Walter Bosse Brass Shoe Horn Displaying a Cow, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Walter Bosse (Designer),Herta Baller (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)Width: 3.5 in (8.89 cm)Depth: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Vienna, AT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU101523718052
Walter Bosse
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.
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Vienna, Austria
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
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- Walter Bosse Cow Brass Figurine Pen Holder, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Vienna, ATA very charming Austrian midcentury pen or pencil holder sculpture, displaying a cow. A very humorous design by Walter Bosse executed by Hertha Baller Austria in the 1950s. Made of b...Category
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- Walter Bosse Cow Brass Cork Screw Bottle Opener, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATA charming Mid-Century bottle opener/cork screw, displaying a cow. A very humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller Austria in the 1950s. Made of polished brass, in ...Category
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- Walter Bosse Cow Sculpture Brass Key Hanger by Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Vienna, ATA charming and rare key holder, displaying a funny looking cow. Very large. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Herta Baller, Austria in the 1950s. Made of brass, in excel...Category
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- Candleholder Walter Bosse Cow, circa 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Wien, ATCandleholder Walter Bosse cow Good original condition. (The candle is only for decoration for the photo shooting not for sell).Category
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- Walter Bosse Brass Cat Figurine Pen Holder Stand, Baller Austria, 1950sBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Nuernberg, DEClassic early 1950s Austrian Bosse cat Figurine Collectible. Nice addition to your room or just for your collection of Austrian bronze items. Found at an estate sale in Vienna, Austr...Category
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- Walter Bosse Brass Cat Figurine Jewelry Ring Holder, Baller Austria, 1950sBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Nuernberg, DEClassic early 1950s Austrian Bosse cat Figurine Collectible. Nice addition to your room or just for your collection of Austrian bronze items. Found at an estate sale in Vienna, Austr...Category
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- Walter Bosse Shoehorn for Herta Baller, 1950s, AustriaLocated in Vienna, ATWalter Bosse shoehorn for Herta Baller, 1950s, Austria, good original condition.Category
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