French Antique Foundry Crucibles (Pair)

A pair of French antique foundry crucibles with thick rounded bodies, deep interiors and walls heavy enough that each one reads almost as a single block. The surfaces carry layers of deep charcoal, ash gray and iron brown, with soot settled across the outside and blisters, pits and irregular marks from long exposure to extreme heat. The rims are uneven and worn, and the interiors are rough and layered with old burns.

One measures about 16 1/4 inches across and 21 1/4 inches high; the other about 16 1/2 inches across and 21 inches high. The slight difference is part of the appeal; they were never meant to match. They are dense and heavy for their size and will need two people to move.

Each foundry crucible can hold branches, dried arrangements or a sculptural plant, or stand empty beside a stone hearth, along a covered terrace or in a gravel courtyard with raw timber, concrete, aged limestone or rusted iron nearby. The pair is in our yard in Marina Del Rey; see them by appointment, or we will send more photographs and a price.