RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG

RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG
RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG

RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG

These are GREAT; and RARE; and BIG. "Bear Book Rocks, " that's what the Kathodion Bronze Works catalogue calls this set. Bronze-clad (electro-formed), a manufacturing technique whereby a skin of bronze was deposited on a plaster form through the process of electro-plating. A handful of companies used this method in the early 1900s to make decorative household objects that had the look, feel, and heft of solid bronze yet were affordable by the middle class. One of those companies was Kathodion Bronze Works, operating in NYC in the 19-teens.

An ad in the Literary Digest for November 14, 1914 says, ArtBronz Book Rocks are made of a heavy bronze seamless deposit over a baser core. They have all the finish and durability of the finest bronzes at one-tenth the price. ArtBronz was Kathodion's trade name. I think all of the pieces by Kathodion that I've seen have been marked KBW and ArtBronz on the back of the base; the 1914 Literary Digest ad above clearly uses that name.

But mine are marked only "Kathodion" spelled out instead. It is known they went out of business right around WWI, so these are at least a century old. No breaks in the cladding (other than on the bottom of one piece), no dents, just minor dings. Finish is original with very little wear. Both pieces sit flat and stable.

One thing to point out, however: if you look straight down between the bear's front paws and it's body, you see one piece is mostly open; the other, has just a small hole. I do not believe either is damage.

Rather, I think the larger opening version is the proper one and the other represents a production (or finishing) flaw where excess material had formed in that space but no one bothered to clear it away when it went off to the finishing station. The electro-forming process was less precise than casting (pouring molten metal into a mold) and so subtle differences between pieces are encountered. Again, I don't think it is damage. But if you do, just realize it is in an area that cannot be seen.

These are big: 8 1/4 inches tall; base is 6 inches side to side and 4 inches front to back. Perfect gift for the animal trainer or ursine fancier in your family. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Decorative Collectibles\Bookends". The seller is "joncris4q8" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States.


RARE antique bear animal bookends KBW Kathodian Kathodion Bronze clad, 1915, BIG