19th-Century French Cast-Iron Medici Urn w/ Garland & Orange Patina - 20¾"

A 19th-century French cast-iron Medici urn in a classical form, distinguished by the decorative garland on one side of the body. The broad flared rim is enriched with repeating classical ornament above a gadrooned lower section, substantial handles, and a square plinth base. A matching garland was originally present on the reverse, where traces of its attachment remain. The surface has developed a beautifully layered outdoor patina in muted gray-green and rust tones, with flashes of an earlier orange-red protective undercoat showing through and adding unexpected warmth and a surprisingly modern note. The urn is pierced for drainage and ready for planting.

The surviving garland gives this example a more elaborate character than plainer Medici urns, while the loss on the reverse would not be visible if the urn were placed against a wall. Filled with a few sculptural branches or left empty, its bold silhouette and flashes of orange-red patina give it an unexpectedly modern presence. Indoors, it would look particularly strong raised on a pedestal, where the weathered surface and substantial form can be appreciated almost as a piece of sculpture.