A pair of colonial terracotta urns by J.J. Craig (Avondale), the urns of traditional form with a handle to each side decorated with faces in relief, a frieze of classical figures around the body with acanthus leaf decoration to the rims, on square plinth bases, some damage. Height 70 cm Provenance: Found in the garden of the home (built late 19th century) of Thomas Philcox, W. Philcox and Sons. The firm was engaged to build a number of Devonport buildings as well as those in other parts of the city. They were probably best known for building the Auckland Ferry Building. The Devonport buildings include Holy Trinity Church. Thomas was a shareholder in the Devonport Steam Ferry Company (formed in 1881) and also a Councillor on the Devonport Borough Council
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- Acanthus - A stylized leaf motif, one of the primary decorative elements of classical Greek and Roman architecture, derived from the genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Mediterranean area. It is a common element in classical Greek and Roman design, and is often seen in Corinthian and Composite order columns and used as a decorative element in English, European and Australian furniture, particularly on the curve of a leg, and as decoration for a corbel.
- Frieze - An architectural term denoting the flat, shaped or convex horizontal surface of furniture, between the architrave and the cornice, usually found on a cabinet or bookcase, or on desks and tables where it may include drawers, the area between the top and the legs. In ceramics, the term refers to the banding, of usually a repeating pattern, on the rims of plates and vases.
- Terracotta - Terracotta is lightly fired earthenware, red or reddish-brown in colour, used in ancient times. Fired at higher temperatures terracotta was used in the nineteenth century for decorative vases and similar objects, but rarely for utilitarian goods. Other uses for terracotta include roofing tiles, garden pots and ornaments. Glazed terracotta is known as faience.
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