Cat Coat Wall Hook Hanger Blackened Brass by Walter Bosse, Austria, 1950s
View Similar Items
Cat Coat Wall Hook Hanger Blackened Brass by Walter Bosse, Austria, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Walter Bosse (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 7.09 in (18 cm)Width: 3.35 in (8.5 cm)Depth: 3.15 in (8 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Hausmannstätten, AT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU108247152393
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.
- Walter Bosse Bottle Holder, Cat Blackened Brass, Austria, 1950sBy Walter BosseLocated in Hausmannstätten, ATA nice wine bottle holder made of blackened and partly polished brass by Walter Bosse, Austria, 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wine Coolers
MaterialsBrass
$599 Sale Price20% Off - Shoehorn Squirrel Blackened Brass by Walter Bosse, Austria, 1950sBy Walter BosseLocated in Hausmannstätten, ATA nice shoehorn made of blackened and partly polished brass by Walter Bosse, Austria, 1950s. The handle is in the form of a squirrel. That tail can be used as hook. Very nice patina ...Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
$499 Sale Price28% Off - Umbrella Stand Fish, Brass Blackened Metal, Walter Bosse, Austria, 1950sBy Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Hausmannstätten, ATA beautiful umbrella stand by Walter Bosse, Vienna, manufactured in midcentury in circa 1950. It is made of a black painted metal base and a polish...Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Carl Auböck Coat Rack Wardrobe, Wood Patinated Blackened Brass Hooks, 1950sBy Werkstätte Carl AuböckLocated in Hausmannstätten, ATA coat check by Carl Auböck, Vienna, Austria, manufactured in midcentury, circa 1950. It consists of a refurbished wooden frame and six polished brass hooks with lovely patina. Five ...Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass
- Carl Auböck Wardrobe Coat Rack Beechwood Patinated Brass Bronze Hooks, 1950sBy Werkstätte Carl AuböckLocated in Hausmannstätten, ATA wardrobe by Carl Auböck, Vienna, Austria, manufactured in midcentury, circa 1950. It is made of a beech wood frame in an aged and very warm tone. There are six patinated brass hook...Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Cow Candleholder, Hertha Baller, Blackened Brass, 1960By Herta Baller, Walter BosseLocated in Hausmannstätten, ATA candleholder in the form of a cow by Walter Bosse and manufactured by Hertha Baller, Austria, Vienna, in midcentury, circa 1960 (late 1950s or early 1960s). The candleholder is made of blackened and polished brass. It can be used for small ball shaped candles. This piece is an eyecatchers in every room. About Walter Bosse and Hertha Baller: Walter Bosse (November 13, 1904-December 13, 1979) was a Viennese artist, designer, ceramist, potter, metalworker, and craftsman noted for his modernist bronze animal...Category
Vintage 1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse Dwarf Midcentury Brass Wall Coat Hook, Austria, 1950sBy Walter BosseLocated in Nuernberg, DEA midcentury brass wall coat hook, displaying a dwarf. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller Austria in the 1950s. Made of black...Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Bosse 5 Cat Zoo Brass Animal Wall Hooks by Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATUp to five lovely Austrian modernist animal zoo coat wall hooks, displaying a cat, our favourite hook. The hooks are sold and priced per piece. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, exe...Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass
- Cat Wall Hook by Walter BosseBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATBrass hook "cat" by Walter Bosse for Hertha Baller, Vienna from the 1950s. Used but in very good vintage condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass
$300 / item - Walter Bosse Cow Zoo Mid-Century Brass Wall Hook, Herta Baller, Austria, 1950sBy Walter Bosse, Herta BallerLocated in Vienna, ATA lovely Austrian modernist animal coat wall hook, displaying a cow. A humorous design by Walter Bosse, executed by Hertha Baller Austria in the 1950s. Made of black finished and par...Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass
- Set of Five Coat Rack in Cat Shape, Brass Blackened, Walter Bosse Vienna AustriaBy Walter BosseLocated in Vienna, ATA set of 5 coat racks designed by Walter Bosse in cat shape. Brass partially blackened.Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass
- Two Carl Aubock Large Brass Double Wall Coat Hooks #4056, Austria, 1950sBy Werkstätte Carl AuböckLocated in Vienna, ATUp to two large charming Minimalist wall coat hooks, model #4056, designed and executed in the 1950s by Carl Aubock workshop, Vienna/Austria. These are authentic, vintage wall hooks...Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
MaterialsBrass