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Pair of lacquered cast-iron urns — Tuscany, second half of the nineteenth century
An elegant pair of chalice-shaped, slender urns in lacquered cast iron, decorated with raised floral motifs that echo a neoclassical vocabulary and underline their representative role.
From the garden of a Tuscan villa, they were intended for ornamental plantings and were often set along entrance paths, flanking exterior stairways to frame the main doorway, or placed before the limonaie—the citrus houses where orange and lemon trees were sheltered during the colder months.
Cast iron—then an innovative, long-lasting material—combined practicality with decorative refinement. The original lacquer, now gently softened by time, tells of a long outdoor life and a noble wear, preserving the charm of an era when even garden furnishings spoke of style and display.
Placed on either side of an entrance, they become a discreet yet eloquent gesture of welcome, holding not only plants but, in a sense, the scene itself.
- Material: Painted Cast Iron
- Size: cm 48 x 62 h
- Condition: Restored
- Period: Mid-19th century
- State: Good conditions
