Gazelle head Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien ca. 1935

This majestic head of a gazelle is a striking example of the extremely popular exotic animal figures produced by the Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien from the 1930s onwards. In the 1957 sales catalog (“Zettelkatalog”), the trophy-like sculpture is advertised as a “Sommering gazelle.” This large species of gazelle is native mainly to Somalia and Ethiopia.
The neck, which rises elegantly from a delicate brass base, and the slightly turned narrow head lend the African gazelle a powerful grace. Fine indentations in the wood suggest the nostrils, mouth, and eyes. The elongated dimensions of this noble animal reach all the way up to the tips of its slightly curved horns.
With its brass base, artistically crafted walnut head, and grooved horns made of patinated brass, this object also demonstrates the Werkstätte Hagenauer’s characteristically virtuosic combination of various materials.