Hagenauer Jirasek Unique Side Table, Book Shelf, Shelving Unit, Vienna, 1940s

A good object can only come from good ingredients. With this piece, all of them are right: designer, manufacturer, form, function and provenance.

This truly refined and distinctive two-tier mid-century side table, shelf and bookshelf was designed by Julius Jirasek and made by Werkstätte Karl Hagenauer, Vienna, in the 1940s. It is a one-of-a-kind piece, made by Hagenauer for their own use, and comes from the Hagenauer family apartment. It combines Austrian modernism with Viennese fine cabinetmaking.

Among the many nice details, such as the tapered legs, the integrated bookends stand out. They slide left and right along a slim rail. The dark-brown wood has a pretty, slightly reddish grain. Both tiers still have their original black marble glass, which is no longer produced today.

The piece was in really good, well-kept condition and needed only a light refresh of the surface, just enough to keep its vintage charm. Please expect light scratches on the glass tops. Its authenticity is documented in the archive of the MAK, Museum of Applied Arts Vienna.

Designer: Julius Jirasek
Manufacturer: Werkstätte Hagenauer
Form/Function: Beautifully proportioned, with a clean, linear yet charming form and adjustable bookends
Provenance: From the Hagenauer family apartment
Reference: MAK Vienna
Measurements: Width 29", depth 13", height 33" incl. bookends

Julius Jirasek (1896–1965) was an Austrian architect who worked for Werkstätten Hagenauer for many years. He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule under Josef Frank and Oskar Strnad. From the 1930s on he was responsible for most of Hagenauer's furniture designs. Besides furniture, he designed lamps, silver jewelry and ceramics, as well as two houses for the Vienna Werkbundsiedlung.

Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien was a Viennese metal workshop founded by Carl Hagenauer in 1898. Under Karl and Franz Hagenauer it became internationally known for modernist sculptures and functional objects in brass, copper, wood and nickel-plated metal. Its range includes stylized animals and African-inspired figures, bowls, bookends, mirrors and table accessories. The workshop also made lamps and furniture, most of it designed by Julius Jirasek from the 1930s on. It closed in 1987.