Being here in the Caribbean I really enjoy seeing some of local flora and fauna that we just don't get in the Midwest. I hope to make it to the Queen Elizabeth Botanical Gardens located in the central part of the island of Grand Cayman. I visited twice last year and really enjoyed it. It is also home to the Cayman Blue Iguana conservation center. These Iguanas are native only to Cayman and have had dwindling numbers for decades but are successfully being bred and reintroduced at the Garden. Iguanas of all sizes and colors roam, or rather swarm, Grand Cayman. They vary in size from just inches to a few feet. Always fun to see. They remind me of the French Majolica called Palissy after Bernard Palissy. He was a pioneer in glazed pottery in France in the 16Th century eventually becoming the court potter to Catherine de Medici, the mother of three French kings. He, unfortunately, died impoverished and in prison for not renouncing Protestantism and returning to Catholicism. But back to Iguanas and Bernard. Palissy did a form of glazed pottery that featured natural pond creatures he would observe in the wild. Snakes, lizards, snails, frogs, all manner of natural pond life. He did them in high relief decoration and very natural colors. His style was revived in the 19Th century when Majolica, a similar type of pottery, became very fashionable. The studio of Palissy still exists today. 19Th century Palissy items are quite popular in the last fifteen years or so and they are a favorite of mine to add to a room for interest. This piece I am showing is one I just found from a gallery in New York that often has very interesting majolica and Palissy. This square jardiniere features walls that resemble fencing and then river rocks with fish at the base. I am sending this one to a clients lake home in Michigan. It will be perfect in the breakfast room for holding dinner napkins and such. I love these sorts of quirky antiques to really add some style and history to a room and now the homeowner has a great story to share with her guests! Enjoy! If you are interested in more about some great Palissy items contact me at my website, www.sdesigngroup.com