Architectural Heritage PERIOD GARDEN STATUARY AND ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

Architectural Heritage PERIOD GARDEN STATUARY AND ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

Architectural Heritage, established 35 years, has a worldwide reputation for providing fine period garden ornament, bespoke stone fire surrounds and a personal service to discerning professional and private clients alike. To complement the extensive inventory of period statuary, fountains, urns and seats etc, Architectural Heritage has developed a collection of reproduction garden ornament and hand carved stone chimneypieces; employing the talents of master craftsmen in the disciplines of stone and marble masonry, bronze and lead casting and age patinated artificial stone, to recreate the very best of 18th and 19th century design. The full inventory is on display in the galleries and grounds of Taddington Manor and also available to view on our regularly updated website. Please do contact us for further information or to receive our reproduction catalogue. Architectural Heritage undertakes commissions to client specifications for garden ornament and chimneypieces. delivery and shipping worldwide can be arranged.

Period Garden Statuary & Architectural Elements

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Architectural Heritage PERIOD GARDEN STATUARY AND ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

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Introduction This fourth Period Garden Statuary and Architectural Elements catalogue ushers in a new era following the retirement of my parents, Adrian and Suzy Puddy, founders of Architectural Heritage some 35 years ago. Architectural Heritage in its present form now encompasses five distinctly different yet related areas of business: Period Garden Statuary Period Architectural Elements 20th Century and Contemporary Sculpture Fine Reproduction Garden Ornament Bespoke Stone Fire Surrounds This catalogue represents the heart of the company and highlights my desire to present fine examples of period garden statuary from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, alongside unique period architectural elements. Exceptional works in this catalogue include a 17th century oak staircase, provenanced to Ruthin Castle and by repute Wynnstay Hall, and a period oak ceiling, from Lavenham Suffolk, provenanced to the estate of Randolph Hearst. For garden statuary, an interesting discovery here in England of the famous bronze Duck Girl fountain by the American sculptress, Edith Parsons. Interesting and collectable pieces do not necessarily have to be highly priced; a case in point would be the rare signed pair of Compton Pottery pots, produced by the Pottery which was known for its philanthropic apprenticeships, with works being sold through Liberty in London in the early 20th century. Also shown here are examples of works by the Bromsgrove Guild, another interesting enclave of British craftsmanship, producing the highest quality lead and iron work in the early 20th century, alongside fine composition pieces for the garden. I hope you find this catalogue of interest and an enjoyable read. Alex Puddy [ ]

Fountains A spring of water, a jet, a structure for supplying drinking water, an ornamental structure with jets, spouts and basins of water. Water flows through the history of gardens with no boundaries of time or culture. At the birth of civilisation in Mesopotamia, water and fountains were used extensively in the formal gardens, and hieroglyphs in Egyptian tombs show the fountain in enclosed courtyards. From the imperial gardens of China and Japan, to the Persians, Moguls and Moors, the fountains of Al Hambra being the best known, all civilisations used the fountain in some form. The Romans with their aqueducts moved water great distances, and from their ready supply of water many fountains were provided for. It is this Roman technology of hydraulics, rediscovered in Vetruvius manuscript in the early 15th century, which helped Italian engineers to grasp how to raise water with the aid of machinery to high cisterns that would then gravity-feed fountains with water under pressure. This technique also allowed small bronzes by the likes of Donatello and later Verrocchio, to more or less spout water continuously. Prior to this, the spring would have been enhanced to provide power, as one would assume would have been the case in England for the simple 13th century Medieval stand fountain. The Italian gardens of the latter half of the 16th century took the use of water in the garden to exuberant heights. Although mostly spring-fed, Villa d Este had its terrace of one hundred fountains, dragon fountain and many-breasted Diana of the Ephesians, the goddess of Fecundity, issuing water at every turn. The gardens of the Villa Aldobrandini, started slightly later in 1598, also boasted cascades, jets and rills, as well as

A lead figure of Neptune by Wheeler Williams (American, 1897-1972), numbered and signed Neptune, No. 40, Wheeler Williams 1939. This model and others were exhibited in an exhibition Childhood of the Gods at Guildhall, East Hampton circa 1940. Williams studied sculpture at the School of Art Institute in Chicago and graduated from Yale in 1919. He received a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard in 1922 and studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Williams was a recipient of a Gold Medal at the Paris Exposition in 1937 and was a member of the National Sculpture Society. He was also the founder and president of the American Artist Professional League. Height 2 9 [84 cm] Width 1 4 [41 cm] Overall Depth 9½ [24 cm] [ ]

joke fountains which were subsequently incorporated into the Villa d Este scheme. On the translation around 1580 of Hero of Alexandria s Pneumatica (1st century A.D.) a further wealth of Roman knowledge describing valves, siphons and vacuums helped create water-powered singing birds, organs and even little boys peeing! These squirty jets were designed to catch the unsuspecting visitor as they sat, passed by walls or walked through arches. [ ]

The 17th century saw this technology to wet or drench and spout spread throughout northern Europe, and allowed designers to create ever larger spectacles, as in the case of Salomon de Caus fountain for Somerset House around 1610, which was some 80 feet in diameter and was subsequently moved to Hampton Court in 1655. It is to Versailles that we turn to see the most impressive use of water. After Louis XV saw Nicholas Fouquet s garden at Vaux le Vicomte in 1661, his envy was so great that he arrested Fouquet and took many of his statues and fountains. He then went on to transform out of all recognition the once moderate royal chateau gardens and park at Versailles. When completed at the time of Louis XV s death around 50 years later, some 1400 fountains gushed à gueule bée, or full throated, and could be seen from every vista. Drawing water from the Seine the Machine de Marly, with its 14 water wheels, gave the force required. Previously however, due to the lack of pumping power, the King would have had to plan his route to allow fountains to be turned on and then off as he processed. Today we still marvel at the Sun Horses, Apollo and the fountain of Latona, but one can only imagine the sight of all the fountains working à gueule bée. Versailles, as one might have expected, did not go unnoticed among the patrons of the great gardens of Europe and America. From Peterhoff to Middleton Place in Charleston, to Chatsworth with its Sea Horse and Triton fountains, the grand formal garden and fountain had arrived in style. Another leap forward in hydraulics came in 1696 with the publication of Carlo Fontana s The Most Useful Treatise on Moving Waters. This coincided with the completion in 1703 of a grand cascade at Chatsworth and with the long cascade completed in the Bridgmanesque landscape at Stanway House in [ ]

