Vintage 1940s French Cast Iron Floral Urn Garden Ornaments from Paris Floral House

A remarkable collection of three vintage 1940s French cast iron garden ornaments from Maison Lachaume, the celebrated Parisian floral house whose history reaches back to the 19th century. Monumental in both scale and decoration, each piece takes the form of an elaborate classical urn overflowing with an exuberant arrangement of roses, blossoms, buds, leaves, and curling floral tendrils — all rendered entirely in cast iron. The composition is wonderfully theatrical. A substantial urn rises from a molded circular base, its classical form enriched with fluting, beaded borders, stylized leaves, and scrolling handles. From the vessel emerges an extraordinary openwork bouquet, spreading upward and outward in a profusion of flowers and foliage. Large, deeply modeled roses crown the arrangement, joined by open blossoms, smaller flowers and buds, while sinuous stems and leafy tendrils weave through the composition. The ironwork gives the flowers a wonderful sense of permanence while retaining a surprising feeling of movement. The open spaces between the stems allow light to pass through, giving these substantial cast iron pieces a lacy, almost weightless quality when viewed from a distance. Up close, the depth of the casting and individual modeling of petals, leaves, stems, and scrollwork become much more apparent. Their surface is every bit as beautiful as their form. Decades of exposure and age have created a wonderfully layered patina of faded green, pink, verdigris, soft blue-green, earthy rust, and traces of old painted surfaces. The colors have settled naturally into the recesses of the flowers and foliage while raised areas reveal warmer oxidized iron tones, giving each ornament the wonderfully mottled, timeworn character that simply cannot be convincingly reproduced. Their provenance makes them particularly special. Lachaume is one of Paris's historic floral houses, long associated with extraordinary flowers and the elegant world of Parisian society. These sculptural iron bouquets seem especially fitting for such a source — flowers made permanent in iron, yet every bit as exuberant as a freshly arranged bouquet. At an impressive 51.5 inches high, these are substantial architectural garden ornaments with wonderful presence. Their tall, spreading silhouettes make them especially striking placed along a garden wall, on a covered terrace or veranda, in an orangery or conservatory, or brought indoors where they read almost as works of botanical sculpture. Their scale and openwork construction also offer intriguing possibilities for repurposing —professionally adapted, they could make extraordinary statement lamps or serve as dramatic decorative bases. Grouped together in their original form, the effect is equally spectacular. Sold individually, with three available, allowing them to be used singly, as a pair, or grouped together for a more dramatic installation. More than garden ornaments, they are wonderfully eccentric survivors of mid-20th century Paris — part floral fantasy, part architectural ironwork, and unmistakably French. *Currently aboard our latest container from France and Italy. Additional photographs will be added once these pieces arrive in Birmingham — but you don’t have to wait for the boat. Use Comments & Inquiries to ask about purchasing them before arrival. Dimensions: h - 51.5" w - 28.5" d -14" __________________________________________________________________ A CLOSER LOOK REVEALS Origin: Paris, France Date: Circa 1940s Provenance: Lachaume, Paris Material: Cast iron Design: Classical urn form overflowing with an openwork bouquet of roses, blossoms, buds, leaves, stems, and scrolling floral tendrils Detail: Deeply modeled floral decoration, scrolling handles, beaded borders, fluting, stylized foliage, and molded circular bases Patina: Beautifully layered surface with faded green, verdigris, blue-green, earthy rust, and traces of old painted finish Scale: Monumental architectural presence at over four feet high Use: Ideal as garden or architectural ornaments, botanical sculpture, or professionally adapted as statement lamps or decorative bases Condition: Very good vintage condition with age-appropriate oxidation, surface wear, and patina consistent with outdoor use and age Dimensions: 51.5"H x 28.5"W x 14"D Sold: Individually; three available