Poire French Provincial Pear and Apple Bookends, Cast Iron Set of 2 in Aged Black

A cast iron pear and apple, pitted and dark, heavy enough to hold a shelf of books in line.

Poire is a pair of fruit bookends cast in solid cast iron with an aged black finish, bronze and rust showing through the dimpled skin. One is shaped as a pear, the other as an apple, each with a little leaf at the stem.

Each fruit sits on an L-shaped base that slips under your books, with the weight of the iron keeping a row upright. Set them at each end of a shelf, or use one as a heavy little doorstop or paperweight.

Why we love it

• ◆ A pear and an apple, sold as a pair, with a pitted, hand-finished texture and a little cast leaf each.
• ◆ Solid cast iron, weighty enough to actually hold books, not just decorate the shelf.
• ◆ Aged black finish, dark with bronze and rust tones for a vintage, lived-in look.
• ◆ More than bookends, lovely on a shelf, a mantel, a desk, or as a pair of weighty ornaments.

How to style it

A few ways to use them:

• Set one at each end of a shelf of books; see more in the bookends collection.
• Use them on a desk or in a study with a stack of favourite hardbacks.
• Stand them as a pair of ornaments on a mantel or console, even without books.
• Press one into service as a heavy paperweight or a small doorstop.

Care & Keeping

Dust with a soft dry cloth, and keep them indoors and dry. Like all cast iron, the finish can mark or spot if left somewhere damp. A little furniture wax or a light wipe of oil now and then keeps the aged black looking rich.

Because Poire is hand-finished, slight variations in patina, texture, and paint are natural and add to the unique character of each piece. Colour may also vary slightly between screens; all photography is taken in natural light.