A patinated brass study of a pair of wild horses.  The piece has a real spirit, freedom and energy to it, and lends the viewer to enjoy the bounding exuberance on display. The piece is made in the  Werkstätte Hagenauer which was a Viennese metal manufacturer started by Carl Hagenauer in 1898, and succeeded by his sons Karl and Franz Hagenauer. Between these two key figures they were responsible for some of the best designed objects ever to come out of Europe in the 20th Century.   Not only did they design and produce stunning pieces, they also developed new techniques of finishing metals.  

These horses are an example of this.  The brass base metal was 'cooked' for a few minutes in a mixture of chemicals that caused oxidation on the surface.  Depending on its duration, the finish changed to brown through to deep black. Some of the designs were later polished in a few places, for the brass to shine through, which is not the case here. This procedure created a new design element, allowing two colours on the same object. Karl Hagenauer introduced this technique at a Viennese fair, but within months it was copied by other manufacturers of brass figures.  

Although fairly abstract in their execution, Hagenauer was still able to beautifully sculpt the fine features of each horse.  There are superbly carved lines finely constructing the horse's faces, accentuated with smaller details, such as the nostrils.  Another example of the fine sculpting is seen in the horse's tails; both capturing energy, and detail.  The sculpture is fully marked on the hand cut teak base.  The condition throughout is superb with no damage.  Made in Vienna, Austria, and dates circa 1950's.