Why are cast iron urns sold in pairs?

Cast iron was made from a reusable pattern, so a foundry could turn out matching urns cheaply and gardens were laid out symmetrically to suit. On Sellingantiques the pair is the default rather than the exception, with 136 of 373 titles carrying the word. Sets of three, four and five appear too, and they sit at the top of the range.

What period does most of this iron date from?

The dealer-entered dates span 1800 to 1940. The single commonest entry is '19th Century', with 'Victorian' behind it, and both describe a span rather than a year. Decade entries cluster around the 1850s and the 1900s, with smaller groups in the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, 1910s and 1920s. A handful of sampled pieces are Georgian, Regency or eighteenth century, and a few run into the 1930s and 1940s.

How large do the pieces get?

From desk paperweights and match strikers up to terrace vases described as monumental or life size. 'Large' appears in 68 titles. Weights are stated only now and then. The heaviest named is a 140 lb dye maker's mortar and pestle, with a 14 kg Chinese iron bust and a 4.2 kg royal coat of arms behind it.

Are all listings in this category actually iron?

Most are, but a minority are related metalwork sold under the same heading: brass, copper, bronze, spelter and steel. Brass appears in 16 titles and copper in 8, often as parts of a piece, such as a cannon barrel on an oak carriage.

Which animals show up most often?

Lions, by a distance. Around 29 titles name one, in Medici, recumbent, winged and sejant forms, and one pairs a lion with a unicorn. Sheep, horses, eagles, dragons, sphinxes, stags, dogs and cats follow. Cherubs and angels appear among the figures too.

How often do these come up for sale?

Around 45 pieces a year come to market on Sellingantiques in this category. 127 different dealers have listed in it, which tells you most carry one or two rather than a standing stock.

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Antique Cast Iron

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Iron poured into sand moulds and turned out by the pattern, used through the nineteenth century for garden urns, planters, figural animals and the fittings of a door or hall.