In Vienna’s Neubau district, a beautiful Biedermeier townhouse has been home to the Werkstätte Carl Auböck for more than 100 years. Inside the workshop, where production continues to this day, countless objects line the shelves, walls, tabletops and desktops.
The Viennese artist and designer Carl Auböck II was one of the quirkiest and most delightful and collectible of modern designers. A rather odd duck in the world of decorative arts, he was a peculiar talent whose specialties included smaller desk accessories and tabletop pieces such as corkscrews, paperweights, letter openers, bookends and bottle stoppers. He rendered these pieces in a combination of metal — most often brass — and such elemental materials as leather, knobby wood and animal horn, creating forms that could be almost Surrealist, from hands and feet to keys, birds and amoebae.
As a boy, Auböck was precocious and artistic. He studied drawing and at the same time trained in the workshop of his father, Karl Heinrich Auböck, a popular maker of traditional bronze figurines and collectibles. In 1919, Carl II went to Germany to study at the Bauhaus, where he was a pupil of the progressive artist and theorist Johannes Itten. While the Bauhaus is most associated with the rigidly ordered, functionalist architecture of its directors Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the school was in reality a liberal, spirited place — a crucible for imaginative, playful and avant-garde art and design. It was this spirit that imbued Carl II’s work from the time he left in 1921.
In 1922 or ’23, Carl Auböck II returned to Vienna to help care for his ailing father, and he took over the business. He created the Werkstätte Carl Auböck and a legacy that earned his objects cult status among collectors. The business was passed on to his descendants, who run the atelier that is still in operation today. Today, objects designed by Carl II make up 90 percent of Werkstätte Carl Auböck’s production, joined by the creations of architect and designer Carl IV, his grandson.
Vintage Auböck designs have a special character, a patina that only emphasizes how much the pieces have been loved and used. Carl Aubock II’s small furniture items — leather- or caned-sling magazine racks; free-edge wooden side tables with tubular bronze legs; wicker serving trolleys with turned beechwood wheels — are elegant and purposeful. His bijoux desktop objects, library tools, ashtrays and barware pieces evince a kind of mirthful practicality. They seem to ask: “If you need a corkscrew, or a paperweight, or a candlestick, why not make it fun as well as functional?” And indeed, why not?
Find a collection of vintage Werkstätte Carl Auböck mirrors, seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
rare Brass and Leather Magazine Holder Model 274 by Carl Auböck, Austria 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Magazine rack Design: Carl Auböck, 1950s Producer: Auböck Workshop Vienna, Austria Origin: Austria Age: 1950s Original 1950s magazine rack made by of so...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Brass and Oak Side Table by Werkstätte Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century Modern Brass and Oak Side Table by Werkstätte Auböck Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural table is executed in beautifully grained oak and polis...
Brass
Large Carl Auböck #4959 Brass and Walnut Floor Mirror
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large Carl Auböck #4959 brass and walnut floor mirror. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural freestanding mirror is executed in beautifully grained walnut, ...
Brass, Iron
Large Magazine Rack by Carl Aubock
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
For five generations the design house of Carl Aub?ock has been turning ordinary objects like paperweights and bookends into extraordinary objects of beauty in an old town house in Vi...
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #5734 'Hand' Brass Figurine Keyring
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #5734 'Hand' Brass Figurine Keyring Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural object is hand fabricated in polished brass. Each piece is stampe...
Brass
Carl Auböck Midcentury Wall Coat Rack with Six Brass Hooks, 1950s, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Biebergemund, Hessen
Austrian Mid-Century Modern coatrack made of solid beechwood with six polished solid brass hooks designed by Carl Auböck and handmade by Werkstätten A...
Brass
$1,500Sale Price|40% Off
Carl Auböck Mid-Century Brass and Cast Iron Umbrella Stand, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A straight and beautiful Austrian modernist umbrella stand, handcrafted of brass and a base made of cast iron. Designed and executed by Werkstätte Carl Auböck Vienna, Austria. A sophisticated piece, one of the most beautiful umbrella...
Brass, Iron
$232Sale Price / item|20% Off
Carl Auböck Up to Three Midcentury Polished Brass Card Holder, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
*Actually up to three pieces available* A beautiful card stand, made of polished brass, designed and executed in the 1950s by Carl Auböck, Austria. To be used for business cards, fol...
