Knight Statues

When it comes to the gothic or medieval era in terms of decorating, many people wonder how anyone could find this beautiful in their home.  The truth is that the gothic era was one of the most impressive when it comes to beauty, and it can be replicated in even the most contemporary design themes.  Here we will talk about how the gothic era came to be, and  by doing so illustrate why it is still so popular today.

The Gothic era was all about impressing the audience.  Modern day did not invent the notion of “keeping up with the Joneses” as those in the Gothic era were always trying to one up those in the classes below.  Gothic tables that went above and beyond standard decor themes with intricate detailing and sturdy long lasting structure were used as focal pieces in a room to showcase wealth and stature.

Cathedrals and religious buildings such as churches in the 15th century added to the impressive nature of gothic decor.  Most of the craftsmanship in the 15th century gothic pieces or knight statues would be handled by monks, who would take great care and attention to the intricate detailing of the pieces used for decor purposes.

Because the gothic era spanned almost ten centuries, you have a lot of timeline to play with when incorporating these intricate detailing into your own home. Knights, castles, and gargoyle figurines are all being subtly used today to revive the gothic era in the most elegant of contemporary design.

When you hear the terms gothic and medieval as they relate to home decor, it can be very easy to conjure up dark foreboding images that may not seem relevant in an interior design you are trying to “cheer up”.  However medieval and gothic decor is not nearly as creepy as it sounds, and today we are going to talk about how simple elements like strategically placed gothic tables can add an element of regality to your home without creating a haunted house look.

Decor from the medieval era is gaining popularity as a result of the British Royal Family gaining popularity again in the modern world.  The medieval era took place between the 5th and 15th centuries and was marked by castles, weapons, and gothic art.  The art in this era mixed both Roman and German motifs with gothic figurines and symbols adding religious elements to art decor and interior design.

Today, these symbols can be cleverly implemented into even the most contemporary setting.  If you have a fireplace in your home, the simple addition of knight statues such as our fireplace ensemble can be all you need to add an element of medieval times to your home. 

When it comes to recreating the royal look of the medieval era, you can do so without going overboard.  The simple addition of a table, figurine, or statue is all you need to implement medieval times without becoming a part of the Adams Family.

If you are thinking of incorporating some Egyptian elements into your home, it can be very easy to fall into the trap of turning your home into a temple.  Who can resist the gold and splendor of this era?  It’s an easy mistake to make, particularly when faced with such an affordable collection.  Before you turn your home into a shrine for Pharaohs, here are some tips on decorating the Egyptian way in the 21st century.

The easiest way to start with your Egyptian motif is to begin with your accent pieces.  You might be surprised at how easy it is to create an Egyptian design through the simple addition of some Egyptian art such as a wall sculpture or some cleverly placed Egyptian decorations.  It’s easy to fill a room quickly with these masterpieces, but you want to avoid this very thing.  Too many faces or eyes looking down from the wall can make a guest feel slightly claustrophobic.  Simplify with accent pieces against neutral colors to avoid this intense effect.

Another way to incorporate Egyptian into your style without going overboard is to take advantage of the symbolism of the era. You can add a pop of Egyptian symbols in a table runner or with very subtle accents displaying the significance of the symbols from this bygone time.  A touch of regality with some knight statues is a gothic twist on the Egyptian royalty, and will add a quirky element to your design theme.

We are still just a few weeks from Halloween and now when we think of medieval décor we tend to think of things that are not glorious like our knight statues, but are on the creepier side.  Certainly if you are entertaining during this time of year you need to have some representation of the grim reaper in your bathroom!  That’s right, we are proud to present the Grim Reaper Sculptural Bath Tissue Tyrant; finally the reaper has found something constructive to do.  He will stare at your guests from his skull and offer them the necessities from his skeletal hands.

Well nothing says creepy like a gargoyle and we have the best collection of gargoyle figurines around.  Whether for Halloween or as a permanent guy to guard your family room, you can’t go wrong with Goliath the Gargoyle Sculpture. He appears to be napping and his ugly face is at rest, but at about a foot tall and fully detailed this gargoyle is ready to jump to your defense or maybe even at you.