A copper sail fountain, circa 1950, having a central jet with multiple jets to the edges of the sail, mounted upon a circular domed copper base. Height 3 3 [99 cm] Overall width 1 7 [48 cm] Diameter at base 1 3 [38 cm] [ ]

1730. It is worth noting around this time the Trevi Fountain in Rome was also completed. The change in taste in 18th century England meant the fountain on a grand scale was not so in fashion; grottos, waterfalls and tranquil lakes were more in vogue in the natural landscapes of Archadia and Capability Brown. The 19th century brought with it the Industrial Revolution, more technology and new materials. Humphrey Repton in 1800 reintroduced the fountain to the garden at Harewood House inside a greenhouse. Chatsworth and Stanway competed for the highest gravity-fed jet d eau, the former reaching some 264 feet in 1844, though Stanway now holds this record at over 300 feet. The Great Exhibition in 1851 showcased the cast iron fountains from Handyside and Coalbrookdale, along with Blanchard, Blashfield, and Pulham s Pulhamite terracotta creations. Stone as a material was not ignored, with the Atlas fountain carved in Portland stone by John Thomas being purchased from the Exhibition by the wealthy Seventh Earl of Carlisle for Castle Howard. The end of the 19th century saw the taste for the extravagant continue, with such fountains as the Fountain of Love by Waldo Storey at Cliveden, circa 1897, and the scandalous Eros fountain in Piccadilly by Alfred Gilbert, 1893, alongside Cheltenham s very own Neptune fountain designed by the borough surveyor, Joseph Hall, installed at the same time. With the great social changes of the 20th century, the fountain played in tune with the tastes and style of the time. The gardens of Jekyll often included an Italianate water feature, and the lead fountains by the Bromsgrove Guild and others provided both for public parks and private gardens. The fountain continues to be the main element in any garden scheme, adding life, movement and the sound of water playing. [ 2 ]

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Duck Baby A bronze fountain sculpture entitled Duck Baby, cast circa 1911, by Edith Barretto Stevens Parsons (1878 1956.) Edith Parsons studied with Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the Lincoln Monument in Washington, at the Art Students League of New York, afterwards apprenticed to James Earle Fraser. An early commission was to design the pediment for the main entrance to the Liberal Arts Building at the St Louis Fair in 1902. This was followed in 1908 by her showing Earth Mother at the National Academy of Design. Duck Baby, most likely inspired by her daughter Edith Gilman Parsons, is her most famous work. Shown at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915 as a garden exhibit in the colonnade Duck Baby was instantly popular with the public, In the presence of so much that is weighty and powerful, the popularity of Duck Baby is a significant and touching indication of the world s hunger for what is cheerful and mirth provoking. The work even inspired Leo Robinson to pen the poem After the Lights Went Out. Similar works followed; Turtle Baby in 1915, Frog Baby 1917, Joy Fountain 1919, Little Duck Fountain 1921, Big Duck 1925 and Baby Pan 1930. Signed in the cast E. B. Parsons with Copyright. Gorham Co Founders Height 3 6 [106.7 cm]

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An early 20th century, circa 1900, bronze fountain of an amorino holding a dolphin, bearing plaque Foundaria Artistica Sabatino de Angelis Fils Naples, raised upon a carved marble base, plumbed as a fountain to play through four carved masks. Sabatino de Angelis Fils, along with the Chiurazzi bronze foundry collaborated for a short period around 1900. They both cast high quality reproductions of statues and artefacts from Pompeii to supply souvenirs of the grand tour. This model probably relates to amorino pouring water from the mouth of a dolphin from the Villa Papyri, Herculaneum. It is also shown as Amore con Delfino item no 104 in the old Chiurazzi catalogue. Total height 4 [122 cm] Base height 1 8 [51 cm] Square at base 1 [30 cm] [ ]

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An early 20th century French carved stone corner wall fountain, circa 1910. The bowl carved as a stylised shell supported by a tapering pedestal with a fountain mask as a young child surrounded by a scrollwork frame. Each section has carving suggesting stalactites, a technique known as frost work. Height 5 9 [175cm] Width 2 [62 cm] Depth 1 10 [55cm] [ ]

An early 20th century Italian carved marble fountain, circa 1920, in the form of two children entwined playing with a dolphin, upon a circular tazza shaped bowl raised on a baluster pedestal with acanthus leaf decoration. Height 4 11 [150 cm] Diameter 3 4 [102 cm] [ 2 ]

