With forty days 'til Spring, it's time to share a little preview of what's to come. Shown here, a pair of Art Deco cast iron bookends from the Thirties. A young lass—donning a bonnet and "morning glory" dress—waters her garden, coaxing her blossoms forth. The cast iron was plated with a copper finish (which, by now, has been well-darkened in the nine decades since they were crafted).
The majority of the bookends we find—especially those which might be for children—seem to feature boys and otherwise masculine themes: pirates, Indians, lions, sailing ships. I suppose it was the times (the Twenties and Thirties) and such "heroic" themes were considered suitable for the proper development of a young man's character. We find far fewer bookends which might have been made for girls. Certainly, in the period between the wars, a pair of bookends like these would be right-at-home in a young lady's bedroom—holding up her favorite books.
Click on the photo above to learn more about this sweet pair of bookends.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.