Rare Denver Terra Cotta Elephant Bookends

Description

Very rare and very hard to find is this pair of incredible charging elephant bookends. They were also sold as door stops, they weigh in at 7 pounds each. They measure about 8"L x 4"W x 7"H. They do have a few chips which are visible in the pictures but do not detract from the appearance at all. They have felt applied to the base which I believe if removed would reveal the pottery marks but they are listed in several places and are identifiable. Just an incredible find from this great terra cotta manufacturer.
The original Denver Terra Cotta Company,1911-1930,  was founded in the early 1900s by an employee, George Fackt, of the St Louis Terra Cotta Company,which was later acquired by Chicago's Northwestern Terra Cotta in 1924.
Early 20th century Denver was a regional center for the use of architectural terra cotta. The Denver Terra Cotta Company, later called the Northwest Denver Terra Cotta Company, was a nationally prominent maker of architectural terra cotta, the only such producer in a thousand-mile radius of the city.
Denver Terra Cotta, like many architectural terra cotta companies, also made small souvenirs and special commemorative pieces. It is not known if these were given away to special customers or sold to the general public. Besides the elephant and Liberty Bell doorstops, Denver Terra Cotta also made scarab paperweights and owl bookends, among others.