Art Deco Hagenauer Nubians

by David Freeman
(Melbourne, Australia)

I have been a collector since I was a child. At the tender age of nine I attended my first auction where I bid on a Ansonia mantle clock. I was bidding against adults and although not too confident in what I was doing, I did beat adults to the final bid.

In 1960 25 cents was a lot of money and a fortune to a nine year old.

That was a very special purchase and to this day I recall the adrenalin rush as if it were yesterday. I kept the clock with numerous other collections that I accumulated over the years. After all it was more then a clock to me, it was a trophy.

To my disgust my mother threw it out with the hard rubbish collection. Now she is 92 and I still remind her of it and she keeps on telling me to get over it. I guess I should but I can't. I never bought another Ansonia clock. It wouldn't be the same.

As a collector one has to wheel and deal and I learned this very early on. In order to accumulate a great collection one has to purchase a lot of rubbish (lesson one in becoming a discerning collector).

By the time I was twenty, the seventies had arrived and my taste and experience had grown ten fold. And oddly enough, I became very interested in boxing where I even wrote numerous articles for Boxing Illustrated. I have also been an avid supporter (and participant) of tennis.

Over the past three decades I have had numerous collections from Doulton Lambeth wares (only the top end would do) to Australian pottery, to WMF figural pieces etc.

In my collection there are numerous art works by Australian social realist artists, Scandinavian etched glass, interesting small clocks, trinket boxes, Italian and Scandinavian studio pottery from Art Deco to the late 1970's. Actually my house is large but I keep on adding on as there is always something different to collect.

My interest and love of all things Art Deco have remained unchanged. Art Deco being a short period in time saw numerous variations from Bauhaus to French etc.

I love the lines of Bauhaus furniture, the texture and smell of French Art Deco. However, it is the Austrian interpretation of the Nubian that I love the most.

The male figures are regal and manly with their spears and shields; they represent the male time immemorial and world over from the African to the Australian Aboriginal.

It is the 'Nubian Princess' or the 'Nubian Mother' as I call them that really captivate me, to me they are truly beautiful. Some wear numerous bracelets, neck rings and others huge earrings, some with grass skirts and others holding implements or holding a small child.

My favourite medium is bronze but I have many pieces in ceramic, terracotta, pottery and timber. They differ greatly from artist to artist, each with his or her own flavour and interpretation.


My collection has taken many years to acquire and it started with a piece that was none of the above mediums. In fact, it was a calling card stand made with Bakelite depicting Josephine Baker. A friend had her for many years and it took me a long time to talk her into selling her.

My first bronze piece after that was whistle on holidays (vacation) in Tasmania Australia. I went to a gallery to purchase a painting and came out with both the painting and my first proper Nubian, both which I still have.

The funny part was that the Nubian was thrown in with the painting as a bonus after much haggling and it is the Nubian that is dear to me.

The factories that most of my pieces come from are of a fine calibre and were very much celebrated in the Art Deco period and later, they were creating for the elitists, and they include Goldscheider (Vienna and Germany) and designers such as Rudolf Knorlein, Stephan Dakon, Adolf Prischl, and Kurt Goebel. I also admire and collect Anzengruber Keramik Wien - they produced many African Nubians and natives from 1951 to 1958.

Also in my collection there are many pieces by Jaap Ravelli of Holland. Jaap Ravelli heads and busts are scarce and difficult to find.

I have a large collection of Troika pottery and you might ask, how does English Cornish pottery tie in with African Nubians? For me it speaks of an African Landscape that ties in very well with the figures.

As a collector, valuer and auctioneer I am lucky enough to meet people from all over the world who have been very helpful in adding to my collection, such as auctioneers in Austria, Germany, America, Canada and the UK as well as my locals.

I have made friends over the Internet with interesting people who also have a love for Nubians and we share our knowledge freely.

The most interesting and noteworthy part of my collection is the Hagenauer African Nubians and natives, which comprise half of the 300 figures and busts I have in my collection.

For further reading see the article on pages 80-81 of Modernism Magazine Autumn 2010.

Our auction rooms are Amanda Addams Auctions and our valuation business is David Freeman Antique Valuations.
Auction and value Art Deco items:
http://www.aaauctions.com.au
Phone: Australia 03 98501553

Foot note for the article: For further reading and references Anzengruber Keramik Wien by Uta M. Matschiner, Walter Bosse by Cherica Schreyer & Hartmann, Goldscheider by R. E. Dechant & F. Goldschider, Art Deco Sculpture and Metalware by Alfred Edward.