This vintage mid-century cast iron figural bottle opener features a woman (often referred to as a "Lady of the Night" or French Quarter beatnik girl) wearing a beret, turtleneck dress, and heels, leaning against a lamp post labeled "BOURBON ST. NEW ORLEANS, LA".

The back arch of the base forms the functional bottle opener lip. The piece retains a high percentage of its original cold-painted finish, featuring yellow lamp panels, peach/flesh skin tones, white lettering, and red/black accents. It exhibits natural surface wear, micro paint loss on high points, and light oxidation typical of authentic age.

Origin United States (produced primarily as mid-century New Orleans French Quarter souvenir barware; attributed to regional foundries like Wilton Products or C.J. Charia & Co. import/distributors).

Age c. 1950s–1960s (Mid-Century Vintage)

Material Hand-painted Cast Iron

Condition Report Good to Very Good vintage condition. Original paint exhibits honest, authentic age wear, including minor chipping along high-relief edges (nose, skirt, and lamp cap) and mild bottom-plate oxidation. No cracks, breaks, or stress fractures in the iron. The opener lip on the reverse remains intact and fully functional.

Authenticity Assessment This piece displays key markers of authentic mid-century American cast iron manufacture:

• Casting & Seams: Features tight, well-fitted two-part mold seam lines running vertically up the lamp post and figure, without the heavy flash or rough wide seams found in modern Asian reproductions.

• Surface Texture: The iron surface exhibits a fine, dense grain with natural minor pitting underneath the paint layer.

• Paint & Oxidation: Displays genuine cold-painted enamel with expected micro-crazing and edge wear. Honest surface oxidation and shelf wear are visible on the underside flat base (which remains unpainted/wear-exposed), confirming authentic age rather than artificially aged post-1990 re-casts.

Reference

• Book Title: Figural Cast Iron Openers

• Author: Irvis Depold

• Reference Note: Classified under mid-century novelty, souvenir, and street-lamp series figural bottle openers (similar variants cataloged under souvenir/barware figural openers).

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