A (Frog) Prince Of A Late 19th Century Fountainhead!

A beloved puppet amphibian is famous for saying, "It's not easy being green." But, after I saw this marvelous and very unusual turn of last century treasure at a recent New England Antiques Show event, I would tend to disagree with that statement! Take a look at this prince-in-waiting and see if he puts you underwater with excitement, too!

Go to the head of the class if you could identify this pond-prize as a fountainhead. Here we have a quite authentic looking water feature in the shape of a frog. He is about 8 inches square as well as high. Froggy is open mouthed, in a sitting position, and resting on what looks to be a bed of lily pads. He is made from pottery and has a delightful glaze finish in various shades of green. This lovely water feature was produced in the late 19th century and is unmarked, so it is not clear of his origins or manufacturer.

There is historical evidence of water features in public and private gardens in both Persian and Chinese writings from at least 500 BCE. Up until the industrial age, water was recirculated through adjacent rivers and springs. With the introduction of the water pump in the early 1800's, it became possible to create water gardens far away from these natural resources; it was at this time that fountainheads designed for form AND function began to appear.

One critical feature for a water garden to be healthy and provide the optimum environment for growth is the movement and oxygenation of the water within the pond. That's where fountainheads come in - not only are they physically attractive (as in the case of this frog) they also provide these imperative services as well. As a matter of fact, a far less glamorous - and far more functional - name for a fountainhead is a pond or water aerator. The heron fountainhead, pictured here on the left, is another good marriage of playful form and function.

And just how important are fountainheads even today? Important enough to be cited within the latest edition of Architectural Graphic Standards for Residential Construction, which is written and produced by the American Institute of Architects and is one of the most trusted and relied upon architectural references in the design and construction industries. According to these authorities...

"Formal water features are often used in small garden rooms or as an organizing element in a larger garden. The smaller the water feature is, the more it benefits from a raised location. Formal shapes may be either a central feature or may used to enhance movement. They often incorporate sculpture or natural elements into their design.

Formal water features may incorporate jets to produce water movement in the form of bubblers, spray, and other fountain shapes. The movement aerates the water in a recirculation system. It attracts birds and wildlife, and can mask intrusive noise. The simplest fountains are powered by a low voltage, submersible pump anchored to the pond. A vertical discharge pipe is attached to the pump, connecting it to a fountainhead."

I would like to thank Richard Thorner of Resser-Thorner Antiques from Manchester, NH for giving us a jump-start on this wonderful frog fountainhead. Resser-Thorner Antiques carries a general line of 18th, 19th and 20th Century art and antiques with an emphasis on New Hampshire related material (furniture, paintings and decorative arts) and historical Americana (documents, prints and artifacts). The company is a regular exhibitor at New England Antique Shows events and will be attending the upcoming Wilmington show on October 15th and 16th. For more information on the frog fountainhead, contact Richard directly at (603) 669-7677.

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