Hand Antiqued Limestone Trough

A hand antiqued limestone trough in the warm colors of a Mediterranean afternoon: warm sand, oatmeal and pale wheat, with darker mineral specks hidden in the porous grain. The exterior is heavily pitted and rough to the palm, with deep pockets and tool marks across the face, while the rim has been worn down to a comfortable, rounded line. Inside, the basin is smoother and denser, ready to hold water or soil.

It measures 27 1/2 inches long, 15 inches from front to back and 17 inches high, a compact size that is easy to place. The stone is sound. The antiquing is a hand finish on limestone, not two centuries of weather, so the texture is consistent all the way round.

It makes a recirculating fountain basin for a stone courtyard, a planter for rosemary or a small olive, or an ice trough for bottles at a summer table. Reclaimed oak, unlacquered brass or plain iron suit its warmth, and it sits easily on terracotta or crushed gravel. This limestone trough has sold. We usually have similar small troughs in the yard; ask and we will send what is current.