I have a deep love for Victorian iron so when I found this umbrella stand in Asbury Park, NJ for $175, I jumped on it. It was in a shop that sells architectural artifacts and the owner told me it was one of a pair, the other being sold. It came from a NJ estate.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j285/zekenstein/IMG_1282.jpg
On first inspection I thought it was an Aesthetic piece, but the flower on top is stamped ?1856? on the urn. I?m just wondering if anyone here has any clue if it is American or not? It?s triangular so it works well as a corner piece. It is made, seemingly, that it can be used with 2 of them to fit against a flat wall or perhaps 4 that would form a circle to be used in a bank or hotel lobby.
I?m just wondering if the bird against a sun is an American rococo or perhaps a continental piece. It lacks the English proof mark and anything in that time period from UK would have the diamond shaped mark so UK is probably ruled out.
At any rate, it makes a nice holder for fireplace tools or perhaps I?ll paint it and put it in the garden with some ivy or a fern in it. The original paint is in really good condition considering its age and I kinda want to keep it in the house. For the price though, its no big deal to me to put a coat of rustoleum on it and keep it in the yard. It certainly is an unusual form!
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j285/zekenstein/IMG_1280.jpg
Any clues?
Zeke
American Victorian iron?
Archive summary
Victorian Furniture thread on victorianforum.com · started June 17, 2008 by zeke · 5 posts · discussion in 2008.
I have a deep love for Victorian iron so when I found this umbrella stand in Asbury Park, NJ for $175, I jumped on it. It was in a shop that sells architectural artifacts and the owner told me it was one of a pair, the other being sold. It came from a NJ estate.…
Nice piece. It looks large in scale -- larger than than domestic umbrella stands-- but maybe it's the odd scale of the outdoor photos. I'd agree with the Aesthetic Movement asignation for the stylized flowerpot finial, and it does resemble some of the sunflower motives found more often in English examples of Aesthetic Movement work. Otherwise, though, the style is not so easy to tie down, but it has the angularity and architectural quality often seen in the late 1870s-early 1880s.
Could it have come from a church or religious building? The dove against a radial sunburst is usually a Christian motif, especially popular in Baroque church pulpits, but seen much earlier and later. A variation on the motif is sometimes refered to as "winged peace," though that would seem to be a modern term and take on the design.
Some quick Googled examples of the dove and sunburst motif:
http://flickr.com/photos/1way/712720346/ ; [see ceiling of the pulpit]
http://www.ca-missions.org/pulp.jpg
http://oggieblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/winged-peace.html
http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/f002rp.htm [dove -- with sunburst-- as Christian symbol of Holy Ghost]
Could it have come from a church or religious building? The dove against a radial sunburst is usually a Christian motif, especially popular in Baroque church pulpits, but seen much earlier and later. A variation on the motif is sometimes refered to as "winged peace," though that would seem to be a modern term and take on the design.
Some quick Googled examples of the dove and sunburst motif:
http://flickr.com/photos/1way/712720346/ ; [see ceiling of the pulpit]
http://www.ca-missions.org/pulp.jpg
http://oggieblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/winged-peace.html
http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/f002rp.htm [dove -- with sunburst-- as Christian symbol of Holy Ghost]
Wow, many thanks 1836!
That's super interesting and I think you hit the nail on the head. It is of a larger scale than a typical Victorian domestic stand and there was a pair of them. I can certainly see one of each flanking a door to a church in the narthex. I decided not to paint it and I cleaned it up a bit and it looks really nice. I couldn't find it in my heart to leave it in the garden to rust with a plant in it so!
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j285/zekenstein/IMG_1318.jpg
Thanks again 1836 for your very informative post. I love how we all interact here!
Zekesters
That's super interesting and I think you hit the nail on the head. It is of a larger scale than a typical Victorian domestic stand and there was a pair of them. I can certainly see one of each flanking a door to a church in the narthex. I decided not to paint it and I cleaned it up a bit and it looks really nice. I couldn't find it in my heart to leave it in the garden to rust with a plant in it so!
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j285/zekenstein/IMG_1318.jpg
Thanks again 1836 for your very informative post. I love how we all interact here!
Zekesters
Nice job Zeke! Hey, by the way, if you need to make more room for that umbrella stand, and you need to move that table out of the way, let me know and I will send you my address--I can store that table for you! ;) Thanks for posting the results of the rennovation. Charles.
Hey Charles,
By all means would you please store that old table for me. I will of course remove all that clutter on top of it and give it a good dusting so it arrives all nice and clean ::)
Ain't it great that we can have some fun here ;D
Z
By all means would you please store that old table for me. I will of course remove all that clutter on top of it and give it a good dusting so it arrives all nice and clean ::)
Ain't it great that we can have some fun here ;D
Z