Tall Ship + Lighthouse 1920s Pompeian Bronze Antique Bookends

“Tall Ship” by Paul Herzel, made circa 1925 by the Pompeian Bronze Company, a pair of vintage electroformed bronze-clad figural book ends, with original polychrome paint (monochrome pale blue, with perhaps a little black paint on the edges).

Double-sided design: Each bookend features a masted tall ship, sails billowing, on the front, and a lighthouse on the back. Each is marked "(c) Paul Herzel" on the side. Paul Herzel did most of his designs for the Pompeian Bronze Company — and although they are not marked as such, were almost certainly made by Pompeian Bronze (each still has its unmistakable deep-deep-blue felt, as can be found on other Pompeian Bronze pieces). Not shown in Kuritzky and De Costa, but similar design to plate number 2165 (Blue Waters, by PB) and 2208 (Ship, by Hubley).

Would make a great gift for your weekend sailor, your International Lightning Class aficionado, your niece or nephew graduating from the Naval Academy, or your friend who is a big "Master and Commander" fan, the movie starring Russell Crowe — a film that takes place in 1805, during the Napoleonic Wars. with Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey captaining the HMS Surprise (and a favorite film of ours too).

SPECS: Measures about 6.5" tall by 4.6" wide by 2.4" deep, the pair weighs in at 4 lbs 5 oz. The original pale blue paint is in near mint condition on one of the pair. No breaks or tears in the bronze cladding, some corner-bulges (usually indicative of casting anomalies, where the underlying plaster has the same shape).