SKU: 9510150491

WALTER BOSSE ‘GOLD BLACK LINE’ ELEPHANT FIGURINE (AUSTRIA)

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WALTER BOSSE ‘GOLD BLACK LINE’ ELEPHANT FIGURINE (AUSTRIA)A classic vintage trumpeting elephant by Walter Bosse for Herta Baller from the 1950s "Black Gold Line" of brass figures WALTER BOSSE was born November 13, 1904, in Vienna, to the artists Luise and Julius Bosse. His father worked as a portrait painter at the imperial court. Walter Bosse attended the Wiener Kunstgewerbeschule, now the University of Applied Arts Vienna, from 1918 to 1921, where he studied ceramics under Michael Powolny, and ornament

A classic vintage trumpeting elephant by Walter Bosse for Herta Baller from the 1950s "Black Gold Line" of brass figures

WALTER BOSSE was born November 13, 1904, in Vienna, to the artists Luise and Julius Bosse. His father worked as a portrait painter at the imperial court.

Walter Bosse attended the Wiener Kunstgewerbeschule, now the University of Applied Arts Vienna, from 1918 to 1921, where he studied ceramics under Michael Powolny, and ornament under Franz Cižek.  He then attended the Munich School of Applied Arts (Münchner Kunstgewerbeschule).  During his schooling he was given the opportunity to sell his work at the Wiener Werkstätte by Josef Hoffmann, who became a mentor to Bosse. Bosse opened his own shop in Kufstein in 1923.

Bosse's work grew in popularity and a number of his pieces were shown at the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in 1925. He started designing for Augarten Porcelain Works (1924), as well as Goldscheider (1926) and Metzler and Ortloff (1927). In 1931, to meet increasing demand (especially in America), Bosse opened up a bigger shop in Kufstein, but by 1933 he started to feel the effects of the economic depression. By 1937, the Kufstein works were closed.

In 1938, now divorced, Bosse moved back to Vienna, where he founded Bosse Ceramics (Bosse-Keramik), which expanded under the new name “Terra” to include glass, toys, textiles. and a variety of craft items for the gift market. In the late 1940s, Bosse began experimenting with brass by giving his ceramic figures a metal coating to protect them from breakage.

He formed a partnership with Herta Baller, whose company (the Herta Baller Company) manufactured and marketed the brass figurines, this collaboration was called the Bosse/Baller company.  In the early 1950s, Bosse and Baller began exploring a new style of brass called the “Black Gold Line” or "Black Golden Line" of brass figurines.  He transitioned all of his efforts to brass and the figures became popular worldwide.  Despite Bosse's success with his brass figures, it was still a difficult time for him financially. In 1953, partly fleeing from financial troubles, he moved to Iserlohn, Germany where he set up a new shop and continued production. In Vienna, the Herta Baller Company continued to make and sell Bosse's designs.  Bosse also collaborated with Karlsruhe State Majolika Works on a number of pottery animal figures.

In 1958, he designed for Achait Schirmer in Cologne.  Bosse also turned his efforts to small, everyday items such as letter openers, keyrings, corkscrews, and pencil holders, all of which bear the distinctive "black and gold" look.

A number of Bosse's designs began to gain widespread popularity internationally, particularly his brass hedgehog ashtrays and hand-shaped bowls. But the designs' success led to forgeries popping up worldwide. His hedgehog ashtrays were reproduced by many forgers in various countries and with varying degrees of precision.  To protect his designs, he engaged in court battles which would last the rest of his life and deplete most of his money.  Because of these cases, he is considered to be a seminal figure relating to modern copyright law for designer goods.

The last years of Bosse's life saw him devoting much of his time and money to his legal disputes and on December 17, 1979, Bosse died with no money to his name in Iserlohn, Germany. His oeuvre consists of about 8,000 models and designs, of which about 3,000 are ceramic

Designer Walter Bosse
Manufacturer Herta Baller
Design Period 1950 to 1959
Production Period Unknown
Country of Manufacture Austria
Identifying Marks This piece has been attributed based on archival documentation, such as vintage catalogs, designer records, or other literature sources
Style Vintage, Mid-Century, Minimalist
Detailed Condition Excellent — This vintage piece is in near original condition. It may show minimal traces of use and/or have slight restorations.
Product Code
Materials Brass
Color Black, gold
Width 2.3 inch
Depth 1.0 inch
Height 1.8 inch
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SKU: 9510150491

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Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2026
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JEN
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 3
Seems durable - but the scent is not the best
Color: B) 3" 2-Pack (Bacon)
I don't know if I'd call the scent of this "bacon," more like rubber with a hint of bacon. It's very strong. I gave my dog one of the balls & put one in a cabinet where I keep his treats & a few other unrelated odds & ends. I now hold my breath when I open that cabinet b/c good lord, the smell. I'm tempted to just give that one to the dog too, just because it'll air out eventually & then everything else in that cabinet won't smell bad. My dog feels so-so about it. He'll briefly chase after it & chew on it, but loses interest in it pretty fast. My rather hyperactive cat also plays with it from time to time, as he seems to have more interest in most dog toys than the dog these days, so there's that. (Then again, he thinks a wide variety of random items around the house are loads of fun to toss about, so it's possible his opinion is to be taken with a grain of salt. Between the brief periods of one of these balls being chewed on & clawed at, it's stayed completely intact. I think if you have a dog who simply likes to play fetch or chew on rubber balls in general, this one would stand up to the task. But if you're expecting it to be greeted with the enthusiasm as a bacon grease covered ball might be - I'd adjust your expectations.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2023
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SAM
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★★★★★ 5
My dogs favorite toy so far in two years
Color: C) 4" 2-Pack (Bacon)
I use this with my medium sized dog. These are large for him but that's what I want so I don't ever have to think about them being too small or a swallow hazard. He has been through A LOT OF TOYS in the last couple years, but nothing, NOTHING has he loved as much as these. His favorite used to be squeaker balls. Then his favorite was crackle balls. But he will gladly ignore both for this one. I don't know if it's the bacon flavor or what, but he go nuts for it.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2026
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Matt B
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★★★★★ 5
Bacon? IDK but good stuff either way
Color: C) 4" 2-Pack (Bacon)
What is there to say? they're giant 4" rubber balls from the Chew King brand which is very durable brand. The best part is they don't roll under couches, side boards, etc cause they're just big enough.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2026
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Tina
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★★★★★ 5
Durable, bright and bouncy
Color: H) 2.5" 3-Pack (Beef)
Love these. Color is bright so I can find it in grass and dirt. Quality is good! Works well in a Chuck it. Love these holes for whistle sound as it’s in the air. No scent cost is awesome for all 3 in pack
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Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2025

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