Figural, Novelty & Antique Corkscrews

Figural corkscrews are wine-bottle corkscrews whose body, handle or worm housing is formed as a recognisable figure: most often an animal, a human character or a vehicle such as a Viking longship. This collection assembles documented examples from named makers across six countries, with several pieces carrying Thomas Guenther Collection provenance and one Christie's-documented Kirkby Beard cap lifter.

About this collectionWhat is a figural corkscrew, and what is in this catalogue

The term figural corkscrew is used precisely by collectors and overlaps but does not coincide with two related categories. Figural cap lifters open crown-cork bottles only and have no helical worm. Combined sets pair a corkscrew and a cap lifter as one novelty piece, sometimes in an original pouch or stand. Both forms appear in this catalogue, alongside a single combined Bakelite set.

The functional distinction matters for buyers. A cap lifter such as the Kirkby Beard Ducky or the Rubal English Setter cannot be used to open a corked wine bottle; it removes crown caps only. Figural corkscrews such as the Gemelli double-lever pair, the Austrian brass elephant or the O.S.P. Viking ship are mechanically complete corkscrews. The page that sits inside the wider collectible corkscrews programme treats figural and novelty work as one searchable group because most collectors buy across both forms.

Mechanical typesThe five mechanical formats you will see in this collection

• Direct-pull figural corkscrews. A worm fixed to a figural body, opened by hand strength alone. The Avillar-type parrot belongs to this family, with the addition of a folding worm.
• Double-lever figural corkscrews. Two arms (often forming the limbs of the figure) lever the cork upward when pressed down. The Gemelli Clown and Barmaid use this mechanism, which was protected by an Italian design patent.
• Bell-assisted figural corkscrews. A metal bell or housing rests on the bottle neck while the worm is turned, easing extraction. The Syroco Old Codger uses a concealed bell-assisted mechanism, a format historically associated with Williamson-type worms.
• Integrated-form figural corkscrews. The figure and worm are visually inseparable. The Austrian brass elephant uses the raised trunk as the helix; the O.S.P. Viking ship has a central mast that doubles as the worm shaft.
• Combined corkscrew and cap lifter sets. The Union-Castle R.M.M.V. Cape Town Castle pouch contains both tools as a matched pair, intended for shipboard use.

AuthenticationHow to identify a genuine period figural corkscrew

Identification rests on four converging lines of evidence: material, surface, marks and mechanism. The companion identification framework for the wider corkscrew category sits in the antique corkscrew identification guide.

1. Material. Cast white metal (a tin or zinc alloy, often called pot metal) was the dominant casting material for American figural openers from the 1930s through the 1960s. Cast brass appears in higher-tier figural corkscrews and in European production such as the Hagenauer-style Vienna pieces. Cast aluminium was favoured by Italian post-war manufacturers including Gemelli for its weight, finish and ability to take fine paint detail. Bakelite was used for novelty heads, particularly in souvenir sets. Walnut shell, used as a body or head, indicates handmade Central European folk production from the 1930s through the 1950s. SyrocoWood is a moulded wood-pulp composition produced exclusively by Syracuse Ornamental Company; it has a characteristic grainy surface that resembles carving but is moulded.
2. Surface. Cold paint (paint applied without firing) wears characteristically on raised features such as ears, snouts and high points. This wear is expected on period pieces and is not a defect. Original silver plating shows traces and natural oxidation rather than the uniform brightness of replated work. Original blackened brass patina with selectively polished highlights, as on the Hagenauer-style elephant, is a deliberate finish, not tarnish.
3. Marks and stamps. Look for maker stamps on the underside of bases, on screw plates, on sail covers or on the body itself. Examples present in this collection include the O.S.P. mark on the Viking ship base, the "DUCKY – KIRKBY BEARD & Co. PARIS" plate inscription, the Rubal New York mark on the English Setter base, and the embossed "BARMAID OPENER" on the Gemelli Barmaid apron.
4. Mechanism. Genuine period mechanisms move the way they were designed to move. A folding Avillar worm should pivot with firm action and minor play. A double-lever mechanism should resist with even tension. A bell-assisted Syroco corkscrew should sit cleanly within its body cavity. Replacement worms, modern reproductions and married-up parts are common in this market and are usually visible to a careful eye.

No single signal is conclusive. The combination is what matters.

Featured makersThe named producers represented in this collection

Gemelli (Italy)

Italian post-war manufacturer of double-lever figural corkscrews. The Clown and the Barmaid in this collection are paired examples from the same design-patent series, c.1950s to 1960s. The Clown carries original hand-painted finish; the Barmaid is presented in bare polished aluminium. Gemelli pieces sit at the higher end of mid-century figural corkscrew collecting and are sought by both barware specialists and collectors of Italian industrial design.

