The Origins of Faux Bois
The term faux bois (French for ‘false wood’) is used to describe certain garden antiques, often antique garden furniture - such as a bench or an antique garden table which was made from concrete, iron or plaster to resemble the stylised wooden branches and twigs of a tree. It could also be applied to an antique garden planter - designed from concrete to look like a hollowed-out tree stump or to an antique garden ornament – created to look like, for example, a toadstool or mushroom.
The Development of Faux Bois in France
In France faux bois first emerged in the mid 1800s, utilising the recent invention of reinforced concrete. Joseph Monier patented the technique of reinforcing concrete vessels with an iron inner structure, which became known as ferrocement, and first showcased it at the Paris Exposition of 1867. In 1875, Monier designed the first iron-reinforced concrete bridge in Chazelet, France.
At this time a group of highly skilled garden artisans, who became known as the ‘Rocailleurs’, gained recognition for creating magical outdoor spaces such as grottos and rock gardens, with footbridges and gazebos that were fantastical, whimsical, romantic and highly individual.
Craftsmanship and Artistic Techniques
Artistic endeavour was still paramount in creating these wonderful decorative antiques inspired by nature’s forms. The skill and detail required to sculpt coarse cement or concrete demanded considerable ability. Layer upon layer was added using mortar and grout to create texture. Creative painting techniques were then used to replicate woodgraining and imitate the appearance of trees and bark with an artistic interpretation.
Their craftsmanship was built upon centuries of tradition, dating back to the Renaissance and incorporated the trompe-l'œil painting seen on French antique furniture. They cleverly adapted their existing skills to work with not only the new material of concrete but also traditional materials such as rock and stone (which could now be reinforced with either a metal framework, iron rods or chicken wire, for example).
The Peak of Rocaille Artistry
The Rocailleurs went from strength to strength - between the 1870s and 1910 rocaille artistry peaked, coinciding with the height of Art Nouveau – a wonderfully creative interlude. Antique garden furniture produced at this time - such as antique garden benches, antique garden chairs and antique garden planters, are regarded as some of the most iconic French antiques of all time.
Decline and Changing Tastes
However, the popularity of faux bois did not last. New technology changed everyday life beyond recognition; electricity, telephones, cars and aeroplanes created a new mood of modernity. Rustic antiques, ornate and romantic, were no longer fashionable. Added to this, the devastation caused by World War I in Europe ensured there was even less interest in the sentimentalism of faux bois, with its celebration of nature, fantasy and tranquillity.
This was the era of Art Deco, with its sophisticated streamlined designs and simple silhouettes. By the 1930s and 1940s the skilled work of the Rocailleurs that had created these wonderful faux bois antique garden furniture pieces had largely disappeared. Few objects remain from this period; those that do, mostly in the form of antique garden planters or birdbaths, together with some notable larger garden structures, are now highly collectable and rarely appear on the open market.
Faux Bois Garden Antiques Today
The creation of faux bois French antique garden ornaments and garden furniture was a unique moment in time. It emerged from a blend of strong gardening traditions, industrial innovation and remarkable artisan creativity.
Today faux bois garden antiques are once again popular. The quirky original designs have been reimagined and reinterpreted as more mass-produced garden antiques. They usually provoke a strong response - either loved and admired or disliked and dismissed.
The newer faux bois mid-century antiques strike a chime with contemporary garden design and can be readily incorporated into modern gardens or patio spaces. In smaller areas, with less to distract the eye, their branch-like forms create distinctive sculpture and unusual centrepieces, whilst remaining practical decorative garden antiques
At Mist Antiques there are currently some fabulous faux bois antique garden planters, a single one and a pair, to discover in the Garden Section.
Reference -
The History of Faux Bois - by Diane Husson, 29 March 2023
History of Faux Bois Aquariums - Emiliano Spada