Art

Item Description

Large & Small Iron Horse Sculptures from Campo de' Fiori on Route 7 in Sheffield.

Campo de’ Fiori derives its name from a small piazza in Rome where owner Robin Norris’ mother used to buy fresh flowers and vegetables for the family home, Palazzo di Campitelli. Literally, Campo de’ Fiori means “Field of Flowers” and the combination of flowers and the elegance of classical Rome combined to inspire its current incarnation in the Berkshires.

Robin also had the fortune of growing up, as he puts it, “in a small village where our elders were an eccentric bunch, given to inspired works and ramblings. We were blessed with beautiful woods, wonderfully odd homes, wild and tamed gardens, a mix of whimsical and practical objects, and an irreplaceable sense of belonging.”

In the Berkshires, he met his wife, Barbara Bockbrader, a highly respected horticulturist and plantswoman. Between Robin’s classical eye for design and Barbara’s sensuous plantings, something happened—seeds were sown and from them Campo de’ Fiori has come to life.

With respect to what is now called “The Green Movement”, Robin and Barbara have talked the talk and walked the walk for decades with a lifelong dedication to living sanely – growing their own food, cultivating their own gardens, fermenting their own wine and cider, and staying close to the ways of none other than Nature herself. Not unlike their artisan compadres in Mexico who shape the clay, the stone, and the iron, they work with what is close at hand in the garden and in the woods. As Robin says, “The laws of nature will continue to mystify us – the greatest thing we’ve been given is this Mystery. And unfolding these mysteries and learning to live in concert with them seems an interesting challenge at this stage in our evolution as a species. Who knows? We may even be capable some day of shaping a culture in which the focus becomes Health, not Wealth. Hope springs eternal!”

Our preference for the odd plant out, as a choice, almost demands an interesting partner in either terra cotta or stone. We therefore delight in creating new pots and planters upon which we just can’t help but cultivate our trademark moss. This simply came naturally to us and it seems to have caught the fancy of more than a few garden aficionados.

This natural aging process requires patience and time – in the making, in the finishing, and in the greenhouse. This allows the magic to take shape through Nature’s hand. Others may try to dupe you with artificial this or that, and quick fixes, but we simply won’t. Nor will we use or sell to you materials that cannot return naturally to Our Earth. And once our terra cotta pots are planted, the natural aging process will continue evolve, creating a varied surface texture of vibrant mosses along with naturally occurring colors that evoke the classic look of antiquity we so revere.

Clay gathered from the lagoon. Tread upon by foot, kneaded by hand. Thrown on the wheel, feet thrashing, fingers shaping. Fired with wood, aged with care in the misty greenhouse, over time, until there appears on each and every one the lush, lusty green of the beloved moss.

Our companion collection of copper-plated plant saucers and trays, and iron trivets and plant stands allow for a harmonious plant presentation in both home & garden.

Raise it up. Enhance its presence. The strength of iron, the grace of copper. On a trivet, on a saucer, on a shelf, on a windowsill. Into the light.

Item Special Note

Item available for local pick-up at 55 Interlaken Road, Stockbridge, MA. Call 413-637-0755 for details. Standard postal mailing costs are responsible of the winning bidder.