Antique 19th Century English Lead Cistern

An antique late 19th century English lead cistern, sourced from the estate of the late David Cornwell, best known as the author John le Carré.

In a unique oblong form showcasing characterful weathering, this cistern could be used in numerous ways, such as a planter filled with beautiful flowers or as part of a striking water feature.

Its sides are cast in relief with scenes of winged putti pulling a chariot.

Provenance

This cistern was once part of the estate of British author David Cornwell, best known as John le Carré, famous for his espionage novels, many of which were adapted for film and TV, such as A Perfect Spy.

The novels focused on people’s lives in the corrupt setting of the Cold War era and beyond. His books are known for being the first to raise respect for the spy genre. His first big novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold debuted in 1963.

When David died at the age of 89, he left a large part of his archive of personal papers, letters and manuscripts to the Bodleian library in Oxford.

History of the Cistern

A standard feature of the domus house was the Ancient Roman impluvium, which were structures that collected, filtered, cooled, and stored water, aswell as cooling and ventilating the house. These generally had a cistern underneath.

To residents of Victorian England the cistern was known to be a cathedral-like subterranean reservoir built to store rainwater.