Rare and important carved wooden desk, which can also be used as a side table.

Monogrammed and dated 19 – RS – 27 and bears the coat of arms of the city of Hamburg on the edge of the drawer; signed and located WALTER · VON · RUCKTESCHELL – DACHAU on the edge of the tablet.

Height: 86 cm – Length: 141 cm – Depth: 96 cm

Archive :

The North America and South America sculpted feet (incorrectly labelled Africa and South America) reproduced in an archive photograph alongside their creator.

History:

Walter von Ruckteschell (1882–1941) was a German officer, sculptor, illustrator, and writer. Born in Saint Petersburg to a German-Baltic family, he grew up in Hamburg and trained as an artist in Munich. In 1911, he married Swiss ceramicist Clary Truëb (1882–1969). A trip to German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostafrika) in 1913 marked a turning point in his career: inspired by African cultures, he developed a refined and expressive sculptural style.

Returning to Germany in 1919, he settled in Dachau with his wife, where they founded an art studio combining sculpture, painting, ceramics, and carpentry. Their home became an important creative center, integrated into the Dachau artists' colony. Walter von Ruckteschell distinguished himself through his varied work: altars, stained glass windows, frescoes, memorials, public sculptures, furniture, and illustrations. Among his major achievements was the Memorial of the Schutztruppen in Hamburg (1938). An independent artist, he combined modern influences, Art Nouveau, and colonial traditions in a personal style. In 1927, he founded the Dachau Artists' Association (KVD), which he chaired until 1934.

He died tragically on July 27, 1941, when his ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea as he was traveling to join the Afrika Korps in North Africa. His work and legacy live on through the Villa of Living Artists in Dachau, the couple's former home and studio, which has been converted into a museum and artists' residence.