French fowl

While clearing the house of a deceased relative recently, I came across what appears to be a cast bronze duck with some odd features. But it is beautiful and I would love to know more.

It weighs almost 3kg, is 23cm long from beak to tail, and stands 18cm high. The metal is slightly coloured on the back and the surface is far from smooth. One strange feature is a small hole in the centre of the chest, which goes right into the body cavity. My guess would be that it’s an incense burner, but I don’t know how it would work. Also, underneath is a larger hole with a rough wooden or cork plug, which I took out to discover a thickish layer of white powder inside. Lastly is the mark under the chest, which I’ve no idea of the origins of – please help! Janet Dore-Worsam, via email

I, too, am rather taken with your duck. It’s French, early 20th-century. The seal-type mark on the base is a foundry mark; I can see the word ‘Fondeur’, but unfortunately I’ve not been able to identify it.

The plugged hole is a casting hole. The piece was made using a method called ‘ lost-wax casting’, in which the core is filled with sand or grit. It is the residue of this that you have found inside. In 19th-century France, sculptors known as Les Animaliers created a tradition of animal sculpture – your piece has evolved from that movement. The sculptor has played with the surface in a pleasing way, contrasting textured areas with the smooth, burnished surface of the wings.

You mention a hole in the duck’s chest, but this seems an unlikely place for an incense stick. To me, it looks like a purely sculptural piece. The auction value is likely to be under £300, but this could be reviewed if the foundry and maker were identified.