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Urns, Planters & Finials A vase with a rounded body, usually a narrowed mouth and often a foot. The urn, alongside statues and fountains, is one of the key elements in any classic garden and as such can be traced back to Antiquity. It is here that many of the models we are familiar with today were conceived, and with the rebirth during the Italian Renaissance of interest in the classical world, newly excavated models laid the foundations of designs for the following centuries. The most famous and much copied examples are the vases Borghese, discovered around 1569 near the present day Casino Massimo in Rome, and Medici, discovered around the same time at the Villa Medici, also in Rome. The Borghese Vase came to its namesake Villa in 1645, and there it stayed for 150 years until purchased by Napoleon and transported back to Paris around 1809, finally finding a permanent home on display at the Louvre. The Medici Vase, now in the Uffizzi Florence, is often paired with the Borghese Vase. One sees these models being copied in terracotta by Coade and then Blashfield in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. However, they were not only copied in terracotta; stone, marble, lead, bronze, and cast iron versions have been made by many makers, such is their iconic status. The Warwick and Townley vases, both discovered by Gavin Hamilton, the former at Hadrian s Villa in 1770, have also been much copied. Their stories give a sense of how it was in the 18th century; the great collecting wealth of the English country house and how the Grand Tour developed the English love of Neoclassical ornamentation in the garden. The Warwick Vase was excavated missing its socle (base) and damaged, [ 2 ]

though the cost of restoration was so high that Hamil ton was forced to sell it to Sir William Hamilton, who on completion of the restoration then offered it at a price that was too high even for the British Museum. The Vase was then bequeathed to Sir William Hamilton s nephew, the Second Earl of Warwick and by descent until sold in 1977 to form part of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow. The Townley Vase however did make it to the British Museum after it was bequeathed by Charles Townley who had purchased it from Gavin Hamilton in 1773 for the princely sum of 250. Again we see copies of these vases made by the makers of the day, most noticeably in terracotta by Blashfield and in artificial stone in the mid 19th century by Austin & Seeley. With interest in the classic designs discovered, urn, vase and finial designs were developed further by the great artists and craftsmen of the 18th and 19th centuries in all materials seen fit for the garden. Sculptors Delvaux and Scheemakers marble vases for Anglesey Abbey, circa 1725, show a clear homage to the Borghese Vase, whereas designs by Lord Burlington and William Kent develop further the classic look that belongs to the English country house, as seen for example at Castle Howard, Chiswick House and Rousham to name but a few. Stone and marble urns were expensive to have carved in the 18th century, so lead was also employed as a more affordable and flexible alternative medium to create garden ornament. The Vase of the Four Seasons by John van Nost the Elder, circa 1705, at Melbourne, shows his artistry and skill on a grand scale. Wrest Park has some fine examples of lead urns dating around 1735 to designs by Cibber. However urns and vases were produced in greater numbers by John Cheere working out of his Hyde Park yard formerly owned by John Van Nost. [ 24 ]

A pair of Compton Pottery planters of circular form with scroll handles, circa 1910. Stamped inside Compton Pottery, Guildford and monogrammed TF. This model relates to the Wottan design as sold by Liberty & Co. Height 11½ [29 cm] Diameter 1 3½ [39.5 cm] [ 2 ]

The production of urns and vases in all materials continued in earnest however, we see a slight dip in demand in the late 18th century when the likes of Capability Brown cleared the way for nature to take centre stage. Urns and vases following along the lines of the campana (tall and thin) and the tazza (wide and low) designs, were produced in styles and designs dictated by the fashions of the time, as seen in the Victorian cast iron maker Coalbrookdale and the French foundries of Val d Osne, through to the early 20th century designs produced by the Bromsgrove Guild and the Compton Pottery.

A pair of early 20th century, Bath stone fruit basket finials, circa 1900, having lobed base rising up to a profusely carved and overflowing flower and fruit basket, raised upon a simple socle. Height 2 7½ [80 cm] Diameter 1 11½ [60 cm] Square at base 1 1 [33 cm] [ 2 ]

A pair of early 20th century lead finial urns, circa 1900. This design relates to one produced by Coade Stone in the 18th century, having a fluted body with draped swags, lion stops and a pineapple, the symbol of hospitality, atop the finial lid. Height 2 4½ [72.5 cm] Width 1 8 [51 cm] Depth 1 6 [46 cm] Square at base 8½ [21.5 cm] [ 2 ]

A 19th century copper copper, circa 1880. Height 1 11½ [60 cm] Diameter 2 8¾ [83 cm] [ 2 ]

A single 20th century Cotswold stone urn, circa 1900. Height 1 11½ [60 cm] Diameter 2 [61 cm] Square at base 10¾ [27 cm] [ ]

A pair of mid 20th century composition stone faux bois planters, circa 1950. Height 2 6 [76 cm] Diameter 1 8 [51 cm] [ ]

An early 20th century composition stone faux bois planter, circa 1930. Height 2 1½ [65 cm] Diameter 1 5½ [44 cm] [ 2 ]

An early 20th century composition stone faux bois planter, circa 1930. Height 2 [61 cm] Diameter 1 5 [43 cm] [ ]

An early 20th century composition stone faux bois planter, circa 1930. Signed in the cast Louis Regola Cordoba no.4 Height 2 3½ [70 cm] Diameter 1 6 [46 cm] [ 4 ]

An early 20th century composition stone faux bois planter, circa 1930. Height 2 2 [66 cm] Diameter 1 6 [46 cm] [ ]

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Statuary A representation, usually near or above life size, of human or animal form in the round. As with urns and vases, the statue has lineage to the ancient and classic civilisations. However, for the purposes of this piece we will use as our starting point Renaissance Italy. The creation in the early 1500s of the area designed by Donato Bramante, specifically to house a collection of statues in the Belvedere beautiful view Court in Rome, revolutionised architecture and set the standard for the use of statuary in formal areas in the garden. Before this time Leone Battista Alberti, writing in the mid 15th century, had put forward his treatise de re Aedificatoria, explaining how a country villa should be built. He mentions that the garden is to be graced with statues and water nymphs; rough hewn stones becoming a setting hallowed by mythology favoured by the Greeks and Romans. This theme was taken to its most extravagant conclusion in the gardens and fantastic statuary of Sacro Bosco, Sacred Wood Bomarzo, in 1560. In the Villa Medici a collection of antique Roman and new sculptures were incorporated into the garden around 1584, including a copy of Giambologna s Mercury. The tradition of statuary in the garden continued unabated with the Villas d Este, Lante and Aldobrandini showing off the craftsmanship of the age and classical sculpture, with the Villa d Este procuring Roman sculpture from the ever bountiful Hadrian s Villa; displaying all within a flamboyant but tightly linked iconographical scheme. The 17th century saw the advent of the more restrained French formal garden; statuary was placed symmetrically with in the context of the parterre, clipped box and yew, [ ]

