Vintage Cast Iron Family of Ducks Doorstop in Cream and Yellow

Nobody has ever looked more purposeful than this family of ducks on their way somewhere important. Cast in solid iron and painted by hand, they march in a tidy line along a green grassy base: father at the front with his beak in the air, mother just behind in a fetching pink bonnet, and two ducklings bringing up the rear, doing their best to keep pace. All four are painted in soft cream with speckled brown wings, sunny yellow beaks and bright orange yellow feet.

Ducks have been among the best loved cast iron doorstop designs for generations, and the family in a row is a classic of the type, recalling Beatrix Potter’s Jemima Puddle Duck and the picture book ducklings of Make Way for Ducklings. This one has plenty of charm in the details, from the feather markings on each wing to the little bonnet ribbon.

They measure 30 x 17.5 x 6 cm, long and weighty enough to hold open a heavy door, and handsome enough to stand on a hearth or deep windowsill when the door is shut. The cream paint has worn in places to show the darker iron beneath, especially along the backs and wing edges, giving the whole family a gently weathered, farmhouse look.

Line them up by a back door beside a pair of wellies, let them lead the way along a hallway floor, or stand them on a kitchen hearth next to a basket of logs. They would make a lovely gift for a new home, a nursery or anyone who keeps ducks, and their soft colouring suits cream, sage and pale blue rooms equally well.

Four ducks, one direction, and not a single argument about where they’re going. Which is more than can be said for most families.