Robin & Sparrow French Provincial Bird Statues, Rust Cast Iron Set of Two

Two small birds on the ground, and the border stops being just plants.

Robin and Sparrow come as a pair and are cast in solid iron, finished in a natural rust patina that runs warm amber over the backs and settles darker in the hollows. Each bird sits on its own base, cast as one piece with the bird: the robin on a smooth ribbed acorn, the sparrow on a scaled pinecone. Together they weigh 0.65 kg, which is what separates them from the resin garden birds sold at the same size.

At 12.5cm each they are hand sized and meant to be found rather than displayed. They are built for outdoor life: the iron holds them in place, and the rust patina is a finish rather than a fault, so weather deepens them instead of wearing them out.

Why we love it

• ◆They come as a pair, two different castings on two different bases, so they read as company rather than a matching set
• ◆The bases, an acorn under one and a pinecone under the other, each cast in one piece with the bird rather than glued on
• ◆The weight, 0.65 kg of cast iron across the two, enough to hold their ground in a border
• ◆The rust patina, warm amber over the backs, darker in the hollows of the pinecone, and it only improves outdoors

How to style it

They sit low and round, so put them where something round and low belongs.

• Tuck them into the front of a border where the planting thins out
• Sit them on gravel at the foot of a pot rather than on top of anything
• Split the pair between two ends of a long windowsill
• Set them among bulbs in autumn so they carry the bed until things come up
• Group them with the rest of our garden sculptures

Care & Keeping

Wipe with a soft dry cloth to lift dust off the backs and out of the pinecone scales. The rust patina is a finished surface and needs no sealing. Place a felt pad or a saucer underneath on pale stone or painted timber, and keep harsh chemical cleaners and abrasive pads away from them.

Because Robin and Sparrow are hand-finished, slight variations in patina, texture, and grain are natural and add to the unique character of each piece. Colour may also vary slightly between screens, all photography is taken in natural light.