Walter Bosse Elk Figure

Whilst Walter Bosse is famous for his delightful animal-shaped ‘useful objects’ in metal, such as bottle openers, letter openers and corkscrews, his purely decorative works, such as this elk figure, greatly display his artistic proficiency not only as a designer but as a sculptor too.

The elk’s body has been sculpted with roundness & softness to suggest an amiable nature. The stylised face and small mouse-like ears portray, also, a friendliness and warmth; a feeling strengthened by the gentle pose, and somehow unmarred by his large golden antlers. 

The object was beautifully crafted in the Herta Baller workshop in Vienna, Austria, in the early 1950’s.

The figure is larger than most examples of Bosse’s work, but retains the charm and adorability widely associated with his portfolio.