Antique Brass Bookends – Dan & Levi From the Twelve Tribes of Israel, After Sadeler Renaissance Engravings

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A scholarly and decorative pair of antique brass bookends, circa 1900–1925, featuring high-relief biblical figures from the Twelve Tribes of … Read more A scholarly and decorative pair of antique brass bookends, circa 1900–1925, featuring high-relief biblical figures from the Twelve Tribes of Israel. One panel shows Dan, identified at the top, pointing outward with serpent and horse at his feet. The other depicts Levi, seen as a warrior with raised arm and battlefield scene behind. Both carry Latin inscriptions drawn from the Renaissance engravings of Jan Sadeler I after Crispijn van den Broeck (Antwerp, 1575).
These bookends were produced by a continental workshop (Dutch or German) in the early 20th century, pressed from single sheets of brass and bent into an “L” form. The undersides are stamped with three small pseudo-hallmarks, a decorative convention of the period. A fine pairing of art history and decorative arts, perfect for anchoring large reference volumes in your library.

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