By 1920, the development of the fountain pen and better ink had made writing much simpler but an elegant inkstand and blotter were still a desirable addition to a desk. The Hagenauer Werkstätte was founded by Carl Hagenauer (1872-1928) in 1898 as Wiener Bronzewaren. It achieved its greatest success in the interwar period when their designs were shown at international exhibitions, most notably the Milan triennials.

Hagenauer's earliest works were based on the historical designs fashionable in late nineteenth century Vienna but he was soon influenced by Viennese modernism and adopted a cleaner and more modern style. Hagenauer's son Karl studied design under Josef Hoffman at the Vienna Kunstgewerbeschule and brought the ideas of the Wiener Werkstätte to the company. They produced a highly profitable range of small figures for the home and as car bonnet ornaments which brought modern design into homes at an affordable price. The ability of the company to appeal to the middle class and export market allowed the firm to survive the depression of the 1930s and it continued to be successful until the 1960s.