Leaf designs based on the hart’s tongue fern, modelled and cast by the well-known terracotta artist David Birch, are combined to create a decorative feature that can be used as a column or pilaster capital or a frieze. The design is British adaptation of the concept behind the use of the acanthus, a Mediterranean weed, for classical decoration. The hart’s tongue fern, asplenium scolopendrium, is found in shady places and often grows in dry-stone walls, giving it a natural association with buildings. It is part of series of decorative terracotta designs coordinated with standard brick dimensions used on a number of Robert Adam’s projects.