Vaux le Vicomte designed by Le Notre being the first great exponent, with fountains and canals also used to enhance the architectural form. Le Notre also worked on adapting Chantilly and Fontainbleu. It is however Louis XV s Versailles that is the most glorious statues and fountains were procured from Vaux le Vicomte, and along with commissioned statues of gods, goddesses and heroes, these were interwoven throughout the garden to embellish the main theme of the Apollo myth or Sun King. In England, bringing with them their knowledge of Italian gardens, Saloman de Caus and his brother Isaac designed gardens for royalty in the early 17th century; this in turn influenced the court and thus fashion. Statuary and fountains were now required, and one Mr Nicholas Stone provided, followed in the second half of the century by Danish born sculptor Gabriel Cibber Sometimes working in keaton stone, which on close inspection looks like fish roe, fine examples of Cibber s statuary can be seen at Belvoir Castle dating from 1680, and his famous Triton and Sea Horses at Chatsworth House. With the method of casting lead being introduced into England from the Low Countries towards the end of the 17th century, Arnaud Quellin from Antwerp is known to have been producing around 1670. His workshop trained John van Nost the Elder, and it was he who later took over the workshop, moulds and even Quellin s widow. Known statues by him can be seen at Melbourne, Rousham and Wilton House. The business then passed by descent to two other John van Nosts, with an apprenticeship served by Andrew Carpenter to the first John. In this time parts of various moulds would be used to create new commissions thus making attribution difficult, a situation exacerbated by the purchase of the moulds and yard now at Hyde Park Corner in 1737 by John Cheere, [ ]

A 19th century marble figure, circa 1840, of the sleeping Ariadne, also known as Cleopatra, Dido and Nymph, being a copy of the Roman statue in the Vatican Museum discovered during excavations in 1512. Many myths surround Ariadne but she is best known as the daughter of King Minos of Crete. Ariadne fell in love with Theseus, an Athenian hero, tasked with slaying the Minotaur. She came to his aid by giving him a ball of string to be laid on entering the labyrinth, enabling him to retrace his steps once his task was complete. Travelling back to Athens, Ariadne and Theseus stopped at Naxos where Theseus deserted her whilst she was sleeping apparently dreaming of Bacchus telling her to stay on Naxos. This she did and promptly married Bacchus when she awoke. A famous copy of this model by John Cheere (1709 1787) can be seen in the Grotto at Stourhead as the Nymph of the Grot, under which Alexander Pope translated from the Latin a poem: Nymph of the Grot, these are sacred springs I keep, And to the Murmer of these waters sleep: Ah spear my slumbers, gently tread the cave! And drink in silence, or in silence lave! Height 2 6 [76 cm] Length 3 8 [112 cm] Depth 1 5½ [42 cm] [ ]

A marble Apollo Belvedere bust after the antique, circa 1860. Height 2 6 [76 cm] Width 1 9 [53 cm] Diameter at base 9 [23 cm] [ 4 ]

not to be mistaken for his famous sculptor brother Sir Henry. John Cheere continued to produce lead figures and ornament on a relatively large scale for the next fifty years. Sculpture yards around Hyde Park including Andrew Carpenter s, not only produced lead ornament, which was invariably painted in what we would perceive as garish colours as favoured by the Greeks, but for a price stone or marble figures, urns and fountains could be commissioned or bought off the peg. Themes were classical and statues of Farnese s Hercules, Bacchus, Diana and Giambologna s Mercury were supplied to the great houses of the day such as Castle Howard, Stowe and Wrest Park to name but a few. Statuary buying and commissioning was by no means random, although no unifying theme can be found for Castle Howard. As with the Apollo scheme at Versailles, elaborate and complicated programmes can be seen at Rousham and Stowe. At Rousham we see the theme of conflict predominating with Scheemakers carved stone Lion Attacking Horse and the Dying Gaul, and at Stowe we see Sir Richard Temple expressing his Whig tendencies, with John van Nost the Younger s lead equestrian statue of George I, with a later disaffection with modern virtue expressed through the Temple of Worthies, being a curved gallery designed by Kent to house portrait busts carved by Rysbrack and Scheemakers, the point being made by who was left out! Coade Stone, which began production in 1769, took a great deal of business from the traditional sculptors and lead makers by imitating carved stone sculptures at a lower cost. Coade, with its own great sculptor John Bacon, was able to produce figures, urns and architectural elements of the highest quality. This tradition was continued into the 19th century with terracotta makers such as Blanchard, Blashfield, Doulton, Pulham [ 4 ]

and numerous others. Artificial stone produced by Austin & Seeley from the 1830s onwards further reduced the cost to replicate statues, fountains and ornament. It is worth noting that after the end of the 18th century lead statuary in England did not come back into common fashion until the beginning of the 20th century. This was obviously not the end for garden statuary carved in stone or marble in the 19th century as it was becoming easier to import carved marble and stone sculpture from the Italian yards in Carrara and Vicenza. To commission sculpture was still however the preserve of the very wealthy; William Spencer Cavendish at Chatsworth was such a man, giving patronage in the mid 19th century to many sculptors, one being Francesco Bienaime, who then went about replicating the works of contemporaries such as Thorvaldsen and Canova, along with copies of the Apollo Belvedere and Diana de Versailles to grace the gardens at Chatsworth. Cast iron played its part in the mid to late 19th century, the French foundries, such as the collective of Val d Osne produced many garden statues and animalia, along side our own foundries such as Coalbrookdale and Handyside. The early 20th century sees makers such as the Bromsgrove Guild producing statuary in both lead and composition alongside H H Martin, J P White and the Compton Pottery. The latter half of the century belongs to the moderns; Jacob Epstein, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elisabeth Frink, Anthony Caro, Anish Kapoor and Damien Hirst to name a few. [ 42 ]

