Simply Stunning Victorian Figural Gilt Brass Letter Clip in the form of a kindly faced Alligator

THE STORY - Oh my goodness when I saw this Chap from a distance on the stall of a dealer I regularly buy from at an Antiques Fair I regularly attend I more or less sprinted to the table to get a closer look and I was not disappointed. This wonderful little chap is a Letter, Paper or Bill Clip and is made from Brass lacquered in a wonderful gilt and moulded into the form of an Alligator. But this Alligator has the friendliest of faces with those glass eyes even when you press down on his tail to open his mouth to place your bills and papers between his teeth. The dealer told me she acquired it from a Collector and I can believe that as he or she is in really lovely condition with the spring still tight and only light rubbing to the gilt. Underneath the clip there is the number Rd115899, this is in the new format of design registration numbers brought in, in 1884 where it began with a 1, and kept rolling on. According to my research the year 1888 started with the number 90483 and ended with 116647, so that is when our little chap dates to. And his form is just so beautiful he sits on what looks like some kind of lilly Pad and when you open his mouth his lower jaw stays on the leaf, his legs remind me of the stance of a frog and his back is slightly arched and then there is that wonderful arched tall which is curved at the end which is the handle of the clip and on the base of the clip under his tail there is a hole so if chosen this clip could be wall mounted.

AGE - 1888

CONDITION - This little guy really is in remarkably good condition. As I have already mentioned the spring still feels very strong, there is some rubbing to the gilt this is mainly on the sides of the clips and on his legs. The top jaw of the alligator sits slightly more to one side than the other. And his eyes look to be the original ones.

DIMENSIONS (Approx) - Length 4&3/4" /12cm, Height 2&1/2" / 6.5cm, Depth 2&1/2" / 6.5cm

So there he is my oh so special Friendly Faced Alligator Letter Clip. Oh my goodness how I am in awe at the Whimsies the Victorians so beautifully created, Whimsies which are practical, beautiful but also so very well made. There is nothing throw away about this little Chap, and it surprises me not one minute that he has been cherished all these many, many years. I have to say though I would have loved to have met his original owner and seen the desk in their study where this little chap was meant to sit with all the papers clamped tightly in his mouth I bet both they and the room would of been amazing.