Brass
Solid Bronze Carl Auböck Heart Neiman Marcus Paperweight Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in San Diego, CA
Solid bronze egg paperweight by Carl Aubock and sold through Neiman Marcus. Austria. 1970s.
Bronze
Copper, Brass & Wicker Teapot, Carl Auböck II, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in London, GB
A copper teapot with a cane wrapped brass handle, designed by Carl Auböck II during the 1950s. This angular copper teapot was designed by the 2nd Carl Auböck during the 1950s, and ...
Brass, Copper
$165Sale Price|40% Off
Carl Aubock Brass Maria Theresia Coin Bottle Opener, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful brass coin bottle opener, designed and executed by Carl Aubock in the 1950s. In good condition with nice patina.
Brass
1960s Leather-Wrapped Humidor by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Humidor by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Cylindrical leather-wrapped body with hand-stitched detail and a solid brass lid. Metal-lined interior with removable insert. Beautiful patina and ...
Aluminum, Brass
Carl Auböck Midcentury Brass Seahorse Handmade Key Ring Chain Holder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist seahorse keyring / key holder / keychain, designed by Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Handmade of solid polished brass by Werkstätte Auböck in Austria. Fully stamped a...
Brass
Carl Aubock II Rare Salt and Pepper Shakers, Walnut & Horn, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A wonderful and rare pair of Midcentury modern minimalism salt and pepper shakers from the 1950s. Designed and manufactured by Werkstatte Carl Aubock Vienna. The drop shaped shakers ...
Wood
Auböck Cigarette Box, Ash Wood and Nickel Plated Brass, 1930s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
Aubock cigarette box, made of ash wood and nickel plated brass, openable from both sides. Adorable early Art Deco box, by the famous Bauhaus Architekt...
Brass, Nickel
$1,218Sale Price|20% Off
Fine Cherry Wood Art Deco Box Carl Auböck, 1930s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
Nice, well preserved Art Deco box made of cherry wood. By Carl Auböck, 1930s. Listed as a scetch drawing in catalog "Die Kataloge der Werkstätte Carl Auböck 1925-1975" [The catalo...
Copper
Carl Auböck Bar Cart, Austria 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Wien, AT
Bar Cart / Serving Trolley designed by Carl Auböck II in 1953, manufactured by his workshop in Vienna. The cart features a black lacquered tubular iron construction, woven rattan, an...
Iron
$1,199Sale Price|20% Off
Brass and Teak Coat Hanger by Carl Auböck for Illums Bolighus, Denmark, 1950s —
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Praha, CZ
Rare and iconic coat hanger designed by Carl Auböck for Illums Bolighus in Denmark during the 1950s, blending elegant Scandinavian minimalism with refined craftsmanship. The piece f...
Brass
Carl Aubock Walnut & Leather Hand Mirror & Clothes Brush, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful Mid-Century hand mirror and clothes brush combination from the 1950s. Designed and executed in the 1950s by Carl Aubock Vienna. The handle is...
Leather, Mirror, Wood, Walnut
$2,010 / item
Carl Auböck Model #3741 'Horseshoe' Table Lamp
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck model #3741 'Horseshoe' table lamp. Designed in the 1950s, these versatile and Minimalist Viennese table lamps are executed in bamboo...
Brass
Carl Auböck Magazine Rack No. 4102, Patinated Brass Leather, 1950
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A gorgeous and large magazine or newspaper tray made of patined brass and black leather designed by Carl Auböck, manufactured by Carl Auböck workshop, Vienna, Austria, in midcentury ...
Brass
$370 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4330 Hook in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4330 Hook in Nickel Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in softly brushed nickel by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria. ...
Nickel
Original Aubock Brass Cigar Extinguisher trumpet
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
This brass cigar extinguisher is handcrafted at the original family workshop in Vienna, it it shaped as trumpet and feels satisfyingly weighty to the touch. Please note, as this piec...
Brass
$632Sale Price|20% Off
Large Carl Aubock Brass Key Corkscrew Bottle Opener Paperweight, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful sculptural Mid-Century cork screw bottle opener in the shape of a big key. This is a rare and not common model, designed by Carl Aubock, executed b...
