Walter Bosse Sculptures
Austrian, 1904-1979
Credited with thousands of works and models for ceramic pieces, Walter Bosse was an intensely prolific designer. The modernist Austrian sculptor and ceramist was best known for his distinctive “Black Golden” series of decorative objects and figurines, particularly his hedgehog ashtrays. Bosse’s mid-century and Art Deco works were popular as gifts for politicians and royalty worldwide, remaining coveted among collectors today.
Bosse was born in Vienna in 1904 to artist parents — his father, Julius, was a portrait painter for the Austrian Imperial Court. Bosse studied at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna from 1918 to 1921 under Austrian sculptor Michael Powolny and Austrian painter Franz Cizek. Later, he continued at the Munich School of Applied Arts in Germany under Austrian architect and designer Josef Hoffmann, a founder of the Vienna Secession movement.
Early in his career, Bosse worked as a designer at several ceramics manufacturers, including Augarten Porcelain Works in 1924, Goldscheider Porcelain Manufactory and Majolica Factory in 1926 and Metzler and Ortloff in 1927. In 1925, Bosse displayed several pieces at the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris, which introduced the Art Deco style to a global audience.
In 1931, Bosse opened a shop in Kufstein, Austria, selling ceramic gift items. Owing to the crippling economic effects of the Great Depression, however, Bosse was forced to close his shop in 1937. He returned to Vienna in 1938 and opened another business, Bosse Keramik, where he sold toys, glass, textiles and more. In the late 1940s, Bosse experimented with small-scale brass sculptures and desk accessories coated in black ceramic glaze. With Austrian designer Herta Baller, Bosse formed the Bosse-Baller company to manufacture the “Black Golden” line of figurines, which became wildly popular worldwide.
Despite Bosse’s success, he struggled financially and moved to Iserlohn, Germany, in 1953. Meanwhile, Baller continued to manufacture and sell Bosse’s designs, which were so popular that forgers copied and sold counterfeit editions of Bosse’s works around the world. The 1950s marked the debut of the artist’s whimsically zoomorphic hedgehog ashtrays — these were cast in brass, and a hedgehog ashtray in any other material is not a Bosse original.
Bosse spent the rest of his life embroiled in court battles to protect his designs, leaving him penniless by the time he died. Today authentic Bosse pieces — from wall-mounted sculptures to tableware — continue to be highly sought after by collectors.
Find vintage Walter Bosse serveware, wall decorations and more on 1stDibs.
Color: Beige
Creator: Walter Bosse
Walter Bosse Shoehorn Shows a Cat, circa 1950s
By Walter Bosse, Herta Baller
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse shoehorn shows a cat, circa 1950s
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Dog Figurine Holding a Thermometer by Walter Bosse
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Dog Figurine holding a thermometer by Walter Bosse
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Paragraph Lawyer Brass Sculpture, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A Midcentury brass figurine, displaying a paragraph form the 1950s. Designed by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller, Austria. In very g...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse cat figurine with thermometer, 1950s
Austrian desk thermometer, cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer.
Designed by Walter Bosse...
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Midcentury Horse Brass Figurine, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A lovely horse foal sculpture made of brass from the 1950s. Designed by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller. In good condition with charming patina. We offer more Walter Bosse br...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Shoehorn, circa 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse Shoehorn, circa 1950s
polished and stove enamelled.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Cow Brass Cork Screw Bottle Opener, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming midcentury bottle opener/cork screw, displaying a cow. A very humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Herta Baller Austria in the 1950s. Made of polished brass, in ve...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, Herta Baller Austria, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming Austrian Mid Century modern desk thermometer, consisting of a nice cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Bal...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Cow Figurine Holding a Thermometer by Walter Bosse
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Cow figurine holding a thermometer by Walter Bosse
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Cat Figurine Holding a Thermometer by Walter Bosse
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
A very charming Austrian desk thermometer, consisting of a nice cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer. A very humorous design by Walter Bosse,...
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Cow Figurine with Thermometer by Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming Austrian desk thermometer, consisting of a nice cow figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by H...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Related Items
Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming Austrian desk thermometer, consisting of a lovely cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller Austria in th...
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Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
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Walter Bosse Hand Sculpture Figurative Ashtray Pin Dish Vide Poche c. 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
A beautiful modernist vide poche or ashtray in the shape of a hand designed by Walter Bosse and probably executed by Herta Baller Austria in the 1950s.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
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H 1.5 in W 5.12 in D 3.94 in
Miniature Owl Figurine by Walter Bosse, circa 1950s
By Walter Bosse
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic mid-century 1950s Vienna bronze figurine by Walter Bosse.
This gorgeous small miniature creature with big personality designed by Walter Bosse, an expert craftsman from the golden age of Vienna bronzes is a real beauty. He designed his “black/gold” series of bronze figurines to make “as many people as possible happy.”
Excellent example of a Walter Bosse brass figurine...
