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.
$430 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4329 Polished Nickel Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4329 Polished Nickel Hook. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and minimalist midcentury wall hook is executed in choice of patinated brass, polished brass, or ...
Nickel, Brass
$2,621Sale 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
$350 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Patinated Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and minimalist Viennese hook is executed in patinated and polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck...
Brass, Nickel
Pair of Carl Auböck #3469 Patinated Brass Candleholders
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, 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
Carl Auböck Model #7250 Polished Brass 'Swing' Vase
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #7250 Polished Brass 'Swing' Vase. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and modern vase is executed in polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria....
Brass
Brass Paperknife #7209 by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Mid-Century Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Brass paperknife #7209 by Carl Auböck.
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #4483 Patinated Brass Triangle Dish
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4483 Patinated Brass Triangle Dish Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl is executed in polishe...
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #4629 'Stufenuhr' Brass Wall Clock
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4629 'Stufenuhr' Brass Wall Clock Originally designed in the late 1960s by Carl Auböck III, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese wall clock is executed...
Brass
$400 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4056 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4056 Patinated Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in patinated and polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck...
Brass
$1,880 / item
Carl Auböck Model #3855 'Atom' Brass Desk Clock
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #3385 'Atom' Brass Wall Clock Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese desk clock is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass ...
Brass
Carl Aubock Patinated Brass "Leaning on Tree Stump Figural Sculpture #4068
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Carl Aubock Patinated Brass "Leaning on Tree Stump Figural Sculpture #4068 designed in the 1950's. Produced by Carl Auböck IV in the original Auböck workshop in Vienna, Austria using...
Brass
$430 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4995 Wall Hook in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4995 Wall Hook in Nickel Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in softly brushed nickel by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austri...
Nickel
$295Sale Price|63% Off
Austrian Midcentury Horn Matchbox Holder by Carl Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
Minimalistic and pure shaped desk accessories, iconic for its Designer Carl Auböck and in excellent condition.
Horn
$760 / item
Carl Auböck Model #7240 Brass Vase
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #7240 Brass Vase Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese vase is executed in darkly patinated and polished brass by Werkstätte Carl ...
Brass
A Pair Of Original Carl Auböck Brass Candlesticks Ca' 1950's
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
An unusual pair of brass candlesticks by Carl Aubock, Austria, ca' 1950's. Model 3600. A great modernist design that has been reissued-these are the original production.
Brass
$510 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4965 Hook in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4965 Hook in Nickel Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in softly brushed nickel by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria. P...
Nickel
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5261 Hook in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, 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
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #3652 Brass Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck model #3652 brass bookends. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural pair of bookends are executed in patinated and polished brass. Each pie...
Brass
$350 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Polished Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, 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
Pen Holder in Horn by Werkstätte Carl Auböck Austria 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Pen holder made from polished natural horn, slightly tapering towards the base and retaining the organic curvature of the original material. The translucent surface shows characteris...
Horn
Horn Bowl by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Mid-Century Modern, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck Horn Bowl, Austria 1960s.
Horn
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #9040 Knob in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #9040 Knob in Nickel Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese knob is executed in softly brushed nickel by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria. It...
Nickel
Brass Leaf Bowl / Dish by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Small sculptural brass bowl by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Vienna, designed in an organic leaf-like form with softly folded edges and asymmetrical silhouette. The interior features a s...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Austrian Leather "Hausbuch" (Guest Book/Ledger) Carl Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
An exceptional "Hausbuch" (House Ledger or Guest Book) designed by Carl Auböck II and produced in the renowned Auböck workshop in Vienna, Austria. This piece, model number 5116, is a...
Brass
$433 / item
Carl Auböck Model #9040 Patinated Brass Knob
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #9040 Patinated Brass Knob Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese knob is executed in darkly patinated brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Aust...
Brass
$460 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4965 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck #4965 patinated brass hook. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in darkly patinated and polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböc...
Brass
Pair of Carl Auböck #7234 Brass Candleholders
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, 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
$430 / item
Carl Auböck Model #3979 Patinated Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #3979 patinated brass bowl. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass. Origin...
Brass
Carl Auböck Paperweight #4751-1 Paperclip, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck Huge #4751-1 paperweight in the shape of a paperclip, Austria. New.
Brass
$350 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5261 Polished Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #5261 Polished Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria. Pr...
Brass
Carl Auböck Paperweight #5378-1 "Razor Blade", Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Brass paperweight #5378-1 in the shape of a razor blade by Carl Auböck, New.
Brass
$470 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5439 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #5439 Patinated Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in darkly patinated and polished brass by Werkstätte Carl...
Brass
$510 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5439 Hook in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #5439 Hook in Nickel Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in softly brushed nickel by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria. P...
