Bronze urns from Bagatelle

Lanhydrock -  urn in situ

These splendid - and well-travelled -  Baroque bronze garden urns, which now adorn the National Trust gardens at Lanhydrock in Cornwall, are modelled from the 17th century originals cast by Claude Ballin II (1661-1754) for Versailles.  The ten urns hail originally from the Château de Bagatelle.  The Marquess of Hertford, who owned Bagatelle in the mid 19th-century, bequeathed them to his son Sir Richard Wallace (of "Wallace Collection" fame) and he in turn left them to his secretary Sir John Murray Scott.  At one point they resided at Nether Swell Manor in Gloucestershire, but they were bought in the 1930s by Lord Clifden, the owner of Lanhydrock.  There is some question that they may date back to the time of the comte d'Artois in the late 18th century;  but sadly no.  The well-informed Cornwell Gardens Trust website confirms that Lord Hertford had them cast from the surviving originals by permission of Napoleon III, and that they bear the mark of the prolific 19th-century maître de forges Antoine Durenne (1822-95).

Jonathan Lovie, "The historic development of the gardens at Lanhydrock, Cornwall", Cornwall Gardens Trust [website]
http://cornwallgardenstrust.org.uk.gridhosted.co.uk/the-historic-development-of-the-gardens-at-lanhydrock-cornwall/

National Trust Collections website
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/880855.1 (and following):  

880855.1
One of a pair of large 18th Century bronze garden urns with semi gadrooned irons above sunburst female masks, flanked by lion mask and ring handles on acanthus supports the lower body with twelve portrait medallions of classical subjects, on bell shaped acanthus supports and square bases. On stone plinth.

880856.1
One of a pair of 18th Century bronze garden urns with gadrooned vines applied with grotesque male masks and swags of fruiting vines suspended from ribbon ties, on fluted columns above a frieze of acanthus; on octagonal bases and fitted with liners. On stone plinth.

880857.1
One of a pair of 18th Century bronze garden urns of bulbous shape, with basket work frieze and handles in the form of cherubs seated on lion masks and rings, the sides with swags of fruit and acorns, the lower part with gadrooned decoration on square boxes.

880858.1
One of a pair of 18th Century bronze garden urns profusely decorated with panels of acanthus foliage, having scrolling lion mask and ring handles; on tapering column and square base. On stone plinth.

880859.2
One of a pair of 18th Century bronze garden urns profusely decorated with panels of acanthus foliage, applied with bacchanal masks, fitted with liners; on tapering column and square base. On stone plinth.