Walter Bosse Bear Figurine
View Similar Items
Walter Bosse Bear Figurine
About the Item
- Creator:Herta Baller (Manufacturer),Walter Bosse (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.58 in (4 cm)Diameter: 1.58 in (4 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Brass,Blackened
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Wien, AT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU107189292411
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 movement.
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.
Herta Baller
- Walter Bosse Bear FigurineBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Wien, ATWalter Bosse bear figurine Original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Small Bear Figurine by Walter Bosse, circa 1950sBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Wien, ATSmall bear figurine by Walter Bosse, circa 1950s Original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Small Walter Bosse Bear Figurine, Vienna, circa 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Wien, ATSmall Walter Bosse bear figurine, Vienna, circa 1950s Original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Cat Figurine by Walter BosseBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Wien, ATCat figurine by Walter Bosse Original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Small Fox Figurine by Walter BosseBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Wien, ATSmall fox figurine by Walter Bosse Original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Candleholder 'Bear', circa 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Wien, ATWalter Bosse Candleholder 'Bear', circa 1950s Original condition The candle is not included it is only for the photoshootingCategory
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Bear Figurine Sculpture in Brass by Walter Bosse, 1950'sBy Walter BosseLocated in Limhamn, Skåne länBear Figurine Sculpture / coat hanger in Brass by Walter Bosse, 1950's Additional Information: Material: Brass Style: Mid century, Europe Produced by Hertha Baller in Austria Dimens...Category
20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Cat Figurine with Shovel and Rake by Walter BosseBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Vienna, ATBrass figurine blackened with a shovel and rake. Designed in the 1950s by Walter Bosse for Hertha Baller Austria. Excellent original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Cat Figurine Pretzel Holder, Ring Holder by Walter BosseBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Vienna, ATBrass figurine blackened pretzel holder, ring holder. Designed in the 1950s by Walter Bosse for Hertha Baller, Austria. Excellent original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated 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 Brass Giraffe Sculpture Figurine, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Vienna, ATA charming mid century giraffe figurine, made of brass. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed in the 1950s by Hertha Baller Austria. In excelle...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