Over time, I’ve considered a few old forged iron snakes and snake-shaped trivets—blacksmith whimsies of sorts— but this is the first that completely jumped out and bit me! It’s a large (long!) one, and quite unusual as far as I’ve seen in terms of featuring a combination of painted and rasped (I believe that would be the correct term) detailing, the former giving a fabulous spotted pattern to the entire length of the cobra's back and white to its underbelly and "hood", and the latter giving the iron a tactile snakeskin-like pattern on one side and a notched/striped one on the other. And then the end of the tail curls down, so that it wants to be set near the edge of the table or shelf or pedestal such that the end of the tail almost grips the ledge like a hook. I think the best I’ve ever seen. I would guess later 19th c., with terrific patina and aging to the paint—including red for the eyes!
Snake 8 1/2” t as sits on table; 9 3/4” including tail overhang’ 3 1/8” d at base; 5 3/8” across with tail.
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