Bidspirit auction | A Set of Six Walter

A Set of Six Walter Bosse for Herta Baller Brass Hedgehog Nesting Ashtrays - This set of six nesting ashtrays is a well-documented design by Walter Bosse for Herta Baller, produced in Austria circa the 1950s. The pieces are manufactured from cast brass and finished with a characteristic black patination. This decorative technique, frequently referred to as black gold, involves chemically darkening the metal surface and then polishing the raised highlights—including the spines, snouts, and feet—to expose the golden brass beneath. The set consists of graduated hedgehog figures designed to stack within one another. The underside of one piece is marked with an incised digit 2 and an embossed mark reading BOSSE.