Garden Stake Depicting Three Birds, On custom base

Three birds on a branch, one plump, one small and one with its tail cocked like an opinion.

This garden stake depicting three birds, on a custom base, is from the Netherlands and dates to the 20th century. It is cast bronze and wood. Small cast bronze animals have long been made for gardens and interiors in Europe, their dark patinas weathering gently over time. The birds perch side by side on a slender twig with finely textured feathers. The center bird is round as a ball, and the one at right lifts a fanned tail. A bronze rod sets the branch into a weathered block of wood. It is 9.75 inches wide, 7.25 deep and 9.25 high.

The middle one is clearly in charge.