Scherenschnitte (Cut-Work)

Adept in the art of scherenschnitte or cut-work, Hoffman was a schoolmaster who lived in Berks County from 1802 to 1810 when he moved to Franklin County.  He was highly skilled in the use of scissors for this finely detailed art.  The artist made several examples of scherenschnitte birth and baptismal certificates for members of his own family as well as a number of signed works for others.  Whether this fraktur was intended as a birth certificate or simply as a presentation piece is not known. 

Hoffman’s work bears a close resemblance to that of two other fraktur artists:  J. B. Adams and Wilhelmus Antonius Faber, both of whom excelled in cut-work decoration and worked in the same general area during this period.  Similarities can be seen in the organized composition, use of strong colors, flowers highlighted with deeper or contrasting shades, and central box flanked by foliate vines.  The tulips growing out of urns are an elegant interpretation in the neoclassical taste while the cornucopia with floral vines in the center panel is an unusual fraktur motif.