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The item in the image is a vintage polo player cast iron bookend manufactured by the Littlestown Hardware and Foundry Company (also known as LITTCO).
Item Details
Subject: A polo player on a horse, positioned as if preparing to swing a mallet to hit a ball.
Manufacturer: Produced by the Littlestown Foundry, Inc. (Littlestown Hardware and Foundry), located in Littlestown, PA.
Material: Cast iron, often finished with a gilt-bronze or polychrome painted surface.
Era: Typically dated to the Art Deco period, circa 1920–1930.
Dimensions: Approximately 5.5" high by 4.25" wide.
About Littlestown Hardware & Foundry (LITTCO)
Founded in 1916 by Luther D. and Emory H. Snyder, the company originally produced commercial iron castings. Around 1930, they launched the "Littco Products" art line, which included decorative items like bookends, doorstops, and figurines. Production of these decorative lines was halted during World War II as metals were diverted to the war effort for producing items like hand grenades and anti-personnel mines.
This is a classic piece of Art Deco sporting memorabilia. If you're looking to list these for sale or catalog them, here is a professional description you can use:
Title: Vintage LITTCO Cast Iron Polo Player Bookends (c. 1930)
Overview:
This is a rare, original set of cast iron bookends produced by the Littlestown Hardware and Foundry Company (LITTCO) of Littlestown, Pennsylvania. Dating back to the Art Deco era (circa 1920–1930), these bookends capture the dynamic energy of a polo match with classic early 20th-century styling.
Design Features:
Subject: Features a detailed polo player mounted on a galloping horse, captured in a mid-swing pose with an arm positioned for a mallet strike.
Material: Heavy-duty solid cast iron with a textured, "hammered" style background plate.
Finish: Finished in a distressed gilt-bronze/ochre paint, showing a desirable aged patina that highlights the casting's relief and Littlestown Hardware & Foundry (LITTCO).
Dimensions: Approximately 5.5" H x 4.25" W.
Style: Art Deco / Equestrian / Sporting Art.
Condition Note:
The pieces show authentic age-related wear, including some paint loss and "chipped" patina that is characteristic of vintage LITTCO cast iron. This "distressed" look is highly sought after by collectors of industrial and rustic farmhouse decor.
Both need to be tightened I have not done that. Rare Find at a Estate Sale In office upstairs on 3 rd floor on the Gulf
Pirchcab- 2
