This iconic set of hedgehogs is a classic of mid century modern design. Designed by Walter Bosse, an expert craftsman from the golden age of Vienna bronzes. His “black/gold” line of animals was crafted to make “as many people as possible happy.” Copied millions of times over, offered here is an authentic set from the 1960s.

An original vintage example of Walter Bosse’s most famous design from the 1960’s. This complete set of 6 stacking hedgehog ashtrays is in excellent original condition. Baby is has X legs. Patina is a dark black with glossy finish. This is the more rare short-nose version of the hedgehogs (see last hedgehog photo for comparison). I just did a post on the blog about them, here is my summary: 

“Update #14 : Short Nose Set (3/2021)
This set is similar to the standard later 1960s set, with the later x-leg baby, except it has a shorter nose than the earlier sets. My current theory is that the master for this set was possibly edited to be shorter to fit specific casting equipment. I’m currently ruling out the theory that the nose had a bubble in it or was broken and they just ground it down to make it sale-able for a few reasons:
1) The pebbled sand casting texture is retained on the surface and if they had to grind off large parts you would see telltale signs of grinding/tooling or a super smooth texture.
2) The nose is not only shorter, but also less wide. If you look below at the comparison pictures of the short-nose and normal sets you can see the difference. If the original nose was lopped off at the same length on the original set, it would be far wider at the very end. That paired with the pebbled casting texture makes me believe the master was edited before going into the mold.” 

Unmarked. Last two images show a page from an original Walter Bosse catalog circa the 1960s and an original advertisement for his hedgehog ashtrays.

Authenticated by Modern Vienna Bronze as an original Walter Bosse design.

ウォルター・ボッセ – ハリネズミオブジェ/灰皿