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.
$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
$588Sale Price|40% Off
Carl Aubock Big Brass Key Cork Screw, Bottle Opener, Paperweight, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A sculptural Midcentury corkscrew and bottle opener combination from the 1950s. In the shape of a large key, designed by Carl Aubock, executed by...
Brass
$420 / item
Nutcracker Style 1 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
Carl Auböck Brass Hand Letter Opener Letter Knife #7208
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A minimalist but charming letter opener in the shape of a hand. Model number 7208, handmade of solid polished brass, designed by Werkstätte Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Fully stamped an...
Brass
$510Sale Price|40% Off
Carl Auböck Midcentury Scoop Bowl or Ashtray with Handle, Brass, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful modernist bowl or ashtray featuring a curved handle, shaped like a scoop. Made of polished solid brass. Designed and crafted by Werkstätte Carl Auböck in the 1950s, this ...
Brass
Carl Aubock Round Leather Storage Box with Lid, Vienna, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful and elegant round lidded storage box, vintage from the 1950s, designed and handcrafted by Werkstätte Carl Auböck in Vienna/Austria. Originally intended as a cigarette dis...
Leather
Carl Auböck II Brass Tray, Bowl, Vide-Poche, Maria Theresia Coin, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful solid brass coin tray or dish, designed and executed by Werkstätte Carl Auböck II in the 1950s. Suitable as a jewelry bowl or „vide-poche“. In good condition with nice pa...
Brass
$2,040Sale Price|40% Off
Rare Microscope "Neopan" by Carl Aubock 1963, Reichert Vienna
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A very rare award-winning microscope, model Neopan, designed in 1963 by the Viennese architect and designer Carl Aubock. Executed by Reichert Austria. In good condition, fully workin...
Metal
Carl Auböck Model #8040-2 Patinated Brass Knob
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #8040-2 patinated brass knob. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese knob is executed in patinated brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria....
Brass
Carl Aubock Vintage Zebra Dinner Bell #3604, Paperweight, Vienna, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A captivating, partly patinated mid-century table or dinner bell from the 1950s. Model #3604 „Zebra", designed and handcrafted by Werkstätte Carl Aubock in Vienna, Austria, this piec...
Metal, Brass
Mid-Century Modern Large Wooden Bowl by Werkstätte Carl Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Hamburg, DE
Large Wooden Bowl by Carl Auböck, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1950 to 1959 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional information: Materials: Wood Style: Mid-Century Moder...
Wood
$594Sale Price|40% Off
Vintage Carl Auböck Brass Pipe Modernist Paperweight #5188, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
An Austrian brass paperweight, displaying a pipe, designed an executed in the 1950s by Carl Aubock, Vienna. Model #5188. A very decorative item, in very good condition. Marked.
Brass
Exceptional, Elegant and Heavy Brass Letter Opener by Carl Auböck, Vienna, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in München, BY
Unique Mid-Century Modern letter opener. Designed and manufactured by Carl Auböck in Vienna, Austria, 1950s. Executed in solid brass and leather. Measurements: Length 8.07 in. (20...
Brass
Carl Auböck Handcrafted Wall Sculpture Napoleon #4271, Brass, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful wall sculpture „Napoleon", model #4059, designed by Carl Aubock II back in 1953. A charming object, handcrafted by Werkstätte Auböck in V...
Brass
Mid Century Modern Carl Auböck Basket made of Copper and Wicker, Austria 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in München, BY
Rare Mid Century Modern Carl Auböck basket made of copper and wickerwork, Austria 1950s. The basket is in an age-appropriate used condition. Inside, there are signs of use. The wick...
Copper
Carl Auböck II Raffia Brass Wastepaper Basket, Paper Bin, Umbrella Stand, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful and minimalistic vintage Mid-Century Modern wastepaper basket / paper bin on a tripod brass base from the 1950s. Model 3890, designed by Carl Auböck II and manufactured b...
Metal, Brass
Carl Auböck Model #8040-1 Polished Brass Knob
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #8040-1 polished brass knob. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese knob is executed in polished brass b...
Brass
$432Sale Price|40% Off
Carl Aubock Mid-Century Brass and Leather Nutcracker, Vienna, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful Modernist brass nutcracker designed and executed by Werkstätte Carl Aubock in the 1950s. In good condition with charming patina. Marked.
Brass
Rare Mid-Century Modern Candlestick No 3433 by Carl Auböck Austria 1937
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in München, BY
A real collectors item. Extremely rare and lovely Mid-Century Modern candlestick. Model No 3433. Designed by Carl Auböck for Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Vienna, Austria, 1937. Executed...
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
Turned Wooden Bowl by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Hand-turned wooden bowl with a thick rounded rim and softly carved interior. The form is simple and sculptural, emphasizing the natural grain of the wood, which shows warm color vari...
Wood
Carl Aubock II Rare Brass Corkscrew Cup Model 3710 Austria 1940s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Troy, MI
Carl Auböck II model 3710 Austria c. 1949 Turned wood cup with elongated oval brass handle that removes to a reveal a functioning corkscrew Original patina Signed both to the bottom...
Brass
Carl Auböck Handcrafted Midcentury Hand Brass Figurine Key Ring Chain Holder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist hand 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
Brass Fruitbowl by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Sculptural fruit basket by Werkstätten Carl Auböck made of curved brass rods held between two hammered brass end pieces. The open wire construction forms an elegant, boat-shaped si...
