Hagenauer Polo Players Mounted on Horse Pair Wien

Hagenauer Polo Players Mounted on Horse. Replated chrome over the bronze, excellent condition. These are the classic polo players but of the highest quality and size. Both pieces are marked on the bottom, “Hagenauer Wien WHW made in Austria”.  Made in 1930s, these are larger in size than most seen for sale today. The polo game was so popular back in the day and Haganauer made multiple versions, this is one of the best.

The Hagenauer firm was founded by Carl Hagenauer in Austria, in 1898. His son Karl became the head of the company in 1928 after having studied with Joseph Hoffman and winning bronze and silver medals at the Paris Exposition of 1925. His work was most prolific, including many “useful objects” such as mirrors, cigar cutters, bookends, and hood ornaments. He produced humorous and playful figures as well as highly stylized ultra-modern sculptures.  He managed Hagenauer Werkstatte until his death in 1956.

His younger brother, Franz, focused more specifically on sculpture, often drawing from African art as his inspiration. His long life ( 1906-1986  ) provided him with a long career and many of the most elegant Hagenauer pieces can be attributed to Franz.  Though both Karl and Franz produced many animal pieces, beautiful female forms were a specialty of Franz’s. Spanish dancers, models, mythical goddesses, and African natives were sources for his design.