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Austrian Midcentury Golden Brass Dachshund Letter Opener by Walter Bosse
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
This charming Austrian Midcentury golden solid brass letter opener or paper knife has been designed by Walter Bosse and produced by Herta Baller in the 1950s. The dog features a long...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Free Shipping
H 1.19 in W 8.67 in D 0.79 in
Owl Figurine by Walter Bosse Around 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Owl figurine by walter bosse around 1950s
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Cancer Zodiac Sign Brass Figurine, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse cancer zodiac sign brass figurine, 1950s
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Hedgehog Stackable Brass Ashtrays, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A complete set of six vintage stackable midcentury hedgehog ashtrays. A very humorous and charming design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller, Austria in the 1950s. Made of br...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Cat Figurine by Walter Bosse, Vienna, Around 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Cat figurine by Walter Bosse, Vienna, around 1950s
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Shoehorn Squirrel Blackened Brass by Walter Bosse, Austria, 1950s
By Walter Bosse
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A nice shoehorn made of blackened and partly polished brass by Walter Bosse, Austria, 1950s. The handle is in the form of a squirrel. That tail can be used as hook. Very nice patina ...
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Rare Walter Bosse Brass Blackened "Lying Cat" from the 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
Rare Walter Bosse Brass Blackened "Lying Cat" From The 1950s,
can be used as a holder (candle)
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Wiener Dog Brass Figurine with Lantern Thermometer, Baller, 1950s
By Walter Bosse, Herta Baller
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming Austrian Mid-Century desk thermometer, consisting of a nice wiener dog / sausage dog figurine made of brass and a lantern-shaped thermometer. A v...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Free Shipping
H 6 in W 5 in D 2.25 in
Walter Bosse, for Herta Baller, "Black Gold Line" Porcupine in Bronze, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Walter Bosse
Located in San Diego, CA
Whimsical and unique solid brass catch it all jewelry ring holder, circa 1950's practical and unique.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Previously Available Items
Art Déco Figure, Grotesque 'Man With Antelope' Walter Bosse for Augarten, Vienna
By Augarten Porzellanmanufaktur, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A man in a long dress wrapped like a spiral spring and a pointed hat hugs the animal with an excessively long neck standing next to him, with the horns and hat wedged together.
Pain...
Category
1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Porcelain
H 7.49 in W 2.76 in D 2.76 in
Shoehorn Shows a Capricorn by Walter Bosse
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Shoehorn shows a Capricorn by Walter Bosse
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Midcentury Penguin Brass Figurine, Hertha Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A lovely penguin sculpture made of brass from the 1950s. Designed by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller. In good condition with marginal patina.
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse shoehorn cat, circa 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse shoehorn cat, circa 1950s
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Brass Dinner Bell Displaying a Cock by Herta Baller, Austria, 1950
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming midcentury table bell displaying a cock. A very humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Herta Baller Austria in the 1950s. Made of brass, in very good condition.
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
H 6 in W 3.5 in D 3 in
Walter Bosse Cat Thermometer, Hertha Baller, Blackened Brass, 1950
By Walter Bosse
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A cat which holds a thermometer by its tail by Walter Bosse and manufactured by Hertha Baller, Austria, Vienna, in midcentury in 1950s.
The cat is made of blackened and polished brass. The thermometer shows the temperature in degree Celcius and not in Fahrenheit.
This charming piece is an eye-catcher in every room.
About Walter Bosse and Hertha Baller:
Walter Bosse (November 13, 1904–December 13, 1979) was a Viennese artist, designer, ceramist, potter, metalworker, and craftsman noted for his modernist bronze animal figurines...
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Rooster Dinner Bell
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse rooster dinner bell
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Dog Figurine with Thermometer, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse dog figurine with thermometer, 1950s.
Austrian desk thermometer, dog figurine and a thermometer.
Designed by Walter Bosse, executed by ...
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Pencil Holder Penguin
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse pencil holder penguin
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Dachshund Pen Holder
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse dachshund pen holder
(the feather is not for sale she is decoration for the picture)
Original condition.
Category
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Walter Bosse Wiener Dog Mid-Century Brass Figurine, Hertha Baller, Austria 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A lovely sausage dog sculpture made of brass from the 1950s. Designed by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller. In good condition with charming patina.
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
H 1.5 in W 4 in D 1 in
Walter Bosse Fish Brass Sculpture Toothpick Stand, Hertha Baller, Austria, 1950s
By Herta Baller, Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A toothpick holder in the shape of a fish. A very humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller Austria in the 1950s. Made of solid brass, in good condition with patina.
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Walter Bosse Sculptures
Materials
Brass
H 2.75 in W 1.5 in D 1.25 in
Walter Bosse sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.
Walter Bosse sculptures are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Walter Bosse sculptures, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sculptures by Walter Bosse were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sculptures by Herta Baller, Richard Rohac, and Leopold Anzengruber. Prices for Walter Bosse sculptures can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $120 and can go as high as $3,400, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $357.
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