An owl keeps watch over a stack of pine cones on this Art Nouveau letter holder — equal parts sculpture and sorter, the kind of object that makes a desk feel considered.
Cast in heavy iron by the H. L. Judd Company of Wallingford, Connecticut, sometime in the 1910s or '20s, this piece carries the maker's stamp, #6643, on its base. Judd traced its roots to an English brass foundry founded in 1830, and by the early twentieth century had become known for finely detailed sand-cast hardware — bookends, doorstops, letter holders — work distinctive enough to be exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The surface here shows the soft, even patina that comes only with a century of honest use.
It holds its own on a home office desk, an entryway table, or a kitchen counter for the day's mail — and makes a fitting gift for the antique lover, the owl collector, or anyone who likes their desk accessories with a bit of history.
Material: Cast iron
Maker: H. L. Judd Co. #6643, Wallingford, CT, USA
Antique: circa 1910s–1920s
Dimensions: approx. 7.5" long x 5" tall x 2.75" deep
Condition: Very good antique condition with natural surface patina