An English carved stone statue of Ceres, circa 1780. Height 5 4 [163 cm] Width at base 1 7 [48 cm] Depth at base 1 2 [35.5 cm] [ 4 ]

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A 19th century French terracotta figure of Bacchante, circa 1860; Bacchante is a female devotee of the cult Bacchus, typically depicted with swirling drapery, playing music and with the expression of physical abandon. Height of statue 6 3 [190.5 cm] Diameter at base 1 8 [51 cm] Height of pedestal 3 [915 cm] Diameter of pedestal 2 [61 cm] [ 4 ]

A mid 19th century Italian marble Venus statue, circa 1850, based on the antique model variously known as the Celestial Venus, Chaste Venus or Venus Urania, a Roman version of this model can be see in the Uffizi, Florence. Height 4 7 [140 cm) Diameter at base 1 4½ [42 cm) [ 4 ]

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The Bromsgrove Guild From its inception in 1898 the Bromsgrove Guild of Fine Arts looked to promote high quality workmanship in the areas of metal casting, wood carving and embroidery in the mold of the medieval tradition of a guild. This included apprenticeships for local young men and women, teaching them about art and design and a trade in the traditional manner. The Guild initially had workmen and workshops scattered throughout the country, with work coordinated by Walter Gilbert, the driving force of this project, from the main metal works in Station Street, Bromsgrove, in the midlands region of England. The Guild rapidly expanded into other areas, such as jewellery making and enamelling and a workshop was soon rented in Stoke Heath specifically for decorative art plaster work. Gilbert worked hard to promote the Guild s activities and recruit the best craftsmen. The Guild was showcased in 1900 in the British Pavilion at the great Exposition Universelle in Paris. Adverts were also placed showing the skilled craftsmanship of the Guild in the relevant publications of the day such as The Builder. The following years saw an influx of talented craftsmen both from other companies such as Coalbrookdale and Morris Singer, and all parts of Europe. It is important to mention Louis Weingartner who became the Guild s chief designer, sculptor and metal worker in 1904, having trained for 20 years as a jeweller in Florence. He produced a presentation piece which gained the commission to produce the gates for Buckingham Palace. The piece he put forward was a gate lock surrounded by tumbling cherubs at play. It is thought [ 4 ]

that Walter Gilbert s baby daughter Margot was the model for the cherubs which helped secure this most prestigious commission. With success came more commissions and a requirement for a business partner to invest and help run the expanding company. William McCandlish stepped in, though his arrival changed the general feel of the Guild. Previously its disparate craftsmen worked in their own workshops scattered around the country; this now changed as the company became centralised around the Bromsgrove area. Work continued coming in, such as the large commission to fit out part of the luxury liner, Lusitania, and the famous Liver Birds on the Royal Sun Alliance Building, Liverpool. This pre-war period can be seen as the heyday for the Guild with a Royal Warrant and nearly 150 employees working on many different projects, with offices throughout the UK and even branches in Canada and the USA. It is however sad to note that one of their finest craftsmen, Leopold Weisz, was lost on the Titanic whilst travelling to secure a commission. Though the company carried on working throughout the Great War, Walter Gilbert in 1918 accepted a large salary and incentives to move to a rival company of craftsmen, HH Martin of Cheltenham, and within the inter-war period many of the Guild s top craftsmen followed him to Cheltenham. Despite the loss of good craftsmen the company still attracted talent such as Michael Hewan Crichton, and the Guild often competed for works against HH Martin. Guild records show a broad range of projects in England and the USA, ranging from a casket presented to British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and a lead fountain of Neptune which went to Philadelphia. It is a matter of record that in 1930 the Guild exhibited at Chelsea Flower Show advertising lead and castone, a cement [ ]

A lead figure of Pan by the Bromsgrove Guild, circa 1910. Height 3 [91.5 cm] Width at base 9¾ [25 cm] Depth at base 7½ [19 cm] [ ]

based artificial stone. The Guild also advertised bird baths, vases, seats and sundials, and statues of Spring and Summer selling for 25 in lead and 5.10s in castone. An image of another Bromsgrove Guild trade stand illustrated in The Bromsgrove Guild, An Illustrated History, edited by Quintin Watt, the main source for this article, shows lead ornament and statuary, and even the back view of the lead Pan shown in this catalogue. The great depression of the late 20s hit the Guild hard as a seller of luxury goods. The plight of the company was exacerbated by the loss of their key manager of works Ernest Cowper and other skilled craftsmen who drifted away from the Guild as the work dwindled. The Second World War saw the much smaller Guild produce shovels and fittings for fire fighting equipment, and with a brief flourish after the war with commissions for war memorials and the repair of bomb damage the company was sadly finally wound up in 1966. A Bromsgrove Guild castone birdbath with seated infant Pan playing pipes, circa 1930. Overall height 2 7 [79 cm] Height of bowl 6 [15 cm] Diameter 4 1½ [126 cm] [ ]

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Coade Stone Two myths are associated with Coade stone, namely the recipe to manufacture the stone is a secret, and that the the first Mrs Coade who started the company was married however her dauther who carried on the buisness was bestowed the title as was befitting a business woman in Georgian England. Coade started business in 1769 with Eleanor Coade the Elder and an artificial stone manufacturer named Daniel Pincot. This partnership however, was soon dissolved, one of Pincot s proclamations stated that the Great Wall of China was made of Coade stone! In 1771 a fellow nonconformist dissenter and master sculptor, John Bacon, joined the company as sculptor and manager. It was his masterly craftsmanship that set the company on its way with a number of models that competed with the best sculptures of the day. His death and that of the Elder Mrs Coade in 1799 did not prevent the building of a display gallery in Lambeth and a new partnership between the young Miss Eleanor Coade and her cousin John Sealy. At this time the stamp changed from Coade to Coade Sealy, although I have seen variations such as Coade Lambeth and Coade Lythodipyra (stone twice fired) among others. The Coade-Bacon and Coade-Sealy periods are considered to be the company s most productive times, with royal patronage and Royal Acadamian artists such as Thomas Banks, John Flaxman and Benjamin West all working to supply models for statues, ornament, capitols, coats of arms and even gravestones, predominantly in the Neoclassical style, although following fashion Gothic and Egyptian styles were also produced. In fact any style which could be carved in stone was made in Coade [ ]

