Pair of English Terracotta Tree Stump or Stumpery Pedestals by Gibbs & Canning, Tamworth c.1870

A rare and beautifully modelled pair of English terracotta pedestals c.1870
Each formed as a tree stump entwined with ivy vines and detailed with naturalistic bark patterning. One example bears the impressed maker’s mark “GIBBS & CANNING / TAMWORTH.” Their richly weathered surfaces, and gentle lichen growth, give them the perfect character for a stumpery or woodland garden setting.

Established in 1847, Gibbs & Canning of Tamworth were among the foremost English manufacturers of architectural terracotta during the Victorian period, best known for supplying the buff-coloured facades for the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) and other landmark buildings.

These pedestals, in the rustic or faux bois manner, would originally have supported urns, statuary, or sundials. Today they serve as sculptural stumpery pedestals with charm and presence.

Condition: Attractive weathering and minor wear consistent with age and outdoor exposure; one pedestal with an old, stable repair. Size per pedestal.