Jardinière - Large Edwardian jardiniere in brass with a copper inner basin • basket model with stepped profile, - Cast brass

England, Attribution • Large brass jardinière with a copper inner tub • Edwardian-rooted coopered model with stepped silhouette and disc feet • Circa 1920s - 1930s

Object description:

Rectangular jardinière, built from five to six layers of square-profiled bar material per side, stacked crisscross like a log-cabin construction, with the bars protruding beyond the corners on the short sides. A round disc at each corner holds the stack together, originally topped with a spherical knop on top; two of the four knobs are missing, exposing the bare threaded rod, see the photographs. The construction rests on four short, disc-shaped feet in the same alloy. Inside is loosely placed a thin-walled, rectangular copper inner tub with a slightly turned-over upper edge. No factory mark, stamp, or signature found on any part.

Interior use and presence:

This type of tub originally served in England as a windowsill or conservatory tub and today is equally well used as a decorative fire-basket for kindling. The stepped silhouette suits an English country-house style, Arts and Crafts, or an industrial-eclectic interior where visible construction is welcome.

Specifications:
Material: brass (copper alloy); inner tub copper
Dimensions: 11.5 x 15 x 25 cm
Weight: 3465 grams

Provenance:
Private collectors’ collection, Western Europe.

Condition:
Unpolished and offered in its original state, with an even, dull patina over the entire alloy. On some corner discs and on the knobs themselves there is localized green verdigris, an active form of copper oxidation that currently does not cause material loss but should be monitored in dry storage. Of the four spherical corner knobs on the top, two are missing; on those two corners the bare threaded rod is visible, see the photographs. This is a missing part and not a structural break. Other visible surface scratches are consistent with decades of use and handling. However, this does not detract from the decorative value of this extraordinary art object; it also adds to its character.

Shipping:
The object is packaged with the utmost professionalism and care in double cardboard boxes with high-quality damping material to ensure safe shipping. We always ship with an extra-secure Track and Trace service. Be sure to check the feedback left by previous satisfied buyers.

References and sources:
This jardinière is unmarked. Research into the construction revealed a recognized typology: a brass coopered construction of stacked bar material with removable copper inner tub and spherical corner knobs, in the English trade referred to as an Edwardian jardinière or fire-basket. A British antique dealer dates an almost identical but smaller example to Edwardian circa 1910, calling it a precursor to later, less detailed variants. This may explain why other examples of this type are dated circa 1920 or the 1940s: presumably the same typology in successive generations. The visibly constructed bar layout aligns with the Arts and Crafts aesthetics of the same English period, and not with the smooth French and Belgian

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