Syroco / Syracuse Ornamental Company (USA)

Producer of moulded SyrocoWood figural decorative objects from the 1930s into the 1960s. The "Old Codger" is a documented Syroco character type, dating to c.1940 to 1950. The corkscrew assembly is concealed beneath the figure body in a bell-and-worm format historically associated with Williamson supply.

Østlandske Sølv og Plett (O.S.P.), Oslo, Norway

Norwegian silver and plate manufacturer. The 1933-patent Viking ship corkscrew is one of the best-known Scandinavian souvenir-corkscrew forms. The example in this collection retains its original silver plating, the characteristic "HILSEN FRA NORGE" engraving on the sail cover, and a personal gift inscription "TIL REIDUN OG EDGAR".

Avillar / Negbaur type (USA)

The 1929 Avillar patent covered a hybrid bottle-seal remover combining a folding worm with an integrated cap lifter. Production is associated with Negbaur and related US makers. The brass parrot in this collection is an unmarked Avillar-type example with the beak functioning as cap lifter and the worm folding from the body.

Kirkby Beard & Co. (Paris)

British firm with a Paris production branch, active in cast figural cap lifters in the early to mid 20th century. The "Ducky" series is documented; the example in this collection appeared as Lot 152 in the Christie's South Kensington Corkscrews sale of 21 May 2002, which gives this piece an unusually solid auction-record provenance for the price tier.

Rubal (New York)

American manufacturer of cast white-metal figural cap lifters in the mid 20th century, with multiple sporting-dog and animal forms catalogued by the Figural Bottle Opener Collectors group. The English Setter in pointing stance is a documented Rubal form.

Unattributed Hagenauer-style production (Austria)

The brass elephant in this collection is offered as "in Hagenauer style" rather than as a direct attribution, which is the responsible way to position pieces of this type when no maker stamp is present.

Folk / handmade (Central Europe)

The walnut "Nut Family" set of three corkscrews is craft production rather than industrial. Carved walnut shells, applied glass eyes, painted features and textile hats place the work in the German, Austrian, Swiss or Czech folk tradition of c.1930 to 1950.

Origin & eraRegions, traditions and dating windows at a glance

Materials & surfaceCondition expectations across the figural and novelty range

Original surfaces are part of the value of these pieces. Re-plated, repainted or over-cleaned figural corkscrews lose much of their collector appeal even when they look superficially fresher. Expect the following condition signatures across the catalogue:

• Cold paint loss on raised points of cast white-metal pieces. This is normal and not restored unless specifically stated.
• Plating traces rather than full plating on cast cap lifters of pre-1950 production.
• Honest brass patina, sometimes with selective polishing to highlights, on Vienna-tradition pieces.
• Bakelite colour shift (warmer, more amber tones) consistent with age.
• Glass-eye loss on walnut nut-heads is the most common condition issue; intact eyes are a positive condition signal.
• Worms may show wear at the tip but should remain straight, with a defined point, on serviceable pieces.

Re-plated, repainted or over-cleaned figural corkscrews lose much of their collector appeal even when they look superficially fresher.

CollectingHow collectors approach figural and novelty pieces

Figural corkscrews and novelty cap lifters are typically collected and displayed by one of four logics:

• By maker. A Gemelli grouping, a Syroco grouping, an O.S.P. grouping. The most common approach for serious collectors.
• By figural subject. Sporting dogs, birds, ships, human characters, clowns and circus figures. Common among decorative and barware collectors.
• By era and design movement. Art Deco, mid-century modern, folk handmade. Common among design collectors.
• By mechanical type. Direct pull, double lever, folding worm, bell-assisted. The technical-collector approach.

Most pieces in this collection are still functionally serviceable. Where a piece is offered as display only because of wear, fragility or worm condition, the listing states it.

AuthorityWhat sets this catalogue apart

Three qualities distinguish this catalogue from the broader online market for figural corkscrews and novelty cap lifters.

Named provenance. Several items carry Thomas Guenther Collection provenance. The Kirkby Beard Ducky is a documented Christie's lot (South Kensington, 21 May 2002, Lot 152), which is unusual for a piece in this price tier.

Patent and manufacturer-level cataloguing. The Gemelli design patent, the 1929 Avillar patent and the 1933 O.S.P. patent are referenced where they apply, rather than vague "European" or "American" attributions. Hagenauer-style pieces are positioned as "in style" rather than direct attribution.

Cross-category appeal. Most pieces will interest more than one collector audience. The Hagenauer-style elephant attracts Vienna-design collectors and corkscrew specialists alike. The Cape Town Castle set attracts maritime memorabilia collectors, Bakelite collectors and barware collectors.

FAQFrequently asked questions