We have all types of furniture in our collections and the favorites with medieval fans are our Gothic tables and other Gothic furniture.  Now, we also have a stunning piece to put on top of these tables and that is the Dark Shadows Gargoyle Sculptural Lamp.  This lamp stands over a foot tall and is a 360 degree sculpture.  The artist has detailed the gargoyle’s wide wings which are wrapped around him and he rises up in great splendor above the bulb.  What a shadow he casts!

Now that you have begun your gift shopping, you need to carefully browse our marble busts for sale collection for something unique yet surprisingly affordable.  One such item that is just perfect for your friends or relatives that love heraldry and medieval décor, this is the Heraldic Lion of Chiminees Iron Statue.  The statue created from foundry iron is of the lion of heraldry that appears on so many knights’ shields.  He has a bronze finish and is rearing up on a white marble stand over a foot tall.  This is a beautiful and very affordable gift for anyone.

We have more items done in foundry iron that would make wonderful gifts for anyone that loves knight statues.  Right now at a great sale price we have a humorous knight called Elmo the Scowling Italian Knight Authentic Foundry Iron Casting.  Initially he sits on your desk rather like a knight paperweight full of himself and then when you lift his face shield, he gives you a nasty look and has great storage space for your pencils and other desk items.  Have you gotten your boss anything yet?

There are more pieces of wall sculpture on sale now, especially for all the fans of our garden fairy statue.  We have brought some fairies inside and infused them with wonderful colorful wings to create the Twin Fairies Mirrored Wall Sculpture.  The mirror is about 17” tall and is surrounded by two gorgeous intricate fairies on either side.  These fairies have fiery wings that spread out in a glorious frame.  This is a great gift, not too large for anyone and now at just the right price.

Design Toscano is the place for extraordinary statues, like our popular Bigfoot statue.  We have just the perfect extraordinary statue for Halloween and fall and that is our Harvest of Evil Garden Scarecrow Statue. Crows will not be the only things frightened when this skeletal guy is raised in your garden.  Standing over 2 ft. tall this scarecrow seems to be a cross between a zombie and a skeleton and he’s never been down the Yellow Brick Road.

There are so many elephant collectors around that we have increased our collection from outdoor elephant statues to some very intriguing indoor statues and wonderful wall sculptures, all celebrating the elephant.  If you have an elephant lover on your gift list they might enjoy the Elephant Sculptural Wall Sconce.  This one foot wide sconce is a well detailed sculpture of an elephant head with his big floppy ears holding a candle sconce in his trunk.  This is perfect for someone who enjoys something different, but it is not exceptionally large as a wall sculpture.

Now with the summer ending and the fall beginning many of our glorious sculptures for outside are on sale.  For the medievalist, we have many dragon statues and one of them is Sir Gawain’s Dragon Sculpture.  Sir Gawain was one of the Knights of the Round Table and this fierce dragon looks like he has been captured and chained up by the knight.  He is perfect protection for any house or even castle.

This is not only Halloween season, but it is also the beginning of the gift buying season and we have some wonderful items, such as our great knight statues, which are appropriate for both seasons.  The tradition of a small “secret Santa” gift is popular in workplaces and the Dungeon Dragon Computer Companion is the perfect item for the dragon fantasy lover at work.  This little dragon is sculpted with his usual sense of detail and precision by artist Liam Manchester.  He is hand painted green, yellow and some purple scales; as with all dragons he likes shiny things and has possession of an orb.  The best part is that his price is just right.

Delving once again into the collections that make great gifts, we have some special items for those who love our outdoor elephant statues and all elephants in general.  The Anjan the Elephant Jali Sculpture is exquisitely detailed in the “Jali” style of colonial India.  It is 10” high and can only be found at Design Toscano.

Now is the time to decorate your yard for Halloween in the same perfect manner that you did for summer season.  This time though instead of our lovely stone garden angel you need to search for something perhaps a little stranger or “alien”.  That’s right we have Roswell the Alien Sculpture ready to land in your yard.  Once again artist Liam Manchester designs the bizarre and this little alien stands almost 2 ft. tall.  He’s done with great detail and we’re not quite sure exactly where the artist saw him.