stone and was used extensively by the famed architects of the day such as Robert Adam, John Nash and John Soane. Back to the myth of manufacturing Coade stone. In the first instance a model, say of a statue, was made in clay to a larger size than required. This allowed for shrinkage in both drying and firing, approximately one inch to every foot. A plaster mould was made of the original model, this mould was then removed in sections and reassembled. The famed Coade clay mix was then pressed into the mould by hand to a thickness of around four inches. The plaster mould was removed and the model was reworked. After curing the model was fired at high temperature in kilns up to 10ft high inside, that, even with today s technology, would have been hard to manage. At this stage works could have been lost and at worst an exploding model could destroy all the pieces in the kiln. But what made Coade stone so hard wearing? It comes back to lythodipyra, or stone twice fired. In the Coade mix was clay, from Eleanor s childhood home of Lyme Regis Dorset; mixed with this were a fine ground grog of pre-fired clay, flint, sand and ground glass. This mixture, when fired at high temperature, becomes a hard weather impervious ceramic which has in most cases lasted somewhat better than its more expensive competitor stone. The death of John Sealy saw Mrs Coade handing over slowly to a distant relation, William Croggan, Coade continuing after her death in 1821 in the Croggan line until the moulds were eventualy sold in 1840. [ ]

A Coade Stone hound, circa 1795. A standing hound is not known as a model in the Coade catalogue, however hounds were used in coats of arms. This model may have been a special commission for the Earl of Kintore for Keith Hall in the Royal Burgh of Inverurie, from where this model was purchased and then restored. Height 2 9 [84 cm] Width 1 1½ [34 cm] Overall length 3 11 [119 cm] Length of base 2 11½ [90 cm] [ ]

A roundel by Coade, stamped Coade Lambeth 1791, depicting a putto as Neptune on dolphin. This roundel corresponds to engravings in Coade s 1784 catalogue item no. 314 noted as a boy on a dolphin 2ft 11 at a cost of just over 4 guineas. The putto model can clearly be seen used again as one of the seasons in a medallion at Belmont House in Kent designed by Samuel Wyatt in 1792, just one year after the date stamp on this roundel. A full description of Mrs Coade s Stone can be read in Alison Kelly s wonderful book of the same name. Diameter 2 9½ [85 cm] Depth 5 [12.5 cm] [ ]

A roundel by Coade, stamped Coade Lambeth 1791, depicting Vulcan at his forge. This roundel corresponds to engravings in Coade s 1784 catalogue, with item no. 315 having the putto in the same position with the attributes of Cupid being replaced by those of Vulcan at his forge the hammer, anvil and fire, along with helmet and shield, support this attribution, which possibly shows Vulcan forging the armour of Achilles, as described in Homer s Iliad. A full description of Mrs Coade s Stone can be read in Alison Kelly s wonderful book of the same name. Diameter 2 9½ [85 cm] Depth 5 [12.5 cm] [ ]

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A 19th century Italian carved limestone garden seat, circa 1880 with double arched back flanked to either side by lobed urns on carved block plinths, with three lobed and waisted leg supports. Height 4 8 [142 cm] Width 10 6 [320cm] Depth 1 11 [58.5 cm] [ ]

A bronzed cast iron garden seat, circa 1880. The metal work being of an open scrollwork design terminating with a stylised dolphin at base. Width 7 ¾ [215 cm] Height 2 9¼ [84.5 cm] [ 4 ]

A mid 20th century cast iron rocking seat with replacement oak slats, circa 1950. Height 3 3 [99 cm] Width 4 [122 cm] Depth 3 6 [107 cm] [ ]

A French composition stone bench, raised upon decorative supports with mask, shell and scroll embellishments, circa 1900. Provenance: A château near Le Mans, France Height 1 9 [53½ cm] Width 5 6½ [169 cm] Depth 1 8 [51 cm] [ ]

A French composition stone bench, raised upon decorative supports with mask, shell and scroll embellishments, circa 1900. Provenance: A château near Le Mans, France Height 1 9 [53½ cm] Width 5 6½ [169 cm] Depth 1 8 [51 cm] [ ]

A pair of early 20th century steel-sprung garden chairs after designs by François A Carre, circa 1900. Height 2 8 [81 cm] Width 1 4 [41 cm] Depth 1 10 [56 cm] [ ]

Carre Furniture This design of seat was developed in the third quarter of the 19th century in response to the demand for seating required for Parisian open parks, boulevards and outdoor concerts. Its simple bent steel rod and spring construction, patented by François A Carre in 1866, was produced not only in Paris by the Val d Osne foundries, but also Schlesinger Wiessener & Co of both Vienna and New York, and by Lalance & Grosjean again of New York, this company later purchasing the patent from Carre to produce these seats. It is interesting to note that this design carried on being popular until 1930, proving resilient to the elements and equally at home in a public space or private garden. It is also interesting to note that the majority of this collection was purchased from a private collection in Puerto Rico and was by repute used in a supporting role in the now cult television classic, Fantasy Island. [ ]

A pair of early 20th century steel-sprung garden armchairs after designs by François A Carre, circa 1920. Height 2 7 [79 cm] Width 1 10 [56 cm] Depth 2 2 [66 cm] [ ]

A pair of early 20th century steel-sprung boulevard chairs after designs by François A Carre, circa 1920. Height 3 1 [94 cm] Width 2 4½ [72 cm] Depth 3 [91.5 cm] [ ]

