A Beautiful Painted Cast Iron Figural Door Stop of a Scantily Dressed Lady
SOLD
Origin: European
Period: Late Nineteenth / Early Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1900
Height: 15.75 inches
Width: 8 inches
Depth: 4 inches
In wonderfully aged condition, the hand painted polychrome doorstop with scrolled pedestal base surmounted by a scantily clad lady, naked from the waist up, her arms draped over her head in a relaxed pose.
The loss and flaking to the paintwork is evident but only brings more beauty to an already highly desirable object that has a good weight and is unusually tall for a doorstop.
Although mankind had thought of various ways to keep doorways open prior to Victorian times, the way in which we now expect a door stop to look and function today was down to a 19th century African American inventor named Osbourn Dorsey who came up with the design on December 10, 1878.
As much as a decorative object as a functional doorstop, and with a the feel of a ship’s figurehead in many respects, this lady is sure to attract attention; whether from floor or table.
