Brass Biomorphic Dish in the Style of Carl Auböck, Austrian, Mid-Twentieth Century

Story

A small solid brass dish in an organic, asymmetrical form — soft curves rising at one corner like a folded leaf or a calla lily caught mid-bloom. Polished to a warm gold sheen, hand-finished, thin-walled.

The form is the whole story. This is the visual language of mid-20th century Vienna and Munich — the same vocabulary that came out of the Werkstätte Carl Auböck and the Hagenauer workshops, where small brass objects were treated as miniature sculpture rather than utility. A catch-all on a desk, a holder for a single ring, a quiet object that does its work by being looked at.

Unmarked, but consistent in form, weight, and finish with the Austrian and Bavarian brass tradition of the period.

A beautiful piece for someone who notices small things.

Origin

Personally sourced at an antique market near Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany. Mid-20th century, Austrian or Bavarian in origin, in the style of Werkstätte Carl Auböck and Hagenauer. Unmarked.

Condition

Excellent vintage condition. Brass surface is bright and clean with light age-appropriate patina.

Dimensions

Approximately 4 in. L × 3.5 in. W × 1.5 in. H.

Sourcing Note

Found at an antique market near Chiemsee, outside Munich.

The shape caught me immediately — especially the way the sun hit the brass as it sat on the dealer’s table. For such a small object, it has real presence. Pick it up and the weight only reinforces that impression; there is nothing slight about it.

These are exactly the kinds of things that speak to me when I travel: small enough to tuck into a bag and carry home, but strong enough in form and character to completely hold their own once they get there.

I knew almost immediately that I was looking at something special. The biomorphic shape, the heft, the warmth of the brass — it has the feeling of a miniature piece of sculpture rather than simply a dish.