Four Seasons Cast Iron Tub

China is the earliest known civilization to work with cast iron, appearing in artifacts made thousands of years ago during the illustrious Zhou dynasty. Expanding upon techniques perfected long ago, the Shanxi province craftsman who made this 19th-century cast iron tub lavishly decorated it with floral patterns in low relief. Each side of the basin bears a different auspicious flower symbolic of the four seasons: the peony for spring, plum blossom for winter, lotus for summer, and chrysanthemum for autumn. Dramatic ring handles and dragon-inspired feet bear the expressive faces of guardian fu dogs. Over the years, the tub has developed a rich, rust-brown patina that only adds to its time-honored beauty. Used in Qing-dynasty homes to collect rain water, the iron vessel would look wonderful as a planter in a modern garden.