BROWSE THESE ITEMS FOR THE HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR SALE SEPT. 23 THROUGH SEPT. 26!

As you plan your Halloween party or other gatherings during this season, you should definitely take time to browse our marble busts for sale collection.  This collection holds a lot more than just marble busts and there are plenty of unique items for entertaining in it.  One example is the Devilish Ceramic Face Tankard Mug: The Count Vampire & Beelzebub the Devil.  These ceramic mugs are just the thing for hot cider in October, the Vampire holds 20 oz. and Beelzebub holds 16 oz. of whatever you’re serving your ghosts. 

Not only does this time of year bring to mind Hallows Eve, but also all other things mystic some of which date back to medieval times.  Just like our knight statues, we have extraordinary dragon collections.  A beautiful piece is the Dragons of the Four Winds Statue with Glass Mystical Power Orb.  The glass orb is encircled by hand painted dragons of blue, green and purple above a castle.  The artist created a small masterpiece here.

We have dragons that are an excellent addition to your garden and are created with the same painstaking detail as our stone garden angel.  A great statue for your yard is the Mystic Dragon Avenger Statue another Design Toscano exclusive by artist Liam Manchester.  The dragon has wrapped his scaly body around an orb and stands over a foot tall from exquisite wings to pointed tail.

Now, if you are looking for a gift for someone who is about all things medieval you will be able to find it at Design Toscano.  We have knight statues, gargoyles, greenmen and much, much more for the medievalist.  A practical gift that is well crafted as well is the Medieval Knight Iron Bookends.  These proud knights are created in foundry iron so can hold up any book and stand at 9”tall.  Of course, they are carrying swords and have their face shields down ready to battle anyone messing with your books.

Enthusiasts of Asian art, be it our exciting Japanese garden statues, our many pieces of Asian furniture or any of our beautiful Asians figures will be delighted to browse our collection of adorable porcelain statues crafted by artist Lin Wei Dung.  One piece that celebrates the parent/child relationship is her Mother and Child at Play Statue.  As we all know, young boys are a bundle of activity and this one is on the move while mom stands by with extreme patience enjoying and guiding him.  The colors of the hand painting are gorgeous.

This is the time when many of our sculptures for outside are on sale and perhaps the time to plan your outdoor space for next summer.  A great piece that is at an excellent price now is The Halfpence Cobblestone Bridge.  This bridge (for decoration, not walking) is 3 feet long and a detailed replica of those found in the Cotswold area of England.  If you have a halfpence throw it under this bridge and make a wish.

Our customers have often built a serene meditation garden around our large Buddha statue and other Asian figures outside.  Now that many parts of the country are moving inside, we would like to introduce you to wall art that can help create a meditative space inside and that is the Earth Witness Buddha Wall Sculpture.  This is a replica of the Angkor Khmer Buddha from Southeast Asia.  This serene Buddha figure will add peace to any décor and might be nice in a yoga room; it is relatively small at just over a foot tall.

Medieval enthusiasts have always been fond of our knight statues and their accompanying pieces of armor to put a touch of strength to their castles.  Now we have a beautiful piece of wall art that will fit right in with that theme and that is the Queen Victoria’s Royal Coat of Arms Shield Sculpture.  This Design Toscano exclusive is done in the colors red, blue and faux gold and is over a foot tall.  The well detailed design is done in bas relief style.

Animals are our most popular item for both indoors and outdoors and all of them are sleekly detailed by our artists and are realistically hand painted in their fur colors like our tiger sculpture. We now have a sculpture that you will be excited to have prowling in your garden, the Lioness Statue.  The lioness is almost 3 feet long and artist Samuel Lightfoot has depicted her prowling through her territory, on watch at all times.

BROWSE NOW TO PREPARE FOR THE BIG LABOR DAY SALE, SEPT. 1-6, 2011, 20% OFF ENTIRE SITE!

