Walter Bosse Biography
Walter Bosse (1904 - 1979) was a Viennese sculptor and ceramist. A prolific artist with a playful modernist sensibility, he continually experimented to produce an eclectic body of work that included metalwork, ceramics and housewares. His best-known series consists of small-scale bronze animal figurines coated in a dark ceramic glaze. This unique surface led to the series being titled Black Golden, as the polished outlines of Bosse's figures shone against the matte surface of the black ceramic. Born on November 13, 1904 in Vienna, Austria, he went on to study at the School of Applied Arts in Munich and Vienna. Bosse later apprenticed under many different sculptors and designers, including Josef Hossmann and Michael Powolny. After a period spent working at the Goldscheider ceramic manufacturing company, he returned to Vienna to open a workshop and shop window in Bosse-Keramik, where, despite his production of around 8,000 designs, Bosse struggled to find success financial and has been plagued by legal disputes to defend the copyright of his drawings. He ultimately died penniless on December 17, 1979 in Iserlohn, Germany, and his designs continue to be sought after by collectors around the world.
