A Palatial Cast Iron Putti Figural Torchere Attr. Val D'Osne, Paris, Circa 1900
By Val D'Osne Foundry
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine and palatial French 19th-20th century allegorical figural cast-iron group torchere - sculpture - fountain - representing spring and the harvest, probably cast by Le Fonderies d'Art du Val d'Osne. The charming four-putti sculpture with a front standing putto holding a pole amongst wheat stalks, another putto kneeling and collecting wheat, a third one wearing a hat and picking flowers for a wreath and the fourth kneeling putto holding a bird's nest, all below an elongated classical stem with a glass globe (Electrified), circa: Paris, 1900.
Overall height: 84 inches (213.4 cm).
Width: 29 1/2 inches (74.9 cm).
Circular base diameter: 24 inches (61 inches).
Cast-iron had been in production during the 18th century but its inferior status to the more fashionable and delicate wrought-iron had generally confined its use to architectural work. By the early 19th century, however, rapid developments of the Industrial Revolution combined with the simultaneous burgeoning of a new middle class provided the impetus for a dramatic expansion in its application and in a short space of time a proliferation of iron foundries across Europe and America thrived on the production of everything from inkstands to railway stations. The use of cast-iron for garden ornament became particularly widespread at this time, as the possibilities for its mass-production at a fraction of the cost of bronze made it the material of choice for outdoor statuary...
Category
Early 1900s French Rococo Antique Iron Decorative Objects