Pair Antique Hubley Cast Iron Puppo Dog Figurine Paperweights Bee on Hip Grace Drayton

Details

Description

This is a rare matching pair of authentic 1920s vintage/antique cast iron miniature paperweights or favor toys manufactured by the … Read more This is a rare matching pair of authentic 1920s vintage/antique cast iron miniature paperweights or favor toys manufactured by the Hubley Manufacturing Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Designed by famed American illustrator Grace Wiederseim Drayton (creator of the Campbell’s Soup Kids and comic strips such as Dolly Dingle and Puppo), these charming figures feature her iconic "Puppo" Boston Terrier / bulldog pup character sitting with a wide-eyed, concerned facial expression staring at a bee painted on its hind flank/hip.

Each puppy is cast in solid iron with a flat, ground base and finished in its original cold-painted factory cream/white enamel with black ears, eye patches, and facial accents, yellow/brown painted eyes, a pale blue ribbon tied around the neck, and a hand-painted bee/fly graphic on the right hip. The pair retains a wonderfully aged, untouched original surface displaying authentic chippy paint loss and minor natural oxidation, demonstrating excellent historical character.

Material Solid Cast Iron with original cold-painted enamel finish.

Origin Made in USA (Hubley Manufacturing Co., Lancaster, Pennsylvania).

Age Circa 1920s (c. 1919–1930).

Dimensions & Weight

Dimensions: Approx. 1.5 in Height × 1.5 in Width (each)

Combined Weight: 274 grams (~9.66 oz)

Historical Provenance & Design Significance Designed during the Golden Age of American cast iron manufacturing, these miniature figures represent a key collaboration between the Hubley Manufacturing Company and renowned American illustrator Grace Wiederseim Drayton. Celebrated for creating the iconic Campbell's Soup Kids and beloved early 20th-century comic strips, Drayton brought her trademark whimsical character modeling to Hubley's iron foundry output.

Curator's Note
A charming matching pair of 1920s American cast iron "Puppo" miniatures showcasing original chippy cold-painted patina and naive graphic whimsy. Compact yet surprisingly heavy, these sculptural figures make excellent accent pieces for styled vignettes, vintage book stacks, or modern executive desk landscapes.

Authenticity Assessment
These figurines show all key markers of genuine 1920s Hubley production:

Casting & Seam Quality: Fine, high-density iron casting with clean details and minimal surface pitting. The original mold seams down the center lines are hand-filed smooth in typical Hubley fashion.

Base Finishing: Flat-ground bottom surfaces with visible original factory disc-grinding marks, displaying subtle natural age darkening rather than artificial aging or heavy reddish rust.

Paint Execution: Authentic original cold-painted enamel featuring Grace Drayton’s signature color palette (cream ground, black patches, yellow eye highlights, mint/light blue neck ribbon) and hand-applied bee motif. Paint shows genuine micro-crazing and edge flaking expected on early 20th-century iron toys.

Scale & Weight: Precise historical proportions with a dense heft (274g combined for the pair), unlike lighter modern recasts.

Reference
Book Title: The Penny Bank Book: Collecting Still Banks
Author: Andy and Susan Moore
Page / Reference: Page 81 (Reference #416 — documenting Hubley's Grace Drayton Puppo design with bee/fly motif; also featured in Hubley's Catalog of Iron and Steel Toys, c. 1919/1920, page 65). See less