Karl Hagenauer Embossed Brass Frame, ca. 1925
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GUEST:
I found this at a church rummage sale about eight to ten years ago and really loved it, and I've never found anything suitable, in my eyes, to put in it. I thought it was just beautiful the way it was. And I know nothing about it. It's got all this stuff going on and it's just beautiful. It's a work of art, I think.
APPRAISER:
You're quite right, it is a work of art. I share your enthusiasm for it. I mean, the actual manufacturing technique is quite simple. It's just embossed. So there's no great intrinsic value in the material. It's straightforward, it's brass, it's embossed.
GUEST:
Is this mass-produced?
APPRAISER:
Well, believe it or not, it would be mass-produced, but, fortunately, the people who made this were quite discerning, and they didn't let too many onto the market. They could have made 1,000, but they would only make 100. There's something Egyptian-esque. And we've got more stylized birds here. This is a stylized palm tree, the trunk of a palm tree. And then over here, I love this figure. I mean, it's almost like a Maasai warrior, isn't it?
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, there's a definite sort of African feel to this. And then, more of the sort of Cubistic elements. You're quite right, it's very Art Deco. The dog down here is a joy. I say a dog. I mean, it may well be a gazelle. I can hardly make it out from where I am. But, either way, the composition's everything. When it comes to where it was made, well, you've got to do a little bit of detective work. If I can just pop this down here, I noticed there's a mark down here. Have you ever come across this mark?
GUEST:
I looked at it a number of times and could never find any mark.
APPRAISER:
Okay, well, it's hiding down there. It says, "wHw." This is a mark of a maker that was working in Vienna called Hagenauer. You come across him before?
GUEST:
I have a small Hagenauer head.
APPRAISER:
You do?
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
This particular frame dates from around about 1925, 1928. And if I wanted to replace this today, I would need to have in my pocket at least $2,000.
GUEST:
I'm amazed. I'm very pleased. Thank you.
APPRAISER:
So you should-- three dollars. (laughs) $2,000-- not a bad return.
Appraisal Details
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