Walter Bosse Boat Vide Poche w. Dog

A decorative brass tray in the form of a boat, designed by Walter Bosse in the early 1950’s and beautifully handmade in Vienna, Austria, by the Herta Baller workshop. 

This unusual Walter Bosse design combines two sculptural items; a brass tray and a dog figurine. Together these two items, joined with a chain, create a playful scene – perhaps the dog is accompanying a fishing trip.

The design’s original function is likely not obvious to a modern collector; the boat is intended as an ashtray, and the dog is a tamper. Today, however, this item becomes a sweet & practical tray for coins, keys, or jewellery. 

The two items are beautifully sculpted in the Modernist style, and feature a black-patination, typical of Bosse’s works, with polished brass highlights.