A Patinated Bronze French Pineapple Fountain Centrepiece Candelabra c.1900

Origin: French
Period: 3rd Empire
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1900
Height: 13”
Width: 14.5”
Depth: 12.5” (with fronds)

The wonderfully decorative French bronze fountain centrepiece, modelled as a large naturalistic pineapple with intricately worked, diamond-patterned skin and an exuberant crown of individually formed, adjustable curling metal leaves, the fruit rising from a further arrangement of spreading foliage above an unusual, lotus leaf shaped twin-basin base, the whole retaining a beautifully weathered surface of deep Verdigris, the cylindrical aperture concealed amongst the upper foliage originally accommodating the fountain’s water supply, allowing the piece to function as part of a larger ornamental water feature, and now acting as a candelabra.

She is presented in attractive, weathered condition, with surface wear, marks, areas of oxidation and irregularities consistent with its former outdoor use. There is some distortion and possible minor losses to the delicate foliage, together with evidence of previous fittings and fixings beneath. The richly varied verdigris patination is particularly appealing and has been left undisturbed and the whole remains complete.

The pineapple has long been associated with hospitality, abundance and prosperity, becoming a fashionable decorative motif in European architecture and garden ornament from the eighteenth century onwards. During the nineteenth century, French foundries produced an extraordinary variety of naturalistic bronze and metalwork for conservatories, gardens and elaborate fountains, often incorporating exotic fruits, luxuriant foliage and flowing water. The present example belongs to this decorative tradition, combining botanical detail with a particularly imaginative sculptural arrangement. It is a particularly well cast example.

An unusual and highly decorative survivor, possessing considerable character both as a fragment of historic garden ornament and as an independent sculptural object and lighting fixture; the exuberant silhouette, intricate modelling and beautifully aged surface make it especially appealing, whether displayed indoors as the jewel at the supper table, or returned once again to a garden setting.