Monsieur Ratsworth Small French Provincial Rat Statue, Rust Cast Iron 27cm

A rat in a frock coat, raising a glass to nobody in particular.

Monsieur Ratsworth is a standing rat cast in solid iron and finished in a natural rust patina, dressed as a gentleman of the old school: long open coat, buttoned waistcoat, cravat at the throat, breeches and pointed shoes, a small goblet raised in one hand. He weighs 2.3 kg, which is the difference between cast iron and the resin and magnesia pieces that copy this shape. The casting carries the pile of the fur, the fall of the coat and each button worked separately.

At 27cm he is the size of a table lamp, small enough to lift with one hand and characterful enough to hold a step or a shelf on his own. He is built for outdoor life: the iron keeps him upright in wind, 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 character, a rat who has clearly had a good evening, which is a rarer thing in garden sculpture than it should be
• ◆The weight, 2.3 kg of cast iron, so he stays where you put him
• ◆The rust patina, deep amber where light catches the coat, russet down in the folds, and it only improves outdoors
• ◆The casting, fur, coat seams, waistcoat buttons and the goblet all worked rather than smoothed away

How to style it

He is a character piece, so give him somewhere he looks like he has just arrived at.

• Stand him at the foot of a step or beside a doorway
• Put him on a garden table where people sit, not on a shelf where they do not
• Set him among low planting so the coat reads against green
• Pair him with the 40cm version of the same character 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 coat folds and around the goblet. 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 Monsieur Ratsworth 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.