From the bronze age to the present, molten metal has been poured into molds to create an infinite variety of forms and to serve a variety of functions. This marriage of form and function is what has made figurative cast iron so popular among collectors. This beautiful new book will give the reader insight into the creativity of the designers of cast iron which allowed the mundane objects of life to become interesting works of art and fancy. From doorstops to doorknockers, still banks to lawn sprinklers, bottle openers to bookends, their functionally was hidden in the forms of animals, flowers, buildings, people, and more.Figurative Cast Iron: A Collector's Guide documents this practical art with over 900 beautiful full-colour photographs. A price guide will help make this book useful as well as pleasurable.