Doe and Hope

Description

The hugely decorative larger than life-size patinated verdigris bronze models of cranes, well cast and free-standing without bases survive from the third quarter of the twentieth century.

The cranes have the expected wear and a lovely green tinted patination that comes with bronzes and weathering commensurate with being placed outdoors. They have some ‘museum’ type repairs, around five, which are visible to the legs, and one of the cranes has a crack to the beak. Overall the condition would be described as fair though the wholes remain very attractive in their entirety and steady enough for display. This pair are of infinite better quality than those contemporary pieces now seen online, most with fountain inserts.

Seen in traditional English country house gardens, these ‘lost wax process’ Asian symbols of peace are lifelike in their elegance, exemplifying their graceful legs and exquisite, elongated necks. The cranes are based on original designs from the Japanese, Meiji Period (1869-1912) which would have been largely imported into the UK in the early years of the 20th century, and sometimes fitted with light fittings.

Exquisite sculptural elegance.