Medieval fans are very fond of our various knight statues, but they should know that we have many other items in the category of knights and armor from wall hangings to chess sets.  One relatively new item that should be a hit is our Knights in Armor 100% Silk Tie.   This lovely silk tie is beautifully decorated with knights in various types of historical armor and would make an excellent gift for someone you know that is crazy about medieval history.

Soon it will be the major gift giving season and our LABOR DAY SALE is the perfect way in which to start your gift shopping.  Design Toscano has so many gift items that it is hard to enumerate them all, but the items that are the most intriguing are our medieval and gargoyle gifts.  Here is an item that would make the perfect gift even for Halloween and that is Mr. Bone Jangles Skeleton Sitter: Set of Two.  This inexpensive, yet very expressive gift would be fun for anyone that wants a skeleton to sit on his computer, dashboard or just on his or her desk.  He has his hands on his skull and is sitting in a worried position.  This item is a set of two for twice the fun.

Finally, we have many perfect items for your friends that love medieval times in our gargoyle figurines collection.  A new item that is sure to become a favorite is The Creeper Wall Sculpture by our wonderful artist, Liam Manchester.  His design divides the creeper’s right arm from the rest of his body in a two part wall sculpture that is wonderfully hand painted in designer resin.  When you look under his hood what do you see?

Design Toscano is known for its spiritually created religious outdoor statues from many major faiths.  In the Christian faith we have many statues of the Madonna and the various saints depicting various times in their lives.  One intriguing statue is the Baby St. Francis Sculpture.  This unusual statue is one of our exclusives and done by artist Carlos Bronti.  He has captured St. Francis as a young boy, dressed in monastery robes and as always surrounded by animals.  Look for this item and many others in our GARDEN SALE.

Medieval and Gothic themes are very popular for both indoor and outdoor décor and we have a great collection of these items including knight statues and warrior swords and shields.  A popular piece for any indoor space is the Celtic Warriors Sculptural Wall Shield.  The shield is cast in designer resin and hand painted with a green background on which a Celtic cross is emblazoned in faux metallic finish.

Gifts will soon be on everyone’s mind as the traditional December gift giving season draws close and closer.  We have many wonderful medieval and gargoyle gifts for your friends and relatives that take a fancy to that period of history.  For a gentleman who is intrigued by medieval times, what better gift than the Medieval Shields Silk Tie.  This lovely tie is graced with several of the shields from the medieval time which are all very colorful and authentic.

The Design Toscano medieval décor collection is large and varied, so of course it has something for everyone and is well worth browsing.  The greenmen collection is unusual and intriguing at all times from their fine furniture to the faces in the trees.  One tree face that is a lot of fun is the Poison Oak Greenman Tree Sculpture.  This exclusive by artist Liam Manchester fits right on your tree.  He stares out with a frightening grin on his face that is over a foot tall.  He is all gnarly and twisted and a great conversation piece.  Get him now during our DOG DAYS OF SUMMER SALE running from August 16th through August 20th.

Delving further into our medieval collection, you will find castle walls, dragons, gargoyles and naturally knight statues and other knightly objects.  For those of you who are fans of the Arthurian tales we have the exquisite King Arthur’s Golden Chalice Gothic Sculpture which is depicted in extraordinary detail out of designer resin.  The cup is painted with a metallic gold tone and while it is not for use as a cup, it is an unusual display piece.  You can get one or a set of two maybe at the DOG DAYS OF SUMMER SALE running from August 16th through August 20th.

Our marble busts for sale section of course has items that are already on sale and yet you might get a further bargain on one of those pieces at our DOG DAYS OF SUMMER SALE running from August 16th through August 20th.  One piece that you will want to have in your recreation room or family room is The Lion & Rose Marble-Topped  English Bar Pub.   This comfortably sized replica of an Edwardian style bar has a cushioned rest for your arm and seven panels of mahogany wood finish.  The storage has double doors with two shelves and stemware racks.

Take Advantage of our Dog Days of Summer Deals! 

• Save $10 on $75
• Save $20 on $100
• Save $50 on $200
• Save $100 on $400

Hurry!  They End Saturday, August 20!

