Baron Copperstone French Provincial Horse Head Bust, Rust Cast Iron 28cm

An anatomist's horse head, cast in iron and left out in the weather.

Baron Copperstone is a horse head bust cast in solid iron and finished in a natural rust patina, ears pricked forward, the mane falling in worked strands down the crest, mounted on a plain rectangular plinth. He weighs 4 kg, which is the difference between cast iron and the resin and magnesia pieces that copy this shape. There is no bridle and no ornament on him, which is deliberate: the whole piece rests on the modelling of the cheek, the eye and the flare of the nostril.

At 28cm he is the size of a table lamp, small enough to lift with one hand and serious enough to hold a console or a shelf on his own. He is built for outdoor life: the plinth gives him a flat footing, and the rust patina is a finish rather than a fault, so weather deepens him instead of wearing him out.

Why we love it

• ◆The restraint, no bridle, no scrollwork, nothing to date him, which is why he sits as easily in a modern room as a period one
• ◆The modelling, the eye, the cheekbone and the nostril each properly worked rather than suggested
• ◆The weight, 4 kg for a 28cm piece, so he holds a shelf edge without a thought
• ◆The rust patina, deep amber along the crest and the muzzle, russet in the hollows, and it only improves outdoors

How to style it

He is a profile piece, so give him a clear side view and nothing crowding the muzzle.

• Stand him on a hall console with the profile facing down the hall
• Use him as a bookend against a run of hardbacks
• Put him on an outdoor table or a wall cap where he reads against render
• Pair him with Duke Beaumont at 43cm for a large and small
• Group him with the rest of our garden sculptures

Care & Keeping

Wipe with a soft dry cloth to lift dust out of the mane strands and around the eye. 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 him.

Because Baron Copperstone is 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.