Two horse heads Franz Hagenauer ca. 1935

Horses hold a prominent place among Werkstatte Hagenauer’s animal depictions. Executed in different materials and techniques, we find them as galloping or rising horses, and depicted both individually or in groups.
From the mid-1930s, the very popular wooden carved horse heads became part of their product range: the classic, trophy-like heads are more statuary, while these two ones are much more dynamic. Their elongated heads pointing to the left, with seemingly flowing manes and open mouths, clearly convey the impression of a horse race.
Thus, elegant and reduced to their essential features, these horses embody the stylized design language of Werkstätte Hagenauer at its best. The same motif by Franz Hagenauer can also be found in a smaller version as a decoration for an ashtray, well-documented in the Hagenauer archive at the MAK Vienna.