Need Help Identifying This Art Noveau Bronze Piece

[Marc-Barr]

I have no idea what this is. My grandfather use to buy antiques all the time. When going through some of his belongings we found this. It still has the tag on it. All it says is Bronze Art Noveau and the price. Any idea what it is? Seems like it is something nautical,but that's just a guess since it looks like a mermaid.I can email more pics if it would help. Many thanks!

[KC]

Welcome Marc-Barr.

Could you please post a pic of the back as well.

[Marc-Barr]

Couple More Pics.

[Marc-Barr]

Sorry. My camera is on it's last legs and I need to get a new one.

[KC]

I was thinking it was a religious icon until I saw the backside of the man/fish.  Is that correct that it ends in a tail on front?

[Marc-Barr]

That is correct. I have had a real difficult time trying to find out what this could have been.Many thanks for looking!

[waywardangler]

It looks like 2 tails to me - one coming off each gluteus maximus and ending on the front.  Maybe it is a doorknocker?  The $195 price wasn't paid was it or was it an asking price?

[KC]

Can you please post a pic of the face on the aquaman?

[regularjoe2]

My first guess on this one is a weighted pull , of some sort (maybe servants' bell??) .

[Marc-Barr]

The $195 was not paid. He NEVER paid full price and always asked dealers what their best price was. Grandpa knew dealers marked the items up only to bring them down.I tried getting a pic of the face but my crappy camera makes it very blurry. I have inspected it closely and their are not markings,symbols,or signatures on it anywhere. Thanks again for the help.

[KC]

Reminds me of a pull that my grandparents used on their ceiling pull down.  Back in the days before A/C they had attic fans.  A huge wooden door would be in the ceiling and you would pull it open to turn on the fan to cool down the house.  Theirs was a looped pull that came from the door and they had an ornate handle that would slip through the loop to pull it. (Like so many they did have a permanent pull handle on it or it would "stick out"...this way the rope/pull blended in with the ceiling until it was used.

That being said....I do agree that it is most likely a pull.

What for?  I am not sure...

[Marc-Barr]

Thanks. That sounds more likely. I've heard everything from a paper weight (it's rather light) to a bookmark.

[hosman321]

I was thinking a wall bed. But I don't think that's right. I'm curious to know though!

[waywardangler]

My only problem with it being a pull, is it isn't very hand friendly.  There are a number of pointed parts of that casting and not much wear showing that it was used as a hand pull.  But maybe the Art Noveauians weren't ergonomic and were also slightly masochistic.  Another conundrum.