The black painted terracotta figural garden urn of very large size, and of unusual design, composed of three large stylised rams heads to the body, surviving from the second quarter of the twentieth century in decorative condition.
Unknown.
The motif of the rams head was used by Robert Adam (1728-1792) frequently on his furniture such as candle stands; usually with festoons of drapery and wreaths of flowers caught up with the rams’ heads, all being ornaments characteristic of what was termed the Adams style. This was very much revived in the first decade or so of the twentieth century, although these masks are not in an English style, it has an Iberian feel to it.
Despite its flaws this is a very imposing and striking urn of which we cannot find quite the like of elsewhere.
Proving to be in very decorative condition but with flaws the whole is well-aged with the terracotta now weathered, commensurate with age and the paintwork distressed in many areas. At some stage in the last twenty years or so it has suffered a crack from the base upwards as photographed and was probably painted at that stage to conceal the hairline. There is also a repair to the rim, a repair to one horn and losses to the extremities of the masks as photographed. She is stable but could obviously be repaired further.
By appointment only.
