Antique French Fleur De Lys and Coat of Arms Copper Fish Poacher, 19th Century

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...

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...

Stone troughs have been used to water livestock in rural Europe for many centuries so it’s often difficult to date them. However, it is known that they were replaced by cast iron models in the mid-19th century, placing the creation of this French limestone trough or sink most likely in the early- to mid-1800s. Hand-carved from one piece, the roughly rectangular stone with 3 ¼” thick walls has an interesting, striated palette, most likely indicating that the bottom of the trough was obscured from the elements. The top of the trough has a light gray appearance with areas of light green, orange, and black patina, while the lower section has a white hue with a continuation of the accumulation seen above. Two drainage holes on one side allow the trough to be used as a garden planter or the basin of a courtyard...

First used about 450-500 years ago to reflect and disperse heat from a fire, firebacks were often cast with themes specific to the homeowner. Sometimes the iron would feature a familial coat of arms, or in the case of this 17th century semis de fleur de lys fireback, decorative motifs would represent the owner. The rectangular fireback has an arched top and a thick multi-layered molding along all edges. In the center is a raised heraldic shield with multiple fleur de lys charges, arranged in a pattern known as semis. A crinkled ribbon transverses the top edge, beneath a papal mitre and crozier topped with a volute leaf, indicating that the original owner was possibly a member of the church, possibly even a bishop. The iron has developed a fascinating chalky gray patina and can still be used functionally in a traditional fireplace...

Designed to be displayed on a table or mantel, this brass cachepot with coat of arms and lions is from France. Hand-hammered in the 1800s, the cachepot was worked from the reverse si...

Trunks are one of the oldest types of furniture in existence today. They date back many centuries and come in various shapes and styles. This leather and brass trunk, known as a mall...

French polished copper fish kettle with lid, 19th century.

French polished copper fish kettle or container, 19th century.

A fabulous later 19th century bathtub from the South of France. Wonderfully constructed from heavy gauge copper and raised on its wooden platform...

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...

French polished copper fish kettle or planter with iron handles, 19th century.

Decorate a fireplace hearth with this large antique fire back, created in France circa 1760, and almost square in shape, the plaque features a geometric band frame around the perimet...