Brass
$294Sale Price|40% Off
Carl Auböck Neptune Fish Bottle Opener, Leather & Steel by Amboss Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Amboss Austria
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful fish-shaped mid-century bottle opener, made of stainless steel, covered with dark-brown tan leather. Model #4687, designed in 1995 by Carl Auböck, Vienna. Executed by Amb...
Stainless Steel
Carl Auböck Handcrafted Razor Blade Brass Paperweight #5378, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A handmade paperweight in the shape of a razorblade, model 5378, originally designed by Carl Aubock in the 1950s. A very charming piece, reissued by Werkstätte Auböck in Vienna / Aus...
Brass
Carl Auböck Ten Midcentury Patinated Brass Wall Coat Hooks, 1950s, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Biebergemund, Hessen
Ten beautiful Austrian Mid-Century Modern solid brass hooks by Carl Auböck II from 1950s. They are made of polished and patinated solid brass. The same hooks were sold at an auction...
Brass
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
Carl Auböck II Midcentury Magazine Rack, Brass & Brown Leather, Vintage, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful modernist original and old newspaper stand / magazine rack from the 1950s. Model No. 3808. Designed and manufactured by Carl Auböck, Austria. The news rack is in very goo...
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #4056 Brass wall hooks 1950s (priced and sold per piece)
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Wien, Au
Carl Auböck Model #4056 Brass wall hooks around 1950s Original condition (priced and sold per piece) (per one hook) We have also the small carl auböck hooks
Brass
Carl Auböck Handcrafted Midcentury Brass Heart Figurine Key Ring Chain Holder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist heart keyring / keyholder / keychain, designed by Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Handmade of solid polished brass by Werkstätte Auböck ...
Brass
$6,000Sale Price / set|20% Off
Four Carl Aubock Midcentury Walnut Chairs A7, Vienna, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A matching set of four comfortable and elegant Austrian modernist dining room or side chairs. Model no. A7, designed and executed by Carl Aubock and Robert Nestler in the 1950s. Stra...
Fabric, Wood, Walnut
$2,700Sale Price|40% Off
Rare Carl Aubock Copper & Brass Tripod Floor Ashtray, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A rare modernist vintage floor standing ashtray from the 1950s, designed and executed by Carl Auböck, Vienna. The bowl of this beautiful...
Brass, Copper
Mid-Century Carl Auböck Black Leather & Brass Wastepaper Basket, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful and elegant, vintage Mid-Century Modern paper basket / paper bin from the 1950s. Designed an executed by Werkstätte Carl Aubock, Vienna / Austria. Handmade and hand-sewn ...
Brass
Mid Century Modern Horn Pen Stand by Carl Auböck Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This mid-century modern piece by Carl Auböck exemplifies the distinctive artistry of Austrian design. Crafted from natural horn, it serves as a stylish pen stand, adding a touch of o...
Horn
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5261 Hook in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck model #5261 hook in nickel. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in softly brushed nickel by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria. ...
Nickel
Brass & Glass Magnifier by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
This handheld magnifier by Carl Auböck turns a simple optical tool into a small object of ritual. A thick domed glass lens is set into a warm brass frame, its weight and patina emph...
Brass
Carl Auböck Chrome Box with Leather Lid, 1930s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A refined early piece from the Carl Auböck workshop, dating to the 1930s. This chrome-plated box features clean, modernist lines contrasted by a hand-stitched leather lid — a hallmar...
Chrome
Pair of Carl Auböck #3469 Patinated Brass Candleholders
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck #3469 patinated brass candleholders. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese candleholder is executed in polished and patinated brass by W...
Brass
Austrian Midcentury Walnut and Brass Fish Shaped Money Box by Carl Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
This Charming and rare fish shaped money box was designed and manufactured by the Austrian architect and designer Carl Auböck. It features a walnut body with brass details and is mar...
Brass
Carl Auböck Letter „N" Initials Brass Bottle Opener #4919, Vienna, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
One (1) beautiful mid-century bottle opener featuring the initial "N", crafted from solid, polished brass. Model #4919, designed by Carl Auböck II, crafted in the 1960s in the Carl A...
Brass
$560 / item
Brass and Cane Letter Opener by Carl Aubock
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
For five generations the design house of Carl Aubock has been turning ordinary objects like paperweights and bookends into extraordinary objects of beauty in an old town house in Vie...
