Tasteful ornament

This ornament from the garden of the Baron and Baroness Sweerts de Landas caught my eye, having been involved recently in the purchase of a more vulgar version, possibly from ebay. Probably made of some resin bonded stone dust, or even of common or garden plastic, rather than the genuine stone of this model. Or at least, I assume that it is genuine stone - one can't be too sure these days.

On the assumption that it is old stone, perhaps from some posh persons' version of ebay, this pond clearly not being its original home. Maybe once an ornament in the garden of a south German stately home, just across the mountains from the Italy where such things were invented? Picked up in the nineteenth century in the course of some English lordlings grand tour of Europe?

On the other hand, looking at the angles at the corners of its base, I smell a rat. Maybe it was knocked out quite recently, using a Black & Decker rather than a chisel. Not possible to get them to market at a sensible price unless you cut a few corners. Joke.

I associate now to a postcard I once came across from a young lady getting some work experience in an Italian stone mason's yard. They used Black & Deckers to whack out the cupids and I remember her recording her amazement at the speed at which the Italian masons worked.