Lot Five Antique Painted Cast Iron Miniature Farm Animals Paperweights or Toys
Description: An interesting lot of five painted cast iron miniature farm animals. The lot consists of what we believe are a Donkey on a green base, a brown horse with a black tail and black mane, a duck on a green base, a pig on a green base, and a sheep. Four of the pieces, namely the horse, donkey, pig and sheep, are made of solid cast iron. The duck is made of non-ferrous metal and appears to be hollow. The five pieces are in various states of preservation. They all have paint losses some more than the others ranging from a loss of over 30% to less than 10%. We are not certain of their age or who made them but we suspect that at least a couple could be made by Hubley if not all. These were either toys or paperweights. All animals are standing and appear to be on the move. All pieces have spots where the paint is lost to where you can see the bare metal. All show some level of detail either in the casting or in the coloring. We are selling this lot together as found at a fraction of their true value. Please carefully review the photos presented as they are part and parcel of the description.
Date: Uncertain, but most likely sometime in the early to mid-1900s.
Origin: Purchased in an estate auction in Lancaster County Pennsylvania.
Size: The largest is ~2 1/8" long and ~1 7/8" high and the smallest is ~1 1/2: long and ~1" high. The entire lot weighs about 7.5 ounces.
Maker: Unknown.
Marks: Unmarked as to the maker.
Distinguishing Characteristics - Most Interesting About The Piece: A fun lot of old cast iron miniature toys or paperweights, with the exception of the duck which is made of non-ferrous metal. Hours of fun working with them or on them and making them worthy of a spot in your collection.
Condition: Note: Four of the pieces, namely the horse, donkey, pig and sheep, are made of solid cast iron. The duck is made of non-ferrous metal and appears to be hollow. The miniature paperweights/toys are in good condition and in varying state of preservation. They are all intact with no breaks or repairs. They all have losses to the paint ranging from over 40% to less than 10% loss of paint. All pieces have spots where is the paint is lost to where you can see the bare metal. Again, all pieces have lost some of their original paint in the form of chips to the surface, which can be seen in the photos. Because of their state, we are selling the five pieces together, as found, at a fraction of their true value. Please see photos for additional condition information.
