Austrian Brass Dachshund Knife Rest No. 2 by Walter Bosse, 1950s

An Austrian brass dachshund knife rest designed by Walter Bosse from the 1950s, a small object that captures the wit for which the Viennese designer became known.

Cast in brass, the dachshund is reduced to an elongated silhouette: a low body carried on short block-like legs, a gently curled tail, and an angular head that tapers into an exaggerated pointed nose. Bosse uses few details to establish its character. A recessed circular eye, small incised mouth, and simple collar are enough to transform the abstracted form into something immediately recognizable.

This ability to find personality in the smallest domestic objects was central to Walter Bosse’s work. Born in Vienna in 1904, Bosse became known for highly stylized animal figures and functional objects, often reducing a familiar creature to just a few exaggerated lines. His work belongs to a rich tradition of Viennese decorative metalwork. Bosse also had connections to the celebrated Werkstätte Hagenauer, whose workshops similarly blurred the boundaries between sculpture and everyday design.

Designed as a knife rest, the long back provides a place for flatware to sit above the table, turning a practical dining accessory into a miniature sculpture. Its compact scale makes it particularly appealing as an object to leave out on a bar, dining table, or shelf rather than something that disappears into a drawer.

About Walter Bosse
Walter Bosse (1904–1979) was an Austrian artist and designer known for bringing a playful sculptural sensibility to everyday objects. Trained in ceramics in Vienna, he worked across clay and metal, developing a distinctive language of simplified animal forms. His small brass figures, often finished with dark patina that draws out their contours, were produced in collaboration with Herta Baller. Whether made as a sculpture or a useful object, Bosse’s designs balance humor with careful attention to form.