Animals, animals and more animals, that’s what we have at Design Toscano and they are incredibly realistically sculpted, painted and fun, like all of our Meerkat sculpture.  We now have a great collection of various breeds of dogs and one of the cutest is the Black Dachshund Puppy Statue.  The black dachshund is one of the most attractive of the breed and the artist has done him justice with his hand painted black coat and adorable tan face and feet.  He is so detailed and cute that you expect him to wag his tail and give a little bark.

Animals of the jungle and of Africa are not usually seen in the suburban back yard, but many happy customers have found a home for our outdoor elephant statues.  Like these authentic statues we have also created Makokou the Climbing Monkey Statue, who is climbing a 21” hemp rope and hanging on with his marvelously lifelike carved hands and feet.  Of course, not only is he hand-painted, he’s also an exclusive.

Another popular collection of animals, dragons and gargoyles are those that are in our medieval section with tall standing knight statues and wonderfully decorated shields.  A statue that is a standout in medieval style is the Beaumaris Castle Lion Sculpture now on sale.  This statuesque lion stands over 31 inches tall and is holding a shield with the crest of (what else) a lion.  The lion figure is finished in a light tan and his shield and stand are done in a stone gray.  Let him guard your castle.

Medieval times always have us thinking of knights, castles and damsels in distress, and  of course, there are gargoyles and dragons too.  Design Toscano knight statues and armor wall hangings are the best around.  An example is The Skull of Vahalla Viking Warrior Wall Statue which is 12” tall and the very essence of fierce and dominating.  He was once a Viking warrior and now he still fights on with his long beard and horned helmet.  He is a wonderful addition to any room.

For lovers of the Asian theme that we present in many of our outdoor sculpture such as our Japanese garden statues, now is the time consider bringing the theme inside.  There is no better way to do that than to acquire our  Sukhothai Buddha Wall Sculpture.  This detailed wall sculpture of the Sukhothai Buddha is 11” high and greatly detailed from the flame on his head to the peaceful and serene aspect of his face.  This might add some serenity to a yoga room.

Everyone has heard of Faberge eggs, but did you know that we have some (beautiful replicas) in our Basil Street Gallery?  These are called the Renaissance Faberge-style Enameled Eggs: Couleur Verte and Couleur Rose and if you never thought you’d own one, think again.  These beautiful eggs are done in fine detail  of high quality enamel and would make an excellent gift , either as a set or just one gorgeous egg.

From gargoyles, dragons, Gothic creatures and knight statues, we have an extensive collection of items in the medieval theme.  We have small knights that can play chess and for something just a bit larger we have the Medieval Knight of the Round Table Life-size Statue.  That’s right this six foot knight might even be taller than you are.  Wearing 16th Century Italian armor and chain mail and of course, carrying a large sword, he will protect you against anyone in your castle.

The Asian collection at Design Toscano is comparable to none with beautiful Japanese garden statue and pagoda shaped sculpture to depictions of Asian gods.  A beautiful bust for a home with Asian décor is The Asian Goddess Yuan-Yin Sculptural Bust.  This peaceful and finely detailed sculpture depicts Yuan-Yin with a serene and tranquil facial expression and would be a great addition to a mediation area or perhaps a yoga room.

Our animal statues vary from the serene mother lion with her cub to the quirky and fun Meerkat statue that are always playing and goofing around.  If you think your yard is more fun than a barrel of monkeys you definitely need the Hanging Jungle Monkey Statue.  This monkey is 37” from his fingertips to his toes.  He is swaying on one arm and is so realistic you’ll want to hide your bananas.

All of these items are part of our sale collection.

Our outdoor furniture is fun and definitely statuesque, but our indoor furniture is always special and different from anything else you might see.  From the era of our knight statues comes a special piece that would have been at home in any lord’s castle, our Nettlestone Library Ensemble.   This is an amazing piece of furniture that when it is closed looks like a bookcase and yet it opens into a nice little café sized table with comfortable chairs.  Don’t be surprised when you find the hidden compartments in the table!

In keeping with the theme of books and old libraries, one of our gothic tables is just the right piece for your sitting room.  The sculpture is called Power of Books Sculptural Glass-Topped Side table.  This hand painted Design Toscano exclusive is a stack of books sculpted in designer resin with a glass top.  It is a wonderful piece for your library or any room where you like to curl up with a good book.

