Franz Xavier Bergman(n) (July 27, 1861 – January 1, 1936)[1] was the owner of a Viennese foundry who produced numerous patinated and cold-painted bronzes, Oriental, erotic, and animal figures, the latter often humanized or whimsical, humorous objets d'art.

His father, Franz Bergmann (September 26, 1838 – 1894),[1] was a professional chaser from Gablonz who came to Vienna and founded a small bronze factory in 1860.

Sensuous poses of young women in the Art Nouveau style were disguised by a covering that revealed all when a button was pushed or a lever moved.

Often carefully sculpted animals, such as bears, could be opened to reveal an erotic figure inside.

It was reopened some years later by Robert Bergmann, son of Franz Xavier, and operated until his death in 1954, when the remaining stock and molds were sold to Karl Fuhrmann & Co.[1] The playwright Henrik Ibsen had a small group of such characters which he referred to as his "devil orchestra"; a black boy climbing up a ladder on an elephant (NF.1914-0491), a cat chewing another with rice twigs (NF.0490A), singing after sheet music (NF.0490B), writing (NF.0490C), directing (NF.0490D), devils pulling each other in wheelbarrows (NF.0492) or carrying inkwells between them (NF.0488) and a frog sitting on an ashtray playing the banjo (NF.0489).