Heavy Metal

I have a life-long collection habit, with eclectic interests, and a terminal addiction to "smalls" (the table-top stuff you find in antique stores).  Featured today is a sampling of my "metal" collection--figures made out various cast metals.  I love horses, so naturally I rarely pass one up no matter what the material.

The longhorn, Cocker Spaniel and horse-head are galvanized metal decorative accents meant to decorate chain-link fence posts or gates.  I have several more (including a different matched set of the Spaniels, another horse-head post cap and a big eagle meant to be mounted under a gable or above a door.  I also have several pieces of decorative floral railing, the sort of cast-metal pieces that held up front porches or back-porch awnings.  These pieces are not easy to find, and can be pricey, but they remind me of hot summer days where the adults sat in the shade while we ran around in the back yard, our knees covered with grass stains.

The Egyptian cat was a souvenir I purchased as a child when my parents took us to Cairo.  I'm an Oil Brat--my Dad worked for Esso (now Exxon-Mobil) and we lived in Tripoli, Libya from 1971 through 1973.  We went to Egypt to do the usual--see the pyramids and ride a boat down the Nile to Luxor. We went shopping in the Cario Souk.  The man who sold me this cat claimed it was "berry, berry old," and came from a dig.  Old or not, this cat has been on display in my bedroom in all the places I've lived since.

I am a generalist when it comes to collecting, but there's something about the regal nature of metal figurines, even cheesy souvenir pieces like the dashing cowboy with his six-shooter, that makes them impossible to resist.

You can see more of my collections in my "Curio Cabinet" set on my Flickr photostream.  Or check out the "Vintage Animal Pool" on Flickr--we have more than 1,500 images of vintage animal collectibles for your viewing pleasure!