Featured Somebody collecting cast iron, Hanauer Eisen etc…

I'm looking to have contact with people collectors of what's called in german Eisen Kunst Guss, literally art iron casting, 19 th century pieces remplacing bronze with iron after Napoleonic war and same reasons of metal remplacement.
I put pictures of a sewing piece which can be american or english and a pair of french "pyrogènes"(I haven't found the right word, sorry).
I have nothing for sale, it's just to found others interested people, I have documentation about the german production, but on other countries is nearly nothing published in Europe.
Thanks for your interest. ;-)

 

qu'est-ce-que tu veux dire par pyrogènes ? les porte-allumettes ?
matchstick holders ?
furthermore there are many museums for Eisenkunstguss in Germany.
as for desirability: most highly regarded well into the start of the 20th c. were all sorts of Berliner Eisen (fer de Berlin); not only juwelry that was at the beginning of the change from bronze/gold etc. to iron, but also art nouveau figures and museum models of classical statues etc.
the name fer de Berlin originated in special casting techniques that resulted in extremely detailled figures of higher quality than most in Europe.

 

I love the sewing aid, thank you for showing us.
I can't help you to get in touch other collectors, but they may find you here. I used to know a few collectors of Berlin Iron jewellery, but have lost contact.

The word Fid suggested, matchstick holder or match holder is correct for the French couple, I think.

 

he most probably meant Hanauer Silber and not Eisen...

 

From the name, looks like the use would be as a fire starter, so maybe match striker?

 

Hanau also produced fine iron, here is some info on Hanauer Eisen (sorry everyone, in German only):
http://www.fr.de/rhein-main/alle-ge...8-jahre-firmentradition-sind-zu-ende-a-991120

 

There could be a striker pad underneath, or at the back.

 

that's the disadvantage of google for people that have no basic knowledge. you found the only Giesserei in Hanau that was still active and exists no more.

 

The two figures could be match holders. The baskets are a bit too shallow for spill vases. The other piece is probably a 'sewing clamp'. The clamp bit underneath fastens onto a table or whatever, and the clamp acts as an extra hand. The bit on top is for pins.

 

I thought my posts in which I mentioned that one of my father's degrees was in metallurgy were becoming a bit boring. But since I didn't repeat it here, I forgive Fid for his oversight.

I would like to remind Fid though, that Antiquers is not an Ebay forum. After an earlier sign of disrespect which was addressed by several members, I suggested we start with a clean slate. It saddens me that Fid was not willing to do that. However, I make the same offer again.

I apologize to @Lecollectionneur for the tone of part of his thread, this was never my intention when I posted proof of the existence of Hanau iron.
I searched for Hanau iron because I remembered my father talking about it. It was his job to know that kind of thing. He managed a foundry for a while and researched other foundries, contemporary and past.
My parents also had a 19th century decorative Hanau iron plate. And as a child I was fascinated by the beautiful chesspieces made in Hanau, which I saw in museums.
While I have no "basic knowledge" of the operational capacity of any Hanau foundry during their heyday, I did know of the existence of Hanau iron.
I also know that Hanau iron is not Hanau silver, which I am also familiar with.

Fid is right, the Hanau manufacturer in the link I posted is no longer operational. As I understood from you, Lecollectioneur, you collect antique iron, not recently made. So there was no reason to look for a Hanau Iron company that was still manufacturing.

 

Sorry, it seems not clear why I make this post, it's to speak of what is called in german Eisen-Giesserei, not so clearly named in other countries, in english it's cast iron, and not for commercial action too(I read the word Ebay in the posts).
In US too they were a lot of things made of cast iron, from statuary to small items for everyday use, I know only a little about that for example and search pictures, books and people who can write about that, were they are made etc….

Personally I look not especially jewellery, most items in my collection are paperweights, fidibus holders, match holders-strikers, fidibus is the french name for a piece of paper rolled to take fire for smoking pipe, long time before the cigarette or cigare smoking.

Then the two humans items are not really precisely "pyrogènes" but holders for fidibus(and more difficult word to translate for me…), not for striking matches, the difference is fine but if we want to be very precise, it has to be said, a "pyrogène" can be chemical or electric without matches too, I have some but in bronze and more from the end of the 19th century-beginning of the 20th.

