20th Century Carl Auböck Chess Game Mod. No. 5391, Horn & Brass, AT ca. 1970

An absolute masterpiece of modernist design is this rare, late 20th century chess game, produced by world renowed Carl Auböck around 1970 in Vienna - Austria. This exceptional chess set with the Mod. No. 5391 was artfully created by Carl Auböck out of carved horn and nickel-plated brass bases. An incredible looking set which by the way, was the most expensive, ever produced chess game by C. Auböck. The elaborately handmade leather chessboard (Mod. No. 5336) completes this timeless looking 20th century chess game. All chessmen come in the original wooden case from the 1970s. A truly gorgeous modernist chess set by Carl Auböck, coming to you in fantastic original condition.

ABOUT Carl Auböck (1900 - 1957):
Carl Auböck was a famous Austrian painter and designer associated with Classical Modernism. Among his best-known designs are the "Tree Table" (*Baumtisch*) and the "Reversible Lamp" (*Umkehrlampe*).
Carl Auböck began his training as a bronze worker and chaser in his father's workshop. From 1917 to 1919, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Subsequently, he followed his teacher Johannes Itten to the Bauhaus in Weimar and befriended its director, Walter Gropius; however, he left the school after about a year and a half to take over the workshop in Vienna and start a family. There, through his circle of friends, he became a proponent of Adolf Loos’s ideas and emerged as an opponent of the Wiener Werkstätte. Early on, alongside his design work—which included Viennese bronzes and Art Deco pieces for both domestic and American markets—he also engaged in painting and drawing. The style he developed for everyday objects in the early 1940s achieved cult status after World War II. From the late 1940s onwards, he worked alongside his son, Carl, in the workshop. In 1954, he was awarded a total of four gold medals at the Milan Triennale.
In 2010, Auböck’s works were placed under protection by the Austrian Federal Monuments Office. His long career yielded hundreds of original designs: the "Tree Table" and the "Reversible Lamp" are particularly noteworthy.
His sought-after designer pieces are regularly featured at major auction houses around the globe for years. About 13 years ago, a cutlery set he designed was sold at auction for a total of nearly $22,000.