Stone troughs can greatly enhance a garden, combining the elements of stone, with water or earth. Whether used as a water feature or for plants or flowers, stone conveys a sense of solidity, age and permanence.Stone troughs no longer tend to come on the market very often in Ireland compared to England, where they feature frequently at auction.
Mr Rupert van der Werff, head of garden statuary at Sotheby's, London, sells lots of stone troughs, with old Siena marble troughs fetching highest prices.
The most Sotheby's have ever had for a Siena marble trough was about £5,000. Originally, all Siena marble was from Italy, but similar marble was later discovered elsewhere.
Cotswold stone, with its yellowy limestone, replete with moss and lichen, is the next most popular, while granite tends to be the least popular as it doesn't weather as well. It doesn't gather moss, which people generally like. However, granite rough cut troughs can be beautiful.
Though troughs are heavy to move or transport, they are difficult to break or steal. Given that they are so often rectangular, they are often less difficult to ship than might be imagined. For instance, they can be easier to ship than a sculpture.
Shape is the next consideration and, in the current market, bigger is better. Eight-foot long troughs, like French communal clothes' washing troughs, are popular. "Whoppers tend to be the ones that make the money," says Mr van der Werff. His advice is always to buy the best you can afford and to avoid ones with large cracks.
Despite being of granite, an unusual D-shaped trough at Sotheby's garden statuary auction on September 23rd next is estimated at £1,500 to £2,500. At its most recent garden statuary sale last May 20th and 21st, a Siena trough went for £4,500. There were as many as 45 other troughs in that auction.
Mr Niall McDonagh, principal of Architectural Classics, South Gloucester Street, Dublin, says troughs rarely come up in Ireland, a view confirmed by other Irish dealers and auction houses. Architectural Classics has in stock a rectangular city trough with a little drain in it, circa 1870, from Dublin, on offer for €800.