Walter Bosse Bear Cub Letter Opener

An exceptionally fine Austrian sand-cast brass letter opener adorned with a dancing bear cub figurine. This Modernist desk accessory was designed by Walter Bosse and made by Herta Baller in Austria in the late-1940s to early-1950s.

Aside from the brilliantly modelled bear cub that dances happily on the hilt of the letter opener, what makes this object so sumptuous is the attention to detail in its manufacture. The opener, cast as one single piece of metal, has been hand tooled to perfection. The shape is not only pleasing to the eye but in the hand also.

Consistent with the furriness of a bear, the animal has been filed ever so gently yet meticulously all over. This has produced the most wonderfully subtle texture that has been made even more subtle and sublime by the act of black patinating. Over time, wear from careful use has allowed the golden-yellow coloured brass to re-emerge at raised sections of the object.

A marvellously beautiful as well as functional object with an exceptional quality of manufacture that is seldom seen today.