Pair of Carved Stone Horse Head Bookends. Identical figures, one facing left and the other facing right, protruding from a tall rectangular backing. Labels on undersides gives an ID number and says "Made in India." 

Condition: Commensurate with age. 

Size: 5 3/4 x 7 x 8 1/4 in. 

A bookend is an object that is tall, sturdy, and heavy enough when placed at either end of a row of upright books to support or buttress them. Heavy bookends made of wood, bronze, marble, and even large geodes have been used in libraries, stores, and homes for centuries. The first modern L-shaped bookend was made of simple sheet metal, originally patented in 1877 by William Stebbins Barnard (1849-1887), a biologist who apparently had way too many books and not enough time. It used the weight of the books standing on its foot to clamp the bookend’s tall brace against the last book’s back, and has become the de facto bookend in libraries today to support the end of a row of books, although now most are made of plastic. Elaborate and decorative bookends, sometimes made with exotic or mixed materials, are common as elements in home décor. The word “bookend” has also entered the lexicon as a metaphorical way to refer to any pair of items which frame and define a significant or noteworthy event or place, usually in literature or time. For example, in the United States Memorial Day and Labor Day demarcate the traditional beginning and end of summer, so those two holidays could be referred to as bookends.

Commensurate with age. 

All items are sold AS IS. Lot and condition details are for descriptive purposes only. Sarasota Estate Auction is not responsible for errors and/or omissions of condition. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is perfect or free from wear, flaws, or characteristics of age. Please bid according to your own expertise, or request any additional information and/or photographs you deem necessary.