Campania in Licensing Agreement with Smithsonian

Ellen C. Wells

Campania International, a leading garden accessory manufacturer, has entered into a licensing agreement with the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest research and museum complex, to produce a line of hand-crafted containers. The line will be reproduced from decorative garden furnishings dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the Smithsonian’s Garden Furnishings Collection.

The Smithsonian Collection by Campania, which will launch in Fall 2009 with 14 pieces, is reproduced from original cast iron garden ornaments that are found in the museum’s horticulture collections. The line contains diverse design styles of the past, ranging from rustic and naturalistic to formal and ornate, and many of which have rarely been available since the early 20th century.

“The Smithsonian Collection by Campania is a natural extension of the Smithsonian home décor line,” says Carol LeBlanc, director of Smithsonian’s business development and licensing division. “Campania has captured the drama, grandeur and design motifs of the many plant containers, vases and urns that are found throughout the Smithsonian gardens.”

From classic fluted urns featuring a Victorian twist to containers adorned in stylized acanthus leaves, the Smithsonian Collection of containers serves both decorative and utilitarian purposes. “These pieces, which are mostly Victorian garden urns, can be used in both traditional and more elaborate gardens and landscapes,” says Peter Cilio, vice president of Campania International. “They celebrate the art and culture of the era that can be found both inside and outside the Smithsonian museums.”