This stunning French Art Deco 1930s pair of Galalith bookends features two eagles with spread wings. The base of the bookends is in black Galalith, and the hand-carved eagles are in the off-white color of the same material. There is no visible maker's mark.
 
About the material:
Galalith (milk stone) is a registered trademark, patented in Bavaria in the 1890s. Mainly produced in Europe during the first part of the 20th Century, this semi-synthetic plastic (Casein is the generic name) is made from skimmed milk curdled with rennet. Cured by long immersion in formaldehyde, it became a useful thermosetting material that can be carved or embossed in beautiful patterns. Its color doesn't change over time.
The colors you can find are mainly plain opaque colors, sometimes with marbling or translucency.
Galalith pieces are hand-machined, sanded, and finished, and are seamless. There should be no machine marks on them, unlike those found in inexpensive, mass-produced plastics. This material belongs to the family of plastics such as Bakelite, Celluloid, or Lucite. All are considered premium vintage plastic.
Galalith (also mistakenly called "French Bakelite") cannot be tested like genuine American Bakelite because it is a milk-protein-based product hardened with formaldehyde. Tests for Bakelite verify the presence of the phenol component, which is absent in Galalith because it is replaced by milk proteins.