This decorative bronze bust of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), was designed for domestic ornament and produced in the foundry of Ernst Georg Zimmermann in Hanau, remarkable for its wide range of products. Zimmermann began his business initially when he went into association in 1840 with Alfred Richard Seebass from Berlin to run a foundry for light cast ironwork.

Thanks to the fashionable forms which Seebass brought with him from the Berlin foundry of G. Schwan, Hanau decorative cast ironwork enjoyed financial success. As well as busts like this they produced iron jewellery, writing utensils, decorative bowls, candlesticks, caskets and many other items. Small items of furniture were made, such as tables, flower stands, umbrella and walking stick stands, and even a series of chess sets with historic chess figures. Zimmermann and Seebass split up in 1842 when Zimmermann continued his operations in Hanau and Seebass, who was not licensed to remain in Hanau, went to Offenbach.