Exquisitely hammered rare Dirk Van Erp / D'arcy Gaw copper bookends with cutout design. Signed with the studio's impressed windmill mark above "Dirk Van Erp / D'arcy Gaw". During this period, production was relatively sparse and items from this period are quite rare and sought after by collectors. The planishing design of large elongated hammer marks is especially rare. When I first viewed the hammering up close I was reminded of the surface of a body of undulating water. It wasn't until recently that I pictured the cutouts as anything other than a pleasing geometric design. I now wonder if the design was intended to represent a bridge with water moving peacefully unrestrained beneath. Simple yet elegant, the heart of the Arts & Crafts Movement design and craftsmanship.