A Pair Of Cast Iron Boot Scrapers

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A Pair Of Cast Iron Boot Scrapers

About the Item

A large-scale pair of early Victorian polished cast iron bootscrapers fashioned as wyverns.

Height of first wyvern: 28 ¾ in (73 cm)
Height of second wyvern: 30 in (76 cm)
Width of first wyvern: 17 ¾ in (45 cm)
Width of second wyvern: 17 in (43 cm)
Depth: 14 ½ in (37 cm)

This pair of bootscrapers is very interesting as they reflect two major developments in material and style which occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries. One of these was the interest in the antique referred to as Neo-classicism and the other was the use of cast iron.

A similar pair of bootscrapers are positioned either side of the front door at Highclere Castle in Berkshire, the current home of Lord and Lady Carnarvon, the 7th Earl and Countess and the home of their ancestors, the Herbert family since the early 18th century. The 3rd Earl built the house as it looks today, in 1842. It is interesting to note that wyverns (winged dragons with two legs and a scaly tail) which are carved into the ceiling of the gothic entrance hall are the heraldic beasts of the Carnarvon family and that these appear throughout the house on carvings, firedogs and decoration.

A further point of interest is that these bootscrapers are made from cast iron, one of the newest materials of the time. Iron had already been used for many years to make weapons and domestic items however it had always been hard to cast, due to the presence in it of excess carbon and other impurities. In 1709 Abraham Darby (who owned an iron works at Coalbrookdale, Shropshire), developed a new process for smelting iron, using coke, which meant that iron could be cast effectively and cheaply. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries cast iron was used widely. It was another new material which could be used for furniture, particularly in gardens and conservatories. 18th century rustic furniture was the basis for the earlier designs but more intricate plant motifs gradually emerged. The Coalbrookdale Company made one of the more attractive pieces of cast iron furniture called ‘fern’ seats. During this period all cast iron pieces were painted to imitate wood, bronze, stone and marble.

Literature

Huon Mallalieu, The Illustrated History of Antiques, Quarto Publishing plc, London, 1991, p. 269

Christopher Payne, Sotheby's Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture, Conran Octopus Ltd., London, 1989, pp. 133-134

Sarah Greenwood, Highclere Castle Guidebook, Norman Hudson and Co, Oxon, 1988

Dimensions:
Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 14.5 in (36.83 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Iron
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
19th Century
Condition:
fine.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
Seller: O2I00041stDibs: U090618864620