Here are a pair of hard-to-find Franz Hagenauer Art Deco Sculptural Horse bookends. Made of a solid bronze sheet metal with a nickel overlay, these have not been polished and have some scuffs and wear (see photo). There are some slight bends to the legs on one horse – see side photo. They are stamped on the top of the flat base at the back with the WHW mark in a circle and “Made in Austria”, a company started in 1898. Each measures approximately 8.25″ tall by 4.5″ wide with a flat base to push under books. We always guarantee all of our items to be as described. From Wikipedia – Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien – (wHw) – was a family business in Vienna that produced fine, handcrafted objects for decoration and use over its nearly ninety-year history. The workshop closed in 1987 but the company’s retail premises, opened in 1938 on Vienna’s Opernring, survives today as a museum and shop. While Karl was the principal designer of everyday objects (and some sculptures), his younger brother Franz specialized in sculpture. Franz also studied from an early age with Franz Cizek at Vienna’s School of Applied Arts, and joined the family business at age twenty. His interest and talent lay in sculpture with sheet metals rather than cast figures, and later in his career he was head of metalwork and metal design classes at the Academy of Applied Arts. Franz took over the running of the company after Karl died in 1956. There is so much more to read about the history of WHW online and Franz’ study under such masters as Josef Hoffmann and Anton Hanak. The item “VTG FRANZ HAGENAUER WHW WIENER WERKSTATTE SHEET METAL ART DECO HORSE BOOKENDS” is in sale since Wednesday, December 9, 2020. This item is in the category “Antiques\Decorative Arts\Metalware”. The seller is “tco” and is located in Flagstaff, Arizona. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Primary Material: Nickel overlay on brass sheet metal
- Style: Art Deco
- Age: 1900-1940
- Maker: Werkstatte Hagenauer Wien
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Weight: 1 lb 4 oz
- Type: Bookends
- Color: Silver
- Country/Region of Origin: Austria