Brass
Signed Heavy Brass Ashtray by Carl Auböck Vienna Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
The piece on offer is a unique example of mid-century craftsmanship. It was designed and produced by the renowned Austrian Werkstätte Carl Auböck. Aubock was visibly influenced by the German school of Bauhaus as he did part of his studies there. This influence is also noticeable in the presented item. This archaic heavy ashtray...
Brass
Original Vintage 60‘S Umbrella Stand by Carl Aubock Vienna
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
Carl Auböck vintage umbrella stand from brass and cast black lacquered iron Model # 4293 by Carl Auböck for Workshop Carl Auböck with beautiful patina. Stamped Auböck. Authentic piec...
Brass, Iron
Moustache grooming Set in original Wooden Box by Werkstätte Carl Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Vintage moustache grooming set in original wooden box labeled “Brosse à Moustache.” Includes a small horn comb and matching brush with natural bristles and horn handle. Light wear co...
Horn, Wood
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4082 Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4082 Brass Bowl Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass. Originally conceiv...
Brass
Carl Auböck Paperweight #5370-1, Brass & Walnut, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck paperweight #5370-1 "Walnut", Austria.
Brass
carl auböck leather and chrome box.
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Munich, DE
rare box by carl auböck. signed inside with persil.
Metal, Chrome
Carl Auböck Optimist Pessimist Handcrafted Brass Sculpture, model #4059
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful brass figure called "optimist / pessimist", model #4059, designed by Carl Auböck back in 1957. A very charming object, which can be positioned in two ways, as an optimist or pessimist. Please see the video. Handmade of solid patinated brass by Werkstätte Auböck...
Brass
Box made of Wood, Brass and Cork by Werkstätte Carl Auböck Austria, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Small box by Werkstätten Carl Auböck with curved wooden lid and brass body, lined with cork inside. The design combines a warm wood surface with brushed brass sides, creating the ch...
Brass
Authentic Mid-Century Carl Auböck Leather Wastepaper Basket/Bin
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
This original mid-century wastepaper basket was designed by Carl Auböck III for the renowned Werkstätte Auböck in Vienna, circa 1960. A quintessential example of Austrian modernist d...
Leather
Carl Auböck Handcrafted Midcentury Foot Brass Figurine Key Ring Chain Holder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist foot keyring / keyholder / keychain, designed by Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Handmade of solid polished brass by Werkstätte Auböck in Austria. Fully stamped and ma...
Brass
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #4843 Patinated Brass Bookends
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Carl Auböck Model #4843 Patinated Brass Bookends Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural pair of bookends are executed in patinated brass. Price is ...
Brass
$492Sale Price / item|40% Off
Mid-Century Modern Aorta Vase by Carl Auböck, Polished Brass, Austria
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful organic flower vase, model #3974, designed by Carl Aubock II in 1950. Executed by Werkstätte Auböck in Vienna / Austria. Handmade of bras...
Brass
Carl Aubock Vase or Decanter with Wicker Top, Midcentury, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful minimal modernist vase or decanter „Tuberkulinkolben", designed and executed by Carl Aubock II in the 1950s. Made of handblown clear glass with nice wickerwork / rattan o...
Glass
Cactus Holder, Vienna, Around 1950s by Auböck
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Wien, Au
Cactus holder Vienna around 1950s by Auböck. Original condition.
Brass
$1,280Sale Price|20% Off
Carl Aubock Mid Century Horn Desk Pen & Pencil Tray & Holder, Austria, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A decorative and rare desk penholder from the 1960s, designed and executed by Carl Aubock, Vienna. Made of horn, in very good condition.
Horn
Carl Auböck Handcrafted Midcentury Peanut Brass Figurine Key Ring Chain Holder
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist peanut keyring / keyholder / keychain, designed by Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Handmade of solid polished brass by Werkstätte Auböck in Austria. Fully stamped and ...
Brass
Midcentury Carl Auböck Brown Tan Leather Note Dispenser Holder, Austria, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful Mid-Century Modern note holder from the 1950s, designed an executed by Carl Auböck, Vienna. Made of cognac brown leather. In good condition, including the original paper....
Leather
Slim Vase by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Patinated Brass, Austria, 2022
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck #3974 "Slim" 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 Model #8040-1 Patinated Brass Knob
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #8040-1 patinated brass knob. Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese knob is executed in patinated brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria....
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
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
Carl Auböck #3632 Watering Can in Polished Brass and Cane
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck #3632 watering can in polished brass and cane. Designed in the 1940s, this incredibly clean and refined Viennese watering can is executed in hand-woven cane, polished o...
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
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
Carl Auböck Paperweight in Leather and Stone, Austria, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck paperweight in leather and stone, Austria, 1960s.
Stone
$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
$810 / item
Carl Auböck Model #3787 Patinated Brass Vase
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #3787 patinated brass vase. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese vase is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass by Werk...
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
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
Carl Auböck #4339 Paperweight "Stone", Austria 2022
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck #4339 Paperweight "Stone", Austria 2022. There might be slight variations regarding the measurements.
Stone
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
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
Rare Mid-Century Modern Teak Cork & Brass Box by Carl Auböck Austria 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in München, BY
Extremely rare and elegant Mid-Century Modern cigar or cigarette box by Carl Auböck, Vienna, Austria, 1950s. Executed in teak wood, cork and polished brass. Dimensions: W 5.12 in....
Brass
$600 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4208 Patinated Brass Bowl
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4208 patinated brass bowl. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl is executed in polished and darkly patinated brass. Origin...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Wooden Bowl by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck Wooden Bowl, Austria 1960s, there is a second one available in another listing.
Brass