Anzengruber Keramik, Sculpture Of A Naked Watusi African Woman With A Ceramic Shield, Circa 1950

Leopold Anzengruber, Sculpture
Naked African Watusi woman with shield and loincloth.
Vienna, 1950s.
Made by Leopold Anzengruber Keramik.
Numbered piece.
In good condition (brass spear missing).

Biography
Leopold Anzengruber (1912 – 1979) was born in Austria. He discovered ceramics in Florence and completed his studies in 1942. In 1948, he took over the ceramic workshop of Gusti Mundt-Amann in Vienna.

His recognizable and distinctive style quickly led the company to prosperity. In 1951, inspired by the King of the Moors, he created numerous variations of black and African figures, which became the firm’s bestsellers. This so-called “Negro Idea” marked a period of absolute glory for the company.

By 1958, the factory employed 96 people and produced numerous groups of figures, animals and small sculptures. Initially handmade, production methods later evolved with the times while always preserving the refined Anzengruber style.

Leopold Anzengruber died in 1979, which quickly brought the company to an end. Alongside Keramos and Frederich Goldscheider (terracotta and ceramic figurines), Anzengruber’s factories were leaders in Austria, widely known and distributed worldwide.

Packaging and delivery costs

• Collection: Free

• Belgium: €30

• France: €50

• Europe: €80

• Rest of the world: €150