An early 20th century steel-sprung three seater sofa seat after designs by François A Carre, circa 1920. Height 2 10 [86.5 cm] Width 4 9 [150 cm] Depth 2 2 [66 cm] [ 2 ]

An early 20th century steel-sprung three seater sofa seat after designs by François A Carre, circa 1920. Height 2 10 [86.5 cm] Width 4 9 [150 cm] Depth 2 2 [66 cm] [ ]

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The Wynnstay Hall Staircase A mid 17th century oak staircase, circa 1660. The staircase, rises in a box formation through four flights and is near-complete with newel posts, balusters, runners and risers, hand rails, and panelling for the first and second flights. The staircase is by repute originally from old Wynnstay Hall. The recent provenance to this staircase is to Ruthin Castle, Wales, where it was bought in 1964 by Mr Warberton from the Wrexham area and put into storage after only ten of the balustrades were used. These balustrades are still in situ at Ruthin Castle and adorn the minstrels gallery in the medieval banqueting hall. For over 40 years the staircase was stored in the old x-ray department block; Ruthin Castle before being converted into a hotel was in use as a hospital from 1920 1960. The concrete building, now overgrown in the castle s woodland, was a solid and water-tight structure, keeping the staircase in excellent condition. Tracing the history prior to this is conjecture though by repute the staircase came from the old Wynnstay Hall. Following this line of investigation it is possible to take an educated guess at the staircase s history. Watsay House was built in 1616 by William Eyton. Later Sir John Wynn married the heiress Jane Eyton Evans and renamed it Wynnstay. It was a half timbered house arranged around a courtyard, on the north side of which was a three storey gatehouse. An inventory made in 1683/6 states On the first floor were four main bedrooms and a little chamber. This was reached either by the main staircase, or by the ye stairs downwards. A commentary on the inventory suggests the house had been [ ]

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furnished in a style befitting a gentleman of rank and fashion, with the floors and stairs covered with good mats. This staircase itself is of exceptional quality and colour with the carving suggesting a house of high status such as Wynnstay. It is not possible to place the staircase in historic record, however a similar though lower status staircase can be seen at Devanner in Abbey Cwm-Hir, which dates to the mid 17th century, as does the comparable though more decorative staircase of nearby Park Hall, Oswestry, sadly lost by fire in 1918. All three staircases have similar construction and carving to balusters, rails and newel post finials. In common with many great houses remodelling was carried on in line with the funds available at the time. Wynnstay was no exception, a drawing by Henry Gastineau shows the old house still adjoined to the remodelled house in 1790 and it is understood that some remaining parts of old Wynnstay Hall were not completely taken down until extensive remodelling was being carried out in 1858; possibly the staircase was taken out at this time and stored. In any event it was a fire that same year that swept away the remnants of old Wynnstay and made way for another new Wynnstay, this time designed and built in the Henry III style. Stored for 100 years or reused on the estate? A possible answer to this question may be found with further research, though it may be that the staircase was sold in the grand three day Wynnstay Estate dispersal sale of 1947, necessitated by the need to settle death duties. There is no doubt however that this period staircase is a near unique example and the rarest of survivors from the 17th century, and by good fortune has remained almost intact. Dimensions available on request

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The Lavenham Ceiling An English 15th century oak ceiling, circa 1490. Provenance: Lavenham, Suffolk. Purchased by the William Randolph Hearst Estate, circa 1926. Known to the trustees of the Hearst Estate as The Lavenham Hall Ceiling, this rare ceiling may have come from one of the houses linked to the de Vere family who owned Lavenham Hall. The photograph in situ relates to a similar ceiling from Garrards House, Water Street, Lavenham also see The Domestic Architecture of England During the Tudor Period, Garner and Stratton Vol II. In this book there is a written reference to the dispute over the sale of Garrards House; the dispute raged around the purchase and planned removal and exportation of the entire house to America. The American purchaser in question was the famed newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. The matter was raised in Parliament, Hansard, June 25th 1926. Sir Slesser posed the question with regard to Garrards House whether he (the Under Secretary of State for the Home Department) would take any steps to prevent this removal? Captain Hacking on behalf of the First Commissioner of Works replied intervention by the Office of Works under the Ancient Monuments Act would involve purchase or the payment of compensation, for which at present funds are unfortunately not available. Some things never change! However in this instance something must have happened because the house was rebuilt in 1929 in Lavenham, albeit without some of its main internal features. In style the design of this ceiling, which has a single main beam with 18 joists, wholly corresponds to the removed ceiling from Garrards House, most probably now known as de Vere House. Wool Hall Cottages in Lady Street, Lavenham also has a similar ceiling. There are seven additional joists which may relate to a smaller room or closet included. Length of main spine 11 9½ [359 cm] Length of joists 7 7¾ [235 cm] Ceiling space 11 9½ [359 cm) x 16 1½ [495.5 cm] Extra pieces 5 lengths each of 4 2½ [128 cm], 1 length of 7 10½ [240 cm], 1 length of 6 8½ [225 cm] [ ]

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An impressive fireplace in natural limestone, circa 1860. The arched aperture having ornately carved central corbel flanked by elaborate spondrels. The jambs in the form of flat pilasters recessed and carved with roses and foliage capitols. The shelf having dental frieze, acanthus carved central dias and canted top. Removed from The Mansion House Ludlow in Shropshire. Height 6 3½ [192 cm] Width 7 10 [239 cm] Depth 1 2 [36 cm] Internal Height 3 7 [114.5 cm] Internal Width 4 [122 cm] [ 4 ]

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An 18th century granite cartouche of large proportions, circa 1750, having an armorial device incorporating three keys and three peacock heads surmounted by a shell and surrounded with foliage. Height 4 3½ [131 cm] Width 3 2 [96.5 cm] Depth 9 [24 cm] [ ]

