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Bosse Baller Cat Letter Opener Bronze Vienna Austria, 1950s Mid-Century Modern

Name: Bosse Baller Cat Letter Opener Bronze Vienna Austria, 1950s Mid-Century Modern
Brand: Walter Bosse
Price: 225 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Classic 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, Austria. About: Walter Bosse was an Austrian designer known for his contributions to the Mid-Century Modern style. He was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1904 and passed away in 1979. Bosse was a versatile artist who worked in various mediums, including ceramics, metalwork, and sculpture. Bosse's most famous works are his animal figurines, particularly his brass and bronze animal sculptures. These pieces feature simple, abstracted forms with clean lines and a stylized aesthetic. His animal figures, such as hedgehogs, ducks, and birds, were often designed as ashtrays or small decorative objects. They were highly popular during the 1950s and 1960s and continue to be sought after by collectors today. One of Bosse's most iconic designs is the "Hedgerow" series, which includes small hedgehog figurines. These hedgehogs are made of solid brass and have a charming and whimsical appeal. Another notable design by Bosse is the "Black Golden Bird," a small, abstract bird sculpture made of black-painted brass with gold accents. Bosse's work is characterized by its simplicity, elegance, and playfulness. He had a keen eye for capturing the essence of an animal's form with minimalistic details. Bosse's designs often feature a combination of geometric shapes and organic curves, resulting in a harmonious balance. Walter Bosse's work is highly collectible and has been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide. His designs have stood the test of time and continue to be celebrated as exemplars of Mid-Century Modern design from Austria.

Creator:

Walter Bosse (Designer),Herta Baller (Manufacturer)

Dimensions:

Height: 6.75 in (17.15 cm)Width: 3.75 in (9.53 cm)Depth: 0.63 in (1.61 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Bronze

Place of Origin:

Austria

Period:

1950-1959

Date of Manufacture:

1950s

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. With minor signs of wear as expected with age and use. Obviously this item is not new, so please check all photos before purchase.

Seller Location:

Nuernberg, DE

Reference Number:

Seller: H_8031stDibs: LU3998134703312

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Shop All Walter Bosse

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.