- Fountain Mask of a River God, c.1650-70
- M.218
- 17th century
- French
This fountain mask originally formed part of a fountain with several masks spouting water, probably in the grounds of the Chateau of Saint-Cloud. Saint-Cloud was built on the out-skirts of Paris by Philippe d'Orleans, brother of Louis XIV, whose first wife, Henriette, was the daughter of Charles I of England. It corresponds closely with masks in designs for fountains and pavilions published by Antoine Le Pautre (1621-1681) between 1652 and 1653 and may possibly be the work of the sculptor Martin Desjardins (1640-1694).
Purchased of the assistance of V&A Purchase Grant Fund.