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.
Vintage Auböck String Bottle Holder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
Heavy and solid sculptural looping wire bottle holder by Carl Aubock II. In excellent shape, surface shows fine patina, according to age. The rattan grip wrapping still fully intact....
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #4273-1 'Foot' Brass Paperweight
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck model #4273-1 'Foot' brass paperweight. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly clean and refined Viennese paperweight is hand fabricated in polished brass by Werkstätte C...
Brass
$700 / item
Carl Auböck Model #3974 Brass Vase, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #3974 Brass Vase, Austria Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese vase is executed in darkly patinated and polished brass by Werkstä...
Brass
Vintage Carl Aubock Set of Three Magnifying Glass Paperweights ca' 1950's
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A set of three hexagonal magnifiers made of solid brass by Carl Aubock, Austria, ca' 1950's. Wear and patina appropriate to age.
Brass
$400 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5261 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #5261 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
Carl Auböck Model #3310-4 'Flat' Brass and Leather Table Bell
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #3310 Large Brass Bell with Leather Handle Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly functional and sculptural bell is executed in polished brass with a rich brown le...
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
$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
Carl Auböck Model #4483 Patinated Brass Triangle Dish
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #5535 'Rainbow' Patinated Brass Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #5535 'Rainbow' Patinated Brass Bookends Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural pair of bookends are executed in patinated and polis...
Brass
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #1937 'Bamboo' Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #1937 'Bamboo' bookends. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural pair of bookends are executed hand cut and polished bamboo and bras...
Brass
$350 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
$430 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4995 Wall Hook in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
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
Carl Aubock Polished Brass Hand Bottle Opener #4224
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Carl Aubock polished brass hand bottle opener #4224. This whimsical 1950's hand bottle opener by Carl Aubock is a wonderful example of the marriage ...
Brass
$430 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4206A Polished Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck model #4026A polished brass bowl. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl or catch-all is executed in polished brass. Originally con...
Brass
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #3846 Brass Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck model #3846 brass bookends. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural pair of bookends are executed in polished brass. The Auböck #3846 booke...
Brass
Carl Auböck #3470 Patinated Brass Candleholder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck #3470 Patinated Brass Candleholder Designed in the 1940s, this incredibly clean and refined Viennese candleholder is executed in darkly patinated brass by Werkstätte Car...
Brass
$430 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4206C Polished Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck model #4026A polished brass bowl. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl or catch-all is executed in polished brass. Originally con...
Brass
Carl Auböck Letter Opener, Horn, Mid-Century Modern, Austria, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck letter opener in horn, Austria 1960s.
Horn
Carl Auböck Model #4061 'Architect' Brass Sculpture
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4061 'Architect' Brass Sculpture Designed in the 1950s as an homage to the Auböck family's background in architecture, this incredibly refined and sculptural figu...
Brass
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #9040 Knob in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
$2,566Sale 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
$580 / item
Carl Auböck Model #3548 Patinated Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
$460 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4609 Patinated Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4609 Patinated Brass Bowl Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass. Original...
Brass
$430 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4329 Polished Nickel Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
$2,286Sale Price|20% Off
Large brutalist Teak Bowl with Brass Handles 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
$430 / item
Carl Auböck Model #3844 Patinated Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #3844 Patinated Brass Bowl Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass. Original...
Brass
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #3530 'Flatiron' Brass and Cane Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #3530 Brass and Cane 'Flatiron' Bookends Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural pair of bookends are executed in polished or patinat...
Brass
$460 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4965 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
$1,360 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4629 'Stufenuhr' Brass Wall Clock
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
$1,213Sale 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 Aubock Patinated Brass "Walking" Figural Sculpture #4058
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Carl Aubock Patinated Brass "Walking" Figural Sculpture #4058 designed in the 1950's. Currently produced by Carl Auböck IV in the original Auböck workshop in Vienna, Austria using th...
Brass
Pair of Large Carl Auböck Model #4219 'Hands' Brass Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Large Carl Auböck Model #4219 'Hands' Brass Bookends. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural pair of bookends are executed in polished brass. Hand fu...
Brass
Carl Auböck #5039 'Jingle Bell' Brass and Leather Paperweight
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck #5039 'Jingle Bell' Brass and Leather Paperweight. Originally designed by Carl Auböck III in the early 1960s, this handmade piece was inspire...
Brass
$510 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5439 Hook in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
Life Size Carl Auböck Model #4273-3 ‘XL Foot’ Sculpture in Polished Brass
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Life Size Carl Auböck Model #4273-3 ‘XL Foot’ sculpture in Polished Brass. Designed in the 1950s, this impressively scaled variant is hand fabricated in polished unlacquered brass ...
Brass
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
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5439 Large Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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 #3530 'Flatiron' Patinated Brass and Cane Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #3530 'Flatiron' Patinated Brass and Cane Bookends Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural pair of bookends are executed in patinated...
Brass
Carl Auböck #3853 Vase "Double Noose", Austria, 2022
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck #3853 vase "Double Noose", Austria, 2022.
Brass, Wire
$740 / item
Carl Auböck Model #7231 Brass Vase
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck model #7231 brass vase. Designed in the 1950s, this refined and sculptural solid brass Viennese vase is executed in polished and darkly...
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #4280 Bowl in Patinated Brass
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck model #4280 bowl in patinated brass. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl is executed in patinated brass. Originally conceived as a petite bowl...
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
Carl Auböck Model #3792 Patinated Brass Vase or Bookend
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #3792 Patinated Brass Vase or Bookend Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined, sculptural, and multi-purpose Viennese piece is executed in polished and dark...
Brass
Large Carl Auböck Model #7247-6 Patinated Brass Vase
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large Carl Auböck Model #7247-6 Patinated Brass Vase Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese vase is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass b...
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
$760 / item
Carl Auböck Model #7240 Brass Vase
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
$400 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4056 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #3652 Brass Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
Carl Auböck Model #4059 'Optimist/Pessimist' Brass Sculpture
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Aubo¨ck model #4059 'Optimist/Pessimist' brass sculpture. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural figure is executed in polished and patinated brass. Can b...
Brass
$430 / item
Carl Auböck Model #3904 Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #3904 Brass Bowl Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass. Originally conceiv...
Brass
$470 / item
Carl Auböck Model #5439 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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
$440 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4982 Hook in Nickel
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck model #4982 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 #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
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
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Nickel-Plated Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4327 Nickel-Plated Hook Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and minimalist Viennese hook is executed in nickel-plated brass by Werkst...
Brass, Nickel
Carl Auböck Model #7259 'Spiral' Brass Pen Holder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #7259 'Spiral' Brass Pen Holder Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural pen or pencil holder is executed in p...
Brass
Large Minimalist Brass Fruit Bowl Shell by Carl Auböck, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: fruit bowl element Design: Carl Auböck, 1950s Producer: Auböck Workshop Vienna, Austria Origin: Austria Age: 1950s Descriptio...
Brass
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4086 Patinated Brass Hook
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, 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