Vintage Cast Iron Cockerel Doorstop in Crimson, Emerald and Gold

If our other cockerel is a sensible farmyard type, this one is dressed for an evening out. Cast in solid iron and painted by hand, he stands proud on a grassy mound with his head held high, a scarlet comb and wattle set against a golden yellow neck, a crimson breast and a magnificent sweep of emerald tail feathers. Beneath him sits a shaped plinth painted in antique gold, with a raised oval cartouche on the front that gives him an almost regal air.

The cockerel has long been the emblem of farmhouse kitchens across Britain and France, a symbol of good fortune, plenty and early starts, and cast iron versions have been holding doors open in country homes for well over a century. This one has particularly fine detail in the casting, from the layered ruff of feathers around his neck to the curling plumes of his tail. Turn him round and you’ll find a neat wedge cast into the back, so he slides under a door rather than simply leaning against it.

He measures 10 x 11.5 x 10 cm, compact enough for a dresser shelf or kitchen windowsill, with the satisfying weight only cast iron brings. His paint shows gentle wear consistent with age, adding a softly rubbed patina to the gold and the darker feathers.

Let him hold open a pantry or kitchen door, perch him on a Welsh dresser among stoneware jugs and copper pans, or give him pride of place on a mantelpiece beside a bunch of tulips. He would make a lovely gift for anyone who keeps hens or collects kitchenalia, and his jewel colours look wonderful against cream, sage or deep red walls.

He is very handsome and entirely aware of it.