Pair of Vintage French Concrete Planters with Basket-Weave Pattern 11¾" x 15¾"

A pair of vintage cast concrete planters from the gardens of Chanteduc, Patricia and Walter Wells's farmhouse and cooking school in Vaison-la-Romaine, in the heart of Provence. Cast to resemble stone, each planter has aged to a warm, dusty grey-cream, its surface mottled with the soft patina of years spent outdoors in the Provençal sun and rain. Generously proportioned and nicely solid, the bowls taper gently and are decorated all over with an interlaced basket-weave pattern in relief — diagonal bands crossing to form a lattice of diamond shapes across the body. A twisted rope border runs along the rim. At Chanteduc, these planters were filled with seasonal blooms, contributing to the enchanting gardens that inspired so much of Patricia's cooking and entertaining life in Provence. Planted with lavender, rosemary, geraniums or a tumble of seasonal colour, they would bring an immediate sense of established character to any outdoor space, whether a Provençal courtyard, a walled town garden or a city terrace.