Beautiful arras 'Grassin Baledans' bench. This bench is a rare and early piece dating from between 1840-1900 and one of the first factories in Arras producing this type of garden furniture. The statement Grassin Baledans logo on crests clear to see on both bench legs. I love the lion paw feet and rounded forged lines. Leonce Eugene Grassin-Baledans is credited with designing barb wire fence in 1860. His design consisted of bristling points, creating a fence that was painful to cross. With welding not used at the time, all authentic Arras pieces are entirely hand forged and riveted, using ‘fer elegi’ and ‘fer plane’ or metal tubing and flat metal.