Antique cast iron figurine

[w0otiez]

Just found this detecting my backyard. Its heavy for its size. I'm thinking cast iron. The patina on it leads me to believe it once had a copper plating? Any idea of the age and what this piece was? It doesnt stand upright on a flat surface.

 

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[A2coins]

That is really cool

 

[mojjax]

dutch boy paint figurine ? I think it's cool too !

 

[w0otiez]

Dutch boy would be a good guess. I googled it and it does look similar, especially in the face. However, I think it's definitely a girl with a dress on. She has a small space in her arm.. perhaps it was meant to hold something.. an umbrella or flowers?

 

[creskol]

How freakin cool is that .. Wonderful find w0otiez!

I forgot to say that it looks kinda like an Amish lady.

 

[mojjax]

maybe the morton salt girl

 

[Reanm8er]

Greetings w0otiez, nice find!

I'm with creskol. With the apron, that spells farm wife. The bonnet, without a side view, looks like Amish or
Mennonite. It may also be relative to a certain time or European notion. The gathered design of the shoulders
on the dress might be an indication, time wise. The only thing that puzzles me is the copper coating. This piece
is obviously old. In my younger days, we used to see Mennonites in their black automobiles with all the shinny
parts, like the bumpers and trim strips, painted over with black paint. The notion was, that the Devil was in
anything shinny. Assuming you found it in New York, it probably does have a Dutch theme or origin? How tall
is it?

Best wishes!

 

[Tony in SC]

Did you try a magnet on it? Cast iron does not plate well so I'm thinking it may be bronze?

 

[vscience]

Definitely female. She has a bonnet, skirt, apron and bow in the back. Check out: Hubley - made cast iron toys, doorstops etc.
Also, see: https://www.etsy.com/listing/617942061/vintage-antique-cast-iron-pilgrim-amish

 

[Reanm8er]

I have to ask vscience, Are you sure Hubley made figurines of cast Iron in the 1970s! Their series of antique luxury
cars in the sixties and seventies were made of die cast zinc. I used to like antique models and considered them one
time. When I figured I'd have to trim the flash (which was considerable) with something other that a hobby knife
and wash it with an etching compound to make the paint stick, I was out! I acquired 5 complete kits in the early 90s
of some of their best offerings for fifteen bucks, aka 3 bucks a piece. The first wide eyed fool that offered me fifty
for all, was a godsend!

If I had to guess, this lady was part of a 19th century holiday set, of some sort! Not likely Hubley.

 

[Reanm8er]

Just because it's cast and it's magnetic doesn't mean it's cast iron. They don't call Zinc Die Cast "Pot Metal"
for nothing. It's the stuff that's fluxed off a crucible of steel. There's just enough ferocity to make it mildly
magnetic and give it a bit of strength. They used to bury the stuff till they found out you could make toys
and cheap drawer pulls out of it!

 

[Reanm8er]

To reinforce the shiny thing!

My wife's Grt Grandfather attended West Point in 1870. He was expelled, a whole other story, and when he died,
his folks buried him, by request in his West Point overcoat! It was a family legend that the buttons were removed
so as not to attract the Devil to his corporeal remains, a Germanic notion. When my Mother in law passed she
left a small box of silver toned buttons! They were the identical number that should have been on his overcoat
at West Point in the 1870s. Point aside, the buttons were at least German Silver. A lure for the Devil for sure, LOL!

 

[gunsil]

If you go to PA Dutch areas they have tourist shops which sell similar figurines, some cast iron and some cast spelter or pot metal. I think this is what was found here.

 

[w0otiez]

I was thinking it could be some sort of farm girl or milk maid. I wanted to say Dutch or amish, but the hat and bow on the dress strikes me as way more Americana type deal. My house was built in the 1820's and it was a farmhouse with 40 acres at one point according to historical maps.