Although the era of great explorations had ended after World War I, expedition reports, as well as travel and adventure films, remained immensely popular across Europe. This heightened fascination with the \u201cexotic\u201d is also reflected in the African wooden figures produced by the Hagenauer workshop, which emerged in the 1930s.<\/p>\n
Many of Hagenauer\u2019s designs reveal a keen interest in foreign cultures, as well as in their portrayal within popular entertainme
\nThe depiction of an African woman as a nude figure exemplifies a stylized interpretation of Africa\u2014shaped by colonialist perceptions of indigenous peoples that were deeply embedded in Austrian society until the 1950s. Rather than drawing directly from African artistic traditions, this design translates the subject into the formal language of Art Deco, characterized by Hagenauer\u2019s signature elegance and flowing lines.<\/p>\n
The hand-carved and polished wood was stained dark to emulate a deeper skin tone. The warmth of the material, combined with the graceful pose, makes this sculpture a particularly striking example of Hagenauer\u2019s African wooden figures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Reclining African woman, design by Franz Hagenauer, execution by Werkst\u00e4tte Hagenauer Wien, ca. 1953, fine wood, carved, marked<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":34578,"template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[416],"product_tag":[1635],"class_list":["post-34592","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-werkstaette-hagenauer-wien-en","product_tag-werkstaette-hagenauer-wien-en","first","instock","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\n