A European Baroque red sandstone chimneypiece, circa 1800. With ribbonwrap moulding to jambs supporting a boldly carved foliate shelf. Height 4 8 [142 cm] Width 5 8 [173 cm] Depth 6½ [17 cm] Internal height 3 3 [99 cm] Internal width 4 7 [140 cm] [ ]

A George III pine and composite fire surround A George III, circa 1800, pine and composite fire surround; the central tablet having phoenix, reed and thistle decoration flanked by swags of grape and vine, and the jambs having unusual tripartite cluster columns. Additional embellishments include boars heads, egg and dart, and acorn motifs. Provenance: removed in the early 1980s from a property on Forth Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. Style and date would relate to buildings designed on this street by Robert Burn. Height 5 ¼ [153 cm] Shelf width 5 9¼ [176 cm] Internal height 3 8¼ [112 cm] Internal width 4 2¾ [129 cm] [ ]

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An impressive large scale wrought iron weather vane, circa 1850. Height 12 [365 cm] Width 5 7 [170 cm] [ ]

A neo-gothic, French, wrought iron and parcel gilt wall light, attributed to Frédérick Schertzer (1845 1929), with scrolling support and pierced trefoil motifs to the sockets, circa 1880. Three available. Provenance: A chateau near Lorraine. Height 1 7¾ [50 cm] Extension 3 [92 cm] [ ]

A 19th century single wrought iron gate with cast iron additions, circa 1840. Height 9 6 [290 cm] Width 3 8 [112 cm] [ 2 ]

A pair of mid century, circa 1950, wrought iron gates having scroll and flower decoration. Height 7 [218 cm] Width including hinges 8 [244 cm] Width excluding hinges 6 8 [216] [ ]

A mid 20th century wrought iron weather vane of a pheasant in flight. Height 4 4½ [133.5 cm] Width 3 5 [104 cm] [ 4 ]

A mid 20th century wrought iron weather vane with tin cut out of a batsman at stumps, circa 1950. Height 3 11 [119.5 cm] Width 2 1½ [65 cm] [ ]

An 18th century sandstone D-end trough Height 1 5 [43 cm] Width 3 2 [97 cm] Depth 1 9½ [85 cm] [ ]

An 18th century stone trough with good weathering and patination. Height 1 7 [48 cm] Width 5 10 [178 cm] Depth 2 11 [89 cm] [ ]

An 18th century stone trough with good weathering and patination. Height 2 5 [74 cm] Width 5 9 ¼ [176 cm] Depth 3 2 [97 cm] [ ]

An 18th century stone trough with good weathering and patination. Height 2 4½ [72 cm] Width 4 10 [148 cm] Depth 3 4 [102 cm] [ ]

A single 18th century staddle stone. Height 2 3 [69 cm] Diameter 1 9 [54 cm] [ ]

Staddle Stones Defined as a low mushroom shaped arrangement of a conical and flat circular stone used as a support for a haystack, the staddle stone is asked about more than any other item we sell. Variously mis-described as a mushroom, a toadstool and saddle stone, staddle stones are remnants of our agricultural past. Mainly dating from the 17th and 18th centuries they were practical foundation stones, keeping wooden structures from rotting, with the cap also acting as a barrier to vermin trying to gain access to stores. They lost their usefulness as a support for grain stores and hay ricks during the 19th century with the change in farming practices and the way in which agricultural buildings were used, although photographs do show buildings being supported by staddle stones well into the 20th century. As with hay carts, shapes of staddle-stones are peculiar to counties and regions. Always carved from the local stone, the archetypal four-sided stone base with circular cap is common to the Cotswolds, however a conical base would indicate a staddle stone from Hampshire, and I have even seen square caps, this time in red sandstone, from the Monmouthshire region. [ ]

A pair of circular 18th century staddle stones. Height 2 2 [66 cm] Diameter 2 [61 cm] [ ]

A thatched wooden summer house, circa 1910, by John Julius Caesar, made in Knutsford, Cheshire. Re-thatched. Height 13 [396 cm] Width 9 [274 cm] Depth 6 6 [198 cm] Thatched roof overhang 1 [30.5 cm]

20th Century and Contemporary Sculpture To view the complete inventory of 20th century and contemporary sculpture, please visit www.architectural-heritage.co.uk or register online to receive monthly updates of new works.

Bespoke Stone Fire Surrounds To view the complete inventory of hand carved natural limestone fire surrounds, please visit www.architectural-heritage.co.uk or contact us directly for a copy of our latest catalogue.

Fine Reproduction Garden Ornament To view the complete inventory of reproduction garden ornament, please visit www.architectural-heritage.co.uk or contact us directly for a copy of our latest catalogue.

Services Antique garden ornament valuation Chimneypiece installation service National and international transportation Garden ornament restoration in Lead Terracotta Stone Marble Bronze Cast Iron Composition Stone Consultancy Garden Design Garden Ornament Security Architectural Heritage is a member of BADA The British Antique Dealers Association LAPADA The Association of Art and Antique Dealers CADA Cotswold Antique Dealers Association SALVO The Architectural Dealers Association ACID Anti Copyright in Design

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Architectural Heritage Taddington Manor, Taddington, Nr. Cutsdean, Gloucestershire, England gl54 5ry Email: puddy@architectural-heritage.co.uk Web: www.architectural-heritage.co.uk Tel: +44 [0] 1386 584 414 Fax: +44 [0] 1386 584 236 9.00am 5.00pm Monday-Friday 10.30am 4.00pm Saturday Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays Designed & typeset by et al design consultants. Printed in Great Britain by Connekt Colour, on Magno Silk. This publication was produced to ISO 14001 Environmental Man agement System standards, and 95% of the waste created during the process was recycled. The materials used included vegetable oil inks, elemental chlorine free pulp and fibre from FSC managed forests. The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) managed forests have been independently inspected and comply with internationally agreed environmental, social and economic standards. Copyright Architectural Heritage 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from Architectural Heritage.