Nickel
$580 / item
Carl Auböck Model #3548 Patinated Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Aubo¨ck Model #3548 patinated brass bowl. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass. Origi...
Brass
$290 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5262 Polished Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #5262 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
Carl Auböck #4233-2 Brass and Cane Letter Opener, Mid-Century Modern
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck #4233-2 Letter Opener, Austria 2022.
Brass
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4086 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4086 Patinated Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese hook is executed in polished and patinated brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck...
Brass
$1,090 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4276 'Single Flower' Brass Vase
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck model #4276 'Single Flower' brass vase. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese vase is executed in darkly p...
Brass
$1,350 / set
Set of Three Bowls by Carl Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of three bowls by Carl Auböck #4279, #4280 and #4317 Measures: 28 cm x 5 cm x 3 cm 8 cm x 6 cm x 3 cm 4 cm x 7 cm diameter.
Brass
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5439 Large Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #5439 Large Brass Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese candleholder is executed in polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria....
Brass
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #3469 Polished Brass Candleholders
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #3469 Polished Brass Candleholders. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese candleholder is executed in polished and patinated brass...
Brass
Carl Auböck #4059 Optimist Pessimist Sculpture, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck sculpture #4059 "Optimist Pessimist" in patinated brass, Austria. New.
Brass
Carl Auböck Dust Brush, Wood, Mid-Century Modern, Austria, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck Dust Brush, Austria 1960s.
Wood
$636Sale Price / item|20% Off
Carl Auböck Model #3794 'Aorta' Brass Vase
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Carl Aubo¨ck Model #3794 'Aorta' Brass Vase. This exceptionally crafted vase by Carl Aubock is a wonderful example of the marriage of form and functionality that has made the Aubock ...
Brass
Carl Auböck #3787 "See through" Vase, Austria, 2022
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck #3787 "See through" vase, Austria, 2022.
Brass
Rare Vintage Aubock bowl, Signed , Vienna 1950
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
Ashtray, bowl, signed Auböck. Rare biomorph shape. Good condition. Ninor brassing to surface due to age. Pictured in the large Aubock Cataolg Book. Created in the 1950`s. Executed ab...
Brass
Carl Auböck #7228 Patinated Brass Vase with Ring, Austria, 2022
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck #7228 Vase with Ring, Austria, 2022.
Brass
Carl Aubock Patinated Brass "Aorta" Vase #3794 S
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Carl Aubock patinated brass "Aorta" Mid-Century Modern vase #3794 S. Produced by Carl Auböck IV in the original Auböck workshop in Vienna, Austria using the same standards, high-qual...
Brass
Leaf-shaped brass Bowl with dark Patina by Werkstätte Carl Auböck 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck Bowl, Austria 1960s.
Brass
Hourglass Vase by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Patinated Brass, 2022
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck #7231 "Hourglass" Vase, Austria 2022.
Brass
Carl Auböck #5072-1 Paperweight "Chain", Austria 2022
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
#5072-1 Paperweight in the shape of a chain by Carl Auböck. Made of gold plated steel. Austria. New.
Gold Plate, Steel
Carl Aubock Patinated Brass "Optimist" Sculpture #4049
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Carl Aubock Patinated Brass "Optimist" Sculpture #4049. Produced by Carl Auböck IV in the original Auböck workshop in Vienna, Austria using the same standards, high-quality materials...
Brass
very rare double box by carl auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Munich, DE
another very rare piece from the auböck workshop.
Metal
Carl Auböck Model #4060 'Man with Stick' Brass Sculpture
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Aubo¨ck Model #4060 'Man With Stick' brass sculpture. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural figure is executed in polished and patinated brass. Price...
Brass
Brass Desk Paperweight in original wooden Box, byWerkstätte Carl Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Brass desk paperweight by Werkstätten Carl Auböck, preserved in its original wooden presentation box printed “la plume de ma tante.” The object is formed as a long, faceted shaft w...
Brass
Rare No.A-436 bowl by Carl Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Munich, DE
flawless carl auböck wood bowl.
Brass
$5,976 / set
Carl Auböck Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare pair of bookends designed by Carl Auböck.
Brass
Beautiful Auböck Mid-Century Pencil Cup Made From Horn
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
For sale is a unique piece of Mid-Century Modern design. The pencil cup was carefully hand-carved out of the horn of a wild water buffalo and its bottom covered with green felt for p...
Horn, Felt
Brass Dish / Ashtray by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Small oval dish in solid brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck. The sculptural, asymmetrical form with one raised lip is characteristic of Auböck workshop design, combining functional us...
Brass
Leather Desk Blotter by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Large desk blotter by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, made of thick natural leather with stitched edge and solid metal corner fittings. The rectangular writing pad shows a beautifully ag...
Metal