Hagenauer Wiener Werkstatte Egyptian Goddess Bronze Sculpture

SOLD

Hagenauer Wiener Werkstatte Egyptian Goddess Bronze Sculpture

This strange and alluring sculpture is of the Egyptian Goddess Anuket. Hagenauer Wiener Werkstatte has a more famous sculpture of Anuket that looks exactly like this except Anuket is wearing her headdress of feathers, and usually a bird sits upon her high hand. In this sculpture Anuket no longer holds the bird, and her head and headdress is replaced with a bird’s head. We have not found another like it.

Egyptian mythology confirms that Anuket was often portrayed with a bird head. In addition, there are three parallel lines on her neck which represent a bird goddess. Anuket is a Goddess of the Nile, her outstretched arms represent the two Nile tributaries and her body represents the flowing Nile. She is also a bird Goddess.

This sculpture is unsigned. Some Hagenauer objects were not signed. Most of his sculpture originally came with wood or metal bases which over time became separated, this could be the reason for the absent Hagenauer Werkstätte mark. Looking at the base of this sculpture we see that it may have been a hood ornament.

The artist Karl Hagenauer (b. 1898 d. 1956) is famous for his Art Nouveau metal work from the Austrian studio Wiener Werkstätte / Werkstaette founded by his father “Carl” Hagenauer in Austria, 1898.

This rare sculpture stands 11.25″ tall. Overall brownish patina, with dark spots on the base and beneath the rear-end. No damage. Completely hand-made. The base is attached with a screw and is easily removable.