1

A Day
Observed

A story presented by

Scene 1:
‘Morning’

It was a bright cold day with glassy surfaces that looked hard.
Into the square frame he stood as if in a dream.

What emerged was precisely what he expected to find: a reflection of memory images. Contemplating his face in the photo frame he waited.

1960s lucite and chrome 3 image photo frame

By the steady hands of his watch, he listened to time. Every day for the past sixteen days he saw her. Silver lingered in the crease of
an open book.

Rolex burlwood dial, Jubilee bracelet Miniature
oar English university trophy, sterling silver.

So absorbed in his thoughts
he hardly saw the platinum catch-all, the key, or the revelation locked inside those lapis lazuli cufflinks tossed unmistakably in cold blue.

Hans Hanson catch-all. Mid-century, Danish sterling silver. Stirrup money clip, by Hermès. Padlock keyring, sterling silver " Tie bar-slide " Round lapis lazuli cufflinks" Square cufflinks, two tone rose and yellow gold, diamond."

Only by whirling on his heel could he hope to comprehend
the panorama.

Shoe horn, circa 1930. American sterling silver
Scene 2:
‘Noon’

He remained.Trapped in that enormous room,
unmistakably familiar in feeling yet so peculiar.

Above the mantle was
displayed an Austrian hound
of impeccable integrity.

Hagenauer sculpture, 1930

His gaze fell on the letter opener. By accident she had learnt more about his life from the contents of that letter than anywhere.

Dunhill letter opener with lighter top, circa 1950

Cleopatra’s eye reflected
the sun. Through the hypnotism
of precious metals there
emerged a dark slender shadow.

Cleopatra’s eye magnifying glass. Mid-century, gold plated
Hermès weighted pen. Silver plated.

A lighter presented itself, smooth to the touch
it gave the impression of
intelligent company.

Table lighter St Dupont, circa 1960. Gold plate
Scene 3:
‘Evening’

All this time light was receding from the room.

“I should explain why I spend so much time here”, said the silhouette. Leaves moved like shadows across her eyes.

Hermès rope bottle opener. Plated silver.

It’s not too late to turn back. Time moved with faint sounds.

Venini hourglass. Hand-blown lurid Murano glass.

He unscrewed the telescopic cup, rolled and remained still. Black eyes on the dice prophesied a new cycle.

Telescopic cup, J. E. Cauldwell. Gold plated. Dice,
Cartier for America. Vitreous enamel glass, silver

Staring down at the varnished surface her mouth worried him while her eyes examined the gold cufflink.

Audemar Piguet evening watch. gold plated, Roman dial, alligator strap
Scene 4:
‘Night’

Everything went crashing black.

Pale graceful hands placed
the gold stud box delicately
on the table.

Men’s Edwardian jewellery box, 1910. Gold plated.
Mid-century British cigar ashtray. Sterling silver and crystal.

He lit a match to make sure the watch had really stopped. Smoke lingered from its vesta case.

Realist wrapped tobacco leaf march vesta. Silver.

As the travel clock neared
one the figure vanished into dappled shadows.

Art Deco Jaeger LeCoultre travel clock.
Gold and silver plated. Retailed by Aspray.

On the newly varnished table two bronze shot cups sat alive like in a dream.

Tooth shot cup by Foundwell. Bronze and silver plated.
Set of 4, 3 silver 1 gold. Heath & Midleton champagne decanters circa 1900.
Sterling silver and glass.
The End

‘A DAY OBSERVED’
A story by FOUNDWELL
Photography Matthieu Lavanchy, creative direction OK-RM,
notes by Kate O’Brien and objects selected by Alan Bedwell

‘A DAY OBSERVED’
A story by FOUNDWELL
Photography Matthieu Lavanchy,
creative direction OK-RM
notes by Kate O’Brien
and objects selected by Alan Bedwell

Early and Rare Sterling Silver Gorham Martini Mixing Bucket

Golf Cocktail Shaker
and Matching Golf Bag Cup

Sterling Silver Woven Bottle Coaster

Foundwell

A SELECTION OF ITEMS BY THE PRODUCER OF
CRAFTED GOODS & PURVEYOR OF ANTIQUE WATCHES,
JEWELLERY & OTHER SUCH OBJECTS

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A four piece, complete, set of jazz musician sculptures in nickel plated bronze.  This stunning and very rare jazz ensemble was created by the uniquely creative Franz Hagenauer.  Franz was a second generation Hagenauer working out of the  Werkstätte Hagenauer, a Viennese metal manufacturer studio started by his father; Carl Hagenauer, in 1898.

Jazz reached the height of its popularity in Europe in 1920's and '30's, and in particular in Paris. French colonization in West and North Africa had contributed to a fascination with African motifs in art, and jazz quickly became a sensation with a public interested in African culture. Musicians, artists, authors, flappers, and socialites converged in Paris and jazz clubs flourished. Artists such as Josephine Baker, Ada 'Bricktop' Smith and Django Reinhardt played to wildly enthusiastic audiences, who embraced jazz as the new sound of the 20th century.

The European modernist aesthetic of the time embraced the similarly modernist themes of jazz; Europeans perceived jazz as the representation of American freedoms and decadence from monetary luxury to moral liberalism.  This can clearly be seen in these four figures.  There is a  wonderful energy and  playfulness in the way Franz was able to capture them.

The set consists of a saxophonist, a guitar player, a  violinist and a cellist.  On their own, they are fantastic.  As a full group they are  spectacular, each  resplendent in  their evening wear attire.   The condition on each is excellent.  There is  minor wear, as would be expected from the period, but there is no damage and no major issues.

A very large series of these figures was also created around the same time.  They are, at the largest, six feet tall.  The full set of seven once came up in auction at Sotheby's New York in 2011, and a  set of four of these recently sold at Doyle  auction house in September 2018 for $125,000.

Karl and Franz succeed their father, taking charge of the Hagenauer workshop, keeping it operational from his death in 1928 until 1986. These three key figures were responsible for some of the best designed, and most coveted objects ever to come out of Europe in the 20th Century.  Not only did they design and produce stunning pieces, they also developed new techniques of finishing metals.  This style of formed sheet metal work that Franz, in particular, designed, can be seen to take influence from the Cubist movement at the time, like the work of Picasso.

Although Karl was the principal designer, Franz specialised in sculpture.  He studied along side Franz Cižek at the Vienna School of Applied Arts, joining after his studies, at the age of twenty, in 1926.  Later in his career he  would return as the  head of metalwork and metal design classes at the School of Applied Arts.  He ran Hagenauer after the death of his brother in 1956.

Each piece is fully signed on the base with "Franz", "WWH" and "Hagenauer Wein", each piece also has an early Christies auction house sale sticker from when they were  originally purchased by the prior owner in the 1980's.  These have come directly from this collector.  Made in Austria, circa 1935.

 


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Item Dimensions
Height
10 inches (25.4cm)
Width of Figure
8 inches (20.32cm)