A Rare and Vintage Cat Corkscrew by Haguenau Registered Design

A Rare Hagenauer Cat Corkscrew, Vienna Circa 1925 A rare and highly distinctive vintage corkscrew designed in the form of a stylised cat, attributed to Werkstätte Hagenauer, Vienna. Cast in brass with a hand-worked steel worm, the piece displays the whimsical yet sculptural aesthetic for which Hagenauer designs became internationally admired. The cat’s characterful expression features a slightly grotesque grin with a human-like nose and elongated neck finished with a bow tie. The arms form ergonomic finger grips, allowing excellent leverage when opening a bottle, while the loop above the head allows the piece to be hung in a bar or kitchen setting. The rear bears the Austrian design registration number 18854, associated with the Austrian design protection system used in the early twentieth century to protect distinctive industrial designs. This registration corresponds with the period during which the Hagenauer workshop produced many of its most recognisable brass and nickel-silver works. The corkscrew retains its original hand-forged steel spiral, strongly formed with a fine point and excellent rigidity, demonstrating the practical craftsmanship combined with sculptural design that defines Hagenauer objects. Founded in Vienna in 1898 by Carl Hagenauer, the workshop was later led by his sons Karl and Franz, who developed the refined modernist aesthetic now closely associated with Hagenauer metalwork of the 1920s–1930s. An exceptional and unusual example that would appeal equally to collectors of Art Deco barware, Hagenauer metalwork, and antique corkscrews. Dimensions approx.: Overall length 14.7cm; width at finger grips 6.6cm; thickness 1.2cm; total mass 64.6gm. Werkstätte Hagenauer, Vienna. Circa 1925.