Brass
$1,880 / set
Set of Four Carl Auböck Brass Objects
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of four Carl Auböck brass objects. Includes Carl Auböck model #4072/G 'Rooster' brass bell, model #3600 'Crown' brass bowl, model #3514 brass bowl and model #4224 'Hand' brass ...
Brass
Carl Auböck #4162-2 Candlestick "Cobra", Austria 2022
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck #4162-2 candlestick "Cobra", Austria 2022.
Brass
Carl Auböck Wardrobe Coat Rack Beechwood Patinated Brass Bronze Hooks, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A wardrobe by Carl Auböck, Vienna, Austria, manufactured in midcentury, circa 1950. It is made of a beech wood frame in an aged and very warm tone. There are six patinated brass hook...
Brass
Carl Aubock Cocktail Drink Glass Pitcher with Bamboo Stir & Cane Handle
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in San Diego, CA
Elegant clear tall glass pitcher with bamboo stirer and wrapped cane handle , circa 1970's great condition no chips or cracks.
Rattan, Glass
Coffee pot by Carl Auböck 1950s for Werkstätte Carl Auböck. ( signed )
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Wien, Au
Coffee pot by Carl Auböck 1950s for Werkstätte Carl Auböck. ( signed ) Original condition
Brass, Copper
Carl Auböck Midcentury Tuning Fork Handmade Key Ring Chain Holder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist tuning fork keyring / key holder / keychain, designed by Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Handmade of solid polished brass by Werkstätte Auböck in Austria. Length inc...
Brass
$350 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Polished Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Polished Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and minimalist Viennese hook is executed in polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria. Pro...
Brass, Nickel
$2,578Sale Price|20% Off
Large Teak Bowl with Brass and Leather Handle by Carl Auböck, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Teak bowl, shell element Design: Carl Auböck, 1950s Producer: Auböck Workshop Vienna, Austria Origin: Austria Age: 1950s Description: Original 1950s bowl...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Newspaper Rack by Carl Auböck ca. 1938
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Newspaper rack Carl Auböck ca. 1938 Design / Mid-Century magazine rack model 3608, Carl Auböck II, ca. 1938, brass, leather. Made from 1930 to 1950. Technique: brass, cast, leather ...
Brass
Bottle Holder by Auböck Around 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Wien, Au
Bottle holder by Auböck around 1950s Original condition The wine bottle is not included, it is only for the photo shooting.
Brass
$474Sale Price|40% Off
Carl Auböck Midcentury Glass Pitcher Jug by Ostovics Culinar, Austria, 1970s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful pitcher or jug for water, soft drinks or juice, designed by Carl Auböck, executed by Ostovics Culinar in Austria in the 1970s. A beautiful, unus...
Glass
Pair of Carl Auböck #7234 Brass Candleholders
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck brass #7234 candleholders. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese candleholder is executed in polished and patinated brass by Werkstätte ...
Brass
Carl Auböck Midcentury Brass Star Sea Star Starfish Key Ring Chain Holder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist star keyring / key holder / keychain, designed by Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Handmade of solid polished brass by Werkstätte Auböck in Austria. Fully stamped and m...
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #4965 Large Polished Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4965 Large Polished Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria...
Brass
$937Sale Price|33% Off
Dinner Bell Signed by Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Wien, Au
Dinner bell signed by Auböck Original condition.
Brass
Pair of Carl Auböck #3741 Table Lamp "Horseshoe", Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Pair of Carl Auböck #3741 table lamp "Horseshoe", Austria in brass, manila and chintz. The diameter applies to the shade. Available in a white or red shade.
Brass
Carl Auböck Brass Heart Paperweight #5371-Large
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Carl Auböck Brass Heart Paperweight #5371-Large produced by Carl Auböck IV in the original Auböck workshop in Vienna, Austria using the same standards, high-quality materials, molds ...
Brass
Auböck bussines card holder around 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Wien, Au
Auböck bussines card holder around 1950s Original condition
Brass
Carl Auböck Bottle Opener, Austria, 1950s — Woven Bast Handle, Stainless Steel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A classic mid-century bottle opener from the Carl Auböck workshop, crafted in the 1950s. The handle is tightly wrapped in natural bast, giving the piece its unmistakable tactile warm...
Stainless Steel