Walter Bosse Elephant Figurine with Thermometer, Baller Austria, 1950s
View Similar Items
Walter Bosse Elephant Figurine with Thermometer, Baller Austria, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Herta Baller (Manufacturer),Walter Bosse (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 4.34 in (11 cm)Width: 3.55 in (9 cm)Depth: 1.58 in (4 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Wien, AT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU107182480962
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.
- Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Wien, ATWalter Bosse cat figurine with thermometer, 1950s Austrian desk thermometer, cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer. Designed by Walter Bosse...Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Thermometer, 1950s for Table Vienna around 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Wien, ATWalter Bosse Thermometer, 1950s for table vienna around 1950s Original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Wien, ATWalter Bosse cat figurine with thermometer, 1950s Austrian desk thermometer, cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer. Designed by Walter Bosse...Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Cat Crumbs Table Cleaning Set for Hertha Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Wien, ATWalter Bosse cat crumbs table cleaning set for Hertha Baller, Austria, 1950s Good original condition Broom dimensions : H 10.5cm W 1.5cm D 11cm Shovel: H 1.5cm W 12cm D 9....Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Thermometer, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Wien, ATWalter Bosse thermometer, 1950s Original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Thermometer, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Wien, ATWalter Bosse thermometer Original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Midcentury Cow Brass Figurine, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATA little cow sculpture made of brass from the 1950s. Designed by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller. In good condition with charming patina on the brass.Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Midcentury Horse Brass Figurine, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATA lovely horse foal sculpture made of brass from the 1950s. Designed by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller. In good condition with charming patina. We offer more Walter Bosse br...Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATA charming Austrian desk thermometer, consisting of a lovely cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller Austria in th...Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Scientific Instruments
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, Herta Baller Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATA charming Austrian Mid Century modern desk thermometer, consisting of a nice cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Bal...Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Brass Poodle Figurine, Lucky Charm, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATA charming poodle figurine, made of brass designed by Walter Bosse, executed in the 1950s by Hertha Baller, Austria. In excellent condition.Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
$170 Sale Price22% OffFree Shipping - Walter Bosse Midcentury Calf Cow Brass Figurine, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATA lovely calf / baby cow sculpture made of brass from the 1950s. Designed by Walter Bosse, executed by Herta Baller, Austria. In very good condition with marginal patina.Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
