Comb Karl Hagenauer Wiener Werkstatte ca. 1923-29

Karl Hagenauer designed a wide range of ivory objects, which were crafted by a carver in the Hagenauer workshop. These included items such as combs, pendants, brooches, and bell pushers. Hagenauer’s ivory combs were produced both for his personal use and for the Wiener Werkstätte.
For a long time, many of Hagenauer’s designs were mistakenly attributed to Dagobert Peche, due to their ornamental density and stylistic similarities. Around 1920, Peche also created designs for ivory works for the Wiener Werkstätte. However, Hagenauer’s models stand apart due to their intricate, small, symmetrical, and self-contained ornamentation, which, in its delicacy, evokes traditional bobbin lace-making.
Our comb, featuring a bird motif integrated into a floral, openwork design, was created by Hagenauer in 1921 and produced between 1922 and 1925. The table bell, depicting two horsemen and a horsewoman—another motif Hagenauer frequently used in his work—was crafted between 1923 and 1929.