Everyone collects something and when they have pieces that they love they want a beautiful place in which to display them.  The Broadgate Grand Presentation Case is just the furniture piece in which to do that.  This handsome case is carved like our greenmen furniture out of hardwood with Corinthian columns and egg and dart molding.  The glass shelving can be adjusted to display your collection at its very best.

Don’t forget that the Fourth of July 20% off Sale ends on July 5, come in and browse now.
Design Toscano has knight statues of all types from standing and riding knights to bookend and chess set knights.  One knight sculpture that everyone will find useful is our Knights of the Digital Realm Sculptural Bookends.   This wonderful depiction of Teutonic knights on horseback has been designed by our artist as bookends to hold CDs and other digital media.  The stone walls are created high enough to give support to anything in those little plastic packs.  This would make a great gift.

During this great sale you will need to browse through the many different things that are found in the Basil Street Gallery from statues, to furniture and wall sculpture, there is something for everyone there.  You might be interested in The Creation Wall Sculptures which will bring the wonder of the Sistine Chapel into your home.  This is a 3-dimensional replica of the hand of God giving life to man with a set of wonderfully sculpted arms and hands; impressive down to the last detail.

Our greenmen collection is also filled with wonderful and large wall sculpture that can find a place on your patio or in your den.  The fascinating Oak King Greenman Wall Sculpture is an incredibly detailed Gothic piece of the king that ruled the summer solstice.  He is a foot wide and has the woodsy look of all our marvelous greenmen.

The Design Toscano Fourth of July Sale will continue from June 28th until July 5th featuring 20% off the entire site, so come in and pick up that extra piece that will make your decor come together.

Perhaps you may want to browse our outdoor elephant statues for the pachyderm that will find a perfect spot in your yard.  The Good Luck Trunk Up Baby Elephant Statue is always perfect in almost any spot. Even though this is a “baby” elephant, the sculpture still stands over five feet tall from toe to trunk tip.  This cute guy shows just a bit of tusk growing and has the sweet face of a young animal. 

To complete your Asian theme, we have Japanese garden statues, Buddha statues and many other Far Eastern pieces of décor.  Yoga is so popular now you might be interested in the Authentic Foundry Iron Balinese Yogi: Meditation Iron Sculpture.  This sculpture will fit in any Asian or Contemporary décor and while only 7 inches high, the sculpture is so detailed that you can check your own yoga stance against this figure. 

During this sale is a great time to pick any of our knight statues.  We have several standing knights and also a few riding on horseback.  The Knights of Blenheim Palace:  Red Knight Sculpture is part of this series and is over a foot tall, riding a horse whose armor is finished in reddish metallic tone.  The knight is in full armor, elaborately detailed with his sword drawn. 

When looking for an Asian décor scheme for your yard, the art of the many Asian countries can be mixed to create a wonderful look.  We have Japanese garden statues, Asian gods and many other items from the Far East.  A special look for an oriental theme might be the Large Bronze Crane: Set.  These large cranes are the Asian symbol of peace and can be bought as a set or separately.   The curved neck crane is a little over 3 feet tall and the straight neck crane is three and a half feet tall.  They are both piped to be fountains and are just lovely pieces for a peaceful garden.

For something entirely different, you need only look as far as the large selection of items in our Marble Busts for Sale section.   There are, of course, many classic pieces of sculptural busts for sale, but also some of the more crazy selections.  An example of this is the Evil Skull Jester Wall Sculpture.  This charming fellow is a skull, who is grinning away and dressed in a medieval jester outfit.  He’s fun, but not for everyone.

Many people love the medieval theme, but perhaps without the skull and our beautiful knight statues are just the right thing for this theme.  We have the traditional knights in the usual armor and then we have knights from certain castles and different periods of history.  A very nice piece is the Royal Gothic Knight of Castel Tures.  This is a Gothic Italian knight sculpted with exquisite detail including the rams head helmet and his hand painted tunic in three colors.