The two human castings are certainly french casting, they are what's called in french "gueux" or "chifonniers", the origin comes from napoleonic wars, to make some social action they were a lot of statuary made using the image of poverty after the war, I have about 20 subjects in different materials using this propaganda against war and their consequences but it's an another subject of interest for me. ;-)

You have certainly noticed that writing in english is not easy for me especially about so specialised subject, then if I make errors, please explain me what is the right wording, when I don't know a word, I'm using the free translator Reverso then if you know a better one too.

To be more precise, here are examples in pictures of what interest me, about those subjects i have documentation, dates, manufacturers etc…
The soldier is the russian cast iron you can found later cast in bronze, the iron one was made about 1880-90, I have a Bogatyr from the same period, the casting hallmarks are the next picture.




The most detailed european pieces are certainly from Berlin in the 1800-1840 period(began in 1770's but I have no examples from that time) and after Germany and Russia in general, Seebass is my favourite, a lot of smokers items like the match holder-striker(about 6 centimeters high-ca. 1880) on the next picture comes probably from Germany most than France looking at the quality of fine details, for me it's a good way to know where it was made.
If you know for example where I can see detailed pictures of US cast iron, or books on that subject I'm interested too.
They are certainly museums we can virtually visit now, or they have their archives on the web, but it's difficult for me to find them on the thausends of websites about antiques.

 

Your English is fine Lecollectionneur thank-you for sharing, I love the sewing clamp!

 

The word for fidibus in English is probably "spill vase" - spills in this case being twisted bits of paper used to light pipes or other things from a candle fire or fireplace or whatever. I found this "Berlin iron" (their description) on an Australian website.

 

fidibus can be everything from a rolled old newspaper to a long matchstick to those paraffin cubes. means simply a help to start a fire. probably a made-up term by students.
and I'm really shocked that they use the term Berlin Iron downunder.

 

So we can agree on something then. Let's be civil about it and anything else from now on.

Such a coincidence, so does my husband, except his are for hydraulic systems in airforce aircraft, and NATO and affiliate military approval. I don't see the relevance with art iron, and even less with fairytales, though.

I suggest you read what I wrote, if you do, you will have to admit that I never said it was a term in metallurgy, whether in German or any other language. Just like it was never said in the link I posted.
Hanau iron is simply collectible, maybe niche, but people do collect it, so it has a justified place in this forum.

 

I think you are doing a wonderful job in a foreign language. I really love your explanations, please keep them coming.
I also like the social aspect you mention, and it certainly explains some things I have come across in 19th century French art.

 

I do definitely not need your fairytales.

There's no reason 4 this to be part of any answer or discussion here...........

 

I have a precision about the soldier sculpture to answer at a private message, the Kasli founry wikipedia page is : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasli and about especially cast iron : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasli_iron_sculpture
They are modern versions of this sculpture on the market but with USSR marks, and they are fakes too due to the price of the original ones, the foundry mark from the original about 1910 version is below.

 

@Lecollectionneur I understand your request for a private message, but it is probably best to start a new thread for this one. There are knowledgeable people on the forum who probably haven't seen this thread, and won't see this new item.

 

Thanks for your research, this is a good example for first versions, I have a nice one in painted wood which is very shallow too, the later ones as the two examples are made more for shorter wood or rool paper with something flammable or simply soft wood, this technique was used as a light in swiss in the 1600 with wood first and after with cord put in resin and hold in a steel sort of candlestick.
In the french litterature you found often the fidibus holder in the 19th century, and in a Hercule Poirot TV film I've heard it use this word which is late but seems to be used in Enland at that time.

For the terms I use to qualify items, they are not what I use about technology but language used by museums, collectors, auctioneers, when I want to qualify technically something, it's different and I make it precisely, what is now called precision foundry, in french fonderie de précision, is not the subject, because antique items can be of relative poor quality when the original form was at the end of his life, dimensions have no importance at the time, with complicated pieces like the soldier each one was assembled and adjusted time after time and it is no interchangeability(what a word…) from one to another.



Just another thing, I'm here to have a contact with other (passionate)collectors, not for making problems and in the past as a photographer I was of a number of forum especially in french, then only staying in english on dyxum where members are quiet and speak only about photography, your forum seems to be a good quality place but I'm only here for antiques, and have no need for social contact or problems with people!