Vintage Cast Iron Teddy Bear Drummer Door Wedge in Navy and Green

This little bandsman has clearly been on parade for years. Dressed in a navy tunic with a lime green sash, a row of medals and a pillbox cap, he sits behind a painted drum with his sticks raised, ready to keep the beat while he holds your door open.

He is cast in iron with a hollow back and a flat wedge behind him, so rather than leaning against the door like a traditional doorstop, he slides underneath it and stays put, which makes him ideal for bedroom and cupboard doors that like to creep shut. A gentle nudge with your toe is all it takes to move him, and he is small enough not to trip over. He measures 10.5cm high, 8cm deep including the wedge and 7cm wide, and weighs 520g.

Painted cast iron doorstops have been made in Britain since Victorian times, when foundries turned out everything from Punch and Judy to lions and baskets of flowers. Teddy bears became a favourite subject much later, and this cheerful drummer belongs to that tradition, perched on a gilt lined brown base.

The paint has worn away on his face, ears and paws where hands have picked him up over the years, showing the dark iron beneath. We think it suits him: he looks properly loved rather than fresh from the shop, and the colours on his tunic and drum are still bright.

He would be lovely holding open a nursery door, or sitting on a bookshelf between a row of children's classics when he is off duty. For a christening, a new baby or anyone who still has their childhood teddy, he makes a sweet present that will last for decades.