Object Description
A captivating pair of Italian terracotta dolphin fountain spouts, dating to the late 18th or early 19th century.
Each is modelled as a stylised dolphin with an open mouth and expressive features, the body rising into a tapering, hollow column. The vertical series of pierced apertures, together with the open mouth, reveal their original purpose within a water system — designed to carry and release water in a controlled, decorative flow, likely within a grotto, cascade, or tiered garden fountain.
The form follows the long-established classical tradition of the “dolphin” motif, derived from Roman and Renaissance sources, where the creature becomes more fantastical than naturalistic. Here, they are carp-like in quality, giving them a particularly sculptural presence. Remnants of the forms of vine leaves trail across their uprights.
The terracotta is iron-rich giving it its wonderful colour, its surface weathered and softly eroded over time. Each piece is individually hand-worked.
Originally conceived as functional architectural elements, they could be used as water features or stand as sculptural objects in their own right — equally compelling in a garden setting or within an interior.
Size per Dolphin.