19th Century French Square Carved Limestone Trough or Sink

Mill stones have been used for a several thousand years to grind grains, hence their other name: grind stone. Their origins can be traced back to Aboriginal Australia...

Hand-carved in Burgundy, France, circa 1850, this stout limestone trough has a wonderful patina, most noticeably the ruddy-colored accumulation of lichen and moss. The light gray sto...

This pair of stone jardiniere planters from Dijon, France, have beautifully thick quarter round edges above the cavetto sides. Because the stones were hand-carved (in the 1800’s), th...

These antique French Gothic style white limestone (Pierre Calcaire) pieces are old holy water vessels (stoups or 'benitiers' in French) are from a small chapel in the Drome departmen...

Standing over 45 inches tall, this well-carved limestone planter or fountain element would have a commanding presence in any landscape installation. Hand-carved in Italy in two sections (the basin is separate from the column/plinth section), a central drainage hole runs through both sections, allowing it to be plumbed for a fountain, either as a spill bowl or with a vertical jet. The basin is six inches tall and has a diameter of almost 30 inches and is adorned with two layers of gadroon separated by a deep cavetto cornice. Interestingly, the bottom ring of lobes terminates beneath a large, attenuated leaf that can be seen under the basin. The beautifully carved basin is supported by an equally impressive, fluted column above a bulbous third section of gadroon. A thickly molded circular plinth with a large leaf cup offers stability and additional aesthetic appeal. The light gray stone has developed a mottled white, gold, and black patina with green and brown moss/lichen accumulation. Our Italian limestone planter could be used in a garden as an elevated planter...

The skill and knowledge that was needed to make this beautiful 19th century French barbotine jardiniere is significant. Each of the gros relief flowers was painstakingly formed and painted by hand. Barbotine products are a mixture of Kaolin clay and water and in the case of the attached flowers, they are manipulated into paper-thin fineness. Once the flowers were colored, they were affixed to the side of the jardiniere, glazed, and fired. Any miscalculation during the firing process would result in a restart, negating months of hard work. It is difficult to find an intact barbotine with gros relief flowers due to the fragility. The jardiniere has been painted using gradient colors, with black at the top and golden brown at the molded base. In between those hues is a mottled black and brown background that extends up to the curled volute handles. Blue, pink, yellow, and orange gros relief flowers with attached greenery have been applied over the speckled area. Our barbotine jardiniere with gros relief flowers can be used as originally intended, as a small indoor planter...

This limestone trough origins from France, circa 1780.

19th century Spanish hand carved stone trough.

A terrific French later 19th century industrial tub or trough wonderfully constructed from heavy gauge copper. Wonderful as a large planter or as a tub to ice down beverages for a p...

A European large stone sink with side drainboard from the 19th century. This antique sink from Europe has an overall rectangular shape and has been ha...

This French Limestone Ham Trough, dating back to the 17th century, adds a touch of history to any space. Originally used to cure and season ham in France, it now serves as a unique p...

This limestone planter originates in France, circa 1850.