Antique Victorian Cast Iron Saint Bernard Doorstop with Rescue Barrel

A late Victorian English cast iron doorstop in the form of a standing Saint Bernard rescue dog, the small barrel cast at the throat in the manner that made this breed famous across 19th-century Europe. Sand-cast in two parts on a shaped oval plinth with a cast rosette border, retaining its old applied black paint surface, now oxidized to reveal warm rust beneath in areas of natural wear. English doorstops of this scale, plinth treatment, and modeling sit firmly in the tradition of the Black Country foundries of West Bromwich and Birmingham, where Archibald Kenrick & Sons led production of figural cast iron for the Victorian household.

[d]Type | Figural Doorstop

[d]Material | Cast iron with original paint

[d]Subject | Saint Bernard rescue dog with barrel

[d]Origin | England

[d]Age | Circa 1880 to 1900, late Victorian

[d]Style | Late Victorian figural cast iron

[d]Size | 9.5 in W x 7.25 in H x 2 in D

[d]Plinth | Shaped oval base with cast rosette border

[d]Marks | Unmarked, in the tradition of Archibald Kenrick & Sons, West Bromwich

[condition]

The doorstop is in good honest antique condition with surface wear and oxidation consistent with roughly 130 years of use. The casting is complete and intact, with no cracks, breaks, or repairs. The Saint Bernard's rescue barrel is intact and original to the casting. The piece sits level and flat. The original applied black paint surface is stable and shows the warm rust patina underneath where the paint has worn or oxidized away, most visible on the underside, along the edges of the plinth, and across the flanks of the dog. The casting seam along the topline and the small circular gate plug visible on the body are original to the period manufacturing process and are not flaws. No active flaking. Suitable for use or purely decorative display.