ANTIQUE PETER RABBIT EASTER BUNNY BOOKEND DOORSTOP, ARMOR BRONZE, ORIGINAL PAINT

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ANTIQUE PETER RABBIT EASTER BUNNY BOOKEND DOORSTOP, ARMOR BRONZE, ORIGINAL PAINT:
$1750.00

Extremely rare - I have never seen this before - and absolutely charming doorstop in the form of a rabbit. Great detail, to include the little buttons on the sides and back of his overalls. Very reminiscent of Beatrix Potter\'s Peter Rabbit and Thornton Burgess\'s Peter Cottontail, though it does not appear to have been copied from theoriginal illustrations of either character.
Most likely a doorstop but could be used as a single bookend. Or simply an unusual Objet D\' Art for desktop or mantel.
This was electro-formed (more commonly known as bronze-clad), a manufacturing technique whereby a skin of bronze (sometimes copper) was made to adhere to a plaster statue through the chemical process of electro-plating. On the bottom, you can see the \"wick\", the metal loop by which the piece was suspended in a vat of some electro-plating solution. A handful of companies used this method in the early 1900\'s to produce decorative household objects that had the look, feel and heft of solid bronze pieces but still were affordable by the middle class.
One of those companies was Armor Bronze and while there is no maker\'s mark, that is my guess as to manufacturer. Other possibilities would be Galvano Bronze or Pompeian Bronze. Circa 1920\'s, no matter who made this.
Condition is excellent. A crack in the cladding in one foot (see 2nd to last pic) which I thought was part of the design until I noticed the other foot does not have a similar crack. And a very small dent in his forehead. Otherwise, no damage of any kind to the cladding, nothing mashed - I consider it remarkable that the ears and tail have survived unharmed. And the paint all is original, obviously worn but mostly intact.
Our friend stands 9 inches to the tip of his tallest ear; 4 inches across; 5 inches front to back. And heavy at just over 4 pounds.
US shipping only. USPS parcel post, insurance and delivery confirmation.
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