniques, and Pioté proved a devoted disciple. Unfortunately, this didn’t prevent him from being conscripted into Napoleon’s army. He was seriously wounded near Pforzheim, and fell in love with his nurse during recovery. When Pioté’s health was restored, he decided not to return to France, but instead to move with his wife to Vienna and open a goldsmith’s workshop.
That was in 1814, on the eve of the Congress of Vienna.
Prince Clemens Metternich had recognised early on how much wealth and prestige could be generated through luxury and the fine arts. An astute business-minded minister, Metternich launched a campaign to attract as many skilled artisans and luxury producers as possible to Vienna. He immediately became a customer of Pioté’s, introducing him to ladies of wealth and forging the goldsmith’s first connections with crowned heads.
In 1819, Jakob Heinrich Köchert joined the business, which then operated under the name Pioté et Köchert. Originally from Riga, Jakob Köchert had learned the art of setting large gemstones – the pavé technique – during his period working in St. Petersburg.
The formidable duo saw their meteoric rise reach its crowning achievement in 1838, when they were commissioned to create the Lombardo-Venetian imperial insignia. Köchert married Pioté’s sister-in-law – the family spirit was already strong even in those days! However, Pioté had no heirs, but Jakob Heinrich’s son, Alexander Emanuel Köchert, went on to create some of the most significant pieces in the history of our House. He ultimately changed the company’s name to A. E. Köchert.
Pioté’s works clearly have outlived him – among them, an intricately decorated hunting sword made for the Emperor to present as a gift, and that is now preserved at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. And he was the inspiration for today’s seventh generation of the Köchert family – cousins Constantin and Emanuel Köchert – to name their new company after him. Their passion: enamel!
Constantin and Emanuel are indeed focusing on enamel, but in a particularly refreshing new way. The two trained goldsmiths know that our materials have timeless value, while the zeitgeist welcomes innovation in design and expression. Pioté is creating jewellery for Generation P.
We’d love for you to stop by and see the family – from November onwards! Pioté is located at Seilergasse 17, 1010 Vienna. The webshop is already open: www.piote.at