Deriving from the French word jardin, meaning garden, the jardinière is a stand or container for flower pots, used to decoratively and discreetly incorporate plants into an interior. Jardinières were first used in 18th century France. The idea spread to England soon after 1750 and then to the Americas in the 19th century. Designed to fit harmoniously into their respective interiors, jardinières were constructed in all shapes and sizes, and made from a variety of materials including wood, marble, ceramic and metal. To protect the piece, liners of copper, zinc, or lead were often fitted within.

Figure 1

In figure 1, a mid-19th century watercolor in the V&A, of German or Austrian origin, depicts a traditional Biedermeier interior. Two jardinières bring plant-life into the room, complementing the light colors and floral wallcoverings. In addition to serving as room decoration, jardinières encouraged botanical studies, a common pastime in the sitting rooms of bourgeois and upperclass women. Furthermore, they gave Europeans the ability to enjoy exotic flowers, which they would not otherwise have been able to sustain in such a varied climate.

Figure 2

Jardinières were “an essential part of the love of flowers to be found in the 18th century, especially in France, and some of the finest small ones were made of Sevres porcelain.”¹ On a larger scale, other types of ceramic were used such as Delft and Faïence earthenware. Faïence is the traditional name in English for the tin-glazed pottery that originated in Faenza, Italy. It spread north throughout the rest of Europe with manufacturing centers in France, Germany, and Belgium. In Belgium the largest production of Faïence occurred at Tournai and Brussels starting in the 17th century. Figure 2 depicts one of a pair of very large and rare faïence jardinières almost certainly made in Brussels circa 1740, decorated with female masks and rich floral swags.

Figure 3

Figure 3 illustrates a pair of jardinières, possibly Italian, circa 1815. Executed in Carrara marble, they are decorated with gilt-bronze mounts depicting classical figures. A frieze of opposing sphinxes and stylized floral designs further enhances the late neoclassical motif, as do the gilt clawed feet on which they stand.

Figure 5

Figure 4

Finally, the pair of George III two-tiered jardinières in figure 4 are of painted wood and date from the last quarter of the 18th century.  18th-century jardinières would often succumb to water damage over time, and the present delicately decorated examples are rare survivals of this neoclassical type of furniture from the latter part of the century. “Adam, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton gave fresh impetus to the vogue for painted furniture”² and the finely painted designs on furniture often corresponded directly with the architectural features within a room. They are shown in use in figure 5 in our booth at the 2009 Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair.