BRASS DUCK BOOKENDS & READER’S DIGEST BIRDS

Updated August 8, 2026

Lot number	313
Auction	CENTREVILLE, MISSISSIPPI Van Cleave FAMILY LIVING ESTATE
Date	August 13, 2026 at 7:30 PM EDT
Auction house	Bell Remnants
Location	McComb, Mississippi

AVAILABLE for SHIPPING or LOCAL PICKUP > Pair of substantial figural brass duck bookends accompanied by the large illustrated volume Birds: Their Life, Their Ways, Their World. Each bookend stands 6-1/2" tall upon a base measuring approximately 3" × 3-1/4". Together, the pair weighs a notable 3-1/2 pounds. The opposing waterfowl figures are modeled with elongated necks, projecting bills, engraved eyes and darkened incised details defining the faces and beaks. Their broad, weighted brass bases are formed with flat inner surfaces to support books securely, while the outward-facing profiles create a balanced, symmetrical display. The birds are best described generally as stylized ducks or waterfowl rather than specifically as mallards, since no characteristic mallard plumage is represented. The accompanying Reader’s Digest hardcover, Birds: Their Life, Their Ways, Their World, was published in 1979 and measures approximately 8-1/2" × 11". The substantial 411-page reference volume was written by Christopher M. Perrins and Colin Harrison, with extensive color illustrations by Ad Cameron. Designed as both a natural-history reference and visual survey, the book examines bird anatomy, flight, feeding, migration, courtship, nesting, habitats and behavior, followed by an illustrated overview of bird families from throughout the world. The green and tan binding is decorated with gilt lettering and a gilt bird illustration, making the volume particularly well suited for display between the brass bookends.

BRASS DUCK BOOKENDS & READER’S DIGEST BIRDS

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