Description

EXCEPTIONAL ANTIQUE AFRICAN ART DECO BRONZE WOMAN SCULPTURE ATTRIBUTED TO REVERED AUSTRIAN SCULPTOR KARL HAGENAUER. (Austrian 1898-1956). THIS WORK DEPICTS A CURVACEOUS AFRICAN WOMAN WEARING TRADITIONAL AFRICAN JEWELRY POSING WITH A BRONZE VASE ON HER HEAD. THIS IS AN ART DECO MASTERPIECE DATING AROUND THE 1950s. GOOD OVERALL CONDITION. PROVENANCE: PRIVATE ESTATE, BEVERLY HILLS CALIFORNIA. DIMENSIONS: 38” H x 8” W Karl Hagenauer (1898 - 1956) was active/lived in Austria. Karl Hagenauer is known for Bronze and brass art deco animal and figure sculpture. Karl Hagenauer Born: 1898 - Austria Died: 1956 - Austria Austrian designer Carl Hagenauer established Hagenauer Werkstatten in 1898 and produced decorative metal wares and bronzes designed in-house in the modernist and Jugendstil styles. His factory, which exported its wares worldwide, also manufactured pieces by independent designers, such as E. J. Meckel, Josef Hoffmann, and Otto Prutscher. The Hagenauer name was always well known and respected in Vienna, Austria, but it was the two brothers Karl and Franz that will forever be remembered. The brothers embraced Modernist design and created some of the most iconic sculptures of the Art Deco era. Hagenauer entered many exhibitions in London, Paris, and Berlin, where its innovative designs won numerous awards. Carl's son Karl (1898-1956) joined the firm in 1919. After Carl died in 1928, Karl and his brother Franz (1906-1986) expanded the workshop and began modeling and manufacturing African-inspired sculptures. The figurines were supple and elegant, with elongated limbs and faces and elaborate hairstyles. They embodied the European concept of the inherent decorative quality and spontaneous creativity of Africa. Collecting Hagenauer At the entry-level are Hagenauer's African stick figures, typically in tribal costume and carrying metal or wood implements; Hagenauer also made African and domestic animals that were produced in the 1920s, 1930s, and again after World War 2 through to early 1950s, reflecting widespread interest in the continuation of colonialism. More desirable are the larger wood and metal African figures and busts, with stylized bodies and sculptural poses. The most valuable are distinctly Art Deco-style designs of African inspiration. Masks, some on a scale similar to authentic African masks, consist of multiple elements and materials; they often echo Pablo Picasso's works. Hagenauer also created Western figurines, although these are less common. They include figures in stylish costumes, mainly in sheet metal or brass, often on a large scale for use in shop displays. When consumer demand for furniture grew after WWII, Hagenauer began to produce furniture. A After Karl Hagenauer died in 1956, his brother, Franz, who taught at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, continued the workshop until 1986, making new designs considered authentic Hagenauer pieces. RR on the base stands for Richard Rohac, who left Hagenauer after World War II to make his interpretation of popular works. The collector must be wary of confusing these initials for Hagenauer's production for Rena Rosenthal from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s, destined for her gift shop at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York; the Rosenthal pieces were impressed with the name "Rena." Hagenauer manufactured many of the items sold by Rena Rosenthal to her design and price structure. She also used Richard Rohac to manufacture lines for her shop, as Rohac items were slightly inferior and inexpensive compared to Hagenauer items. Hagenauer reproductions made from original castings are acceptable to Hagenauer collectors as true reproductions, not fakes, and they are more affordable than the limited-run originals. Still, larger Hagenauer reproduction figures and busts can cost up to $30,000. Karl's work consists of various stylized forms and is remarkably avant-garde. The workshop achieved its utmost success during the interwar period when the pieces were shown at several exhibitions at home in Austria and abroad, resulting in high export records (Beyerle/Hirschberger, A Century of Austrian Design)