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Lot Essay
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
The Architectural Magazine, 1834, page 299. An article by J.C.Loudon on Austin & Seeley's fountains illustrates this model, this appears to confirm the indistinct dating of the present piece to the mid 1830's. The remains of a fountain by the firm with similar dolphin base stands in the Swiss Garden, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire (see Davis, page 204).
The fountain also appears on the cover of the SPECIMEN BOOK OF AUSTIN & SEELEY'S ARTIFICIAL STONE MANUFACTORY, a catalogue of 1844. A line drawing on page 18 of the catalogue lists it: Entwined Dolphin Fountain with Shell and Triton. The fountain was also available with a plain tazza above the dolphins. It is rare to find a signed piece by the company.
The Architectural Magazine, 1834, page 299. An article by J.C.Loudon on Austin & Seeley's fountains illustrates this model, this appears to confirm the indistinct dating of the present piece to the mid 1830's. The remains of a fountain by the firm with similar dolphin base stands in the Swiss Garden, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire (see Davis, page 204).
The fountain also appears on the cover of the SPECIMEN BOOK OF AUSTIN & SEELEY'S ARTIFICIAL STONE MANUFACTORY, a catalogue of 1844. A line drawing on page 18 of the catalogue lists it: Entwined Dolphin Fountain with Shell and Triton. The fountain was also available with a plain tazza above the dolphins. It is rare to find a signed piece by the company.