Dan's Papers - June 20, 2008 - Fountains: From Gorgeous Gorgons to Dolphins of Desire

While situating a fountain in a formal entryway or relaxed garden room may be an expected decorating decision, why not consider placing a fountain in your bedroom? In 1938, "Fountains of Morpheus," an article in The Times of London atypically advocated bedroom fountains as sleep-inducing aids. Neptune, god of the sea, fiercely brandishing his trident and attended by a consort of slinky naiads, foaming horses and spurting dolphins, is standard fare for fountains. Morpheus, the god of sleep and dreams, is an unlikely deity to preside over a fountain, but if fountains alleviate insomnia, then this article pays homage to the shape-shifting divinity!

Fountain symbolism can suggestively set the mood for your boudoir. For the modern femme fatale, a Medusa head spouting water into a shell font would be alluringly appropriate. The gorgeous gorgon would suggest your potent manhandling powers even as the sparkling sounds lull your paramour prey to sleep. For a romantic atmosphere, nereids, nymphs, the Goddess Diana and various mythological maidens have always added form and fantasy to fountains with their lithe and flowing beauty. Fountains presided over by cavorting cupids can be sweetly suggestive of amoré, and afterwards the sparkling sounds send you into the arms of Morpheus.

Someone looking for love or a couple wishing to conceive may find a fountain brings their dreams to fruition. In Ovid's poetry, the dolphin is described as "a lucky go-between in love's intrigues." In the days of the French monarchy, fountains featuring rather fierce-looking dolphins frolicking in the spray signified the powerful desire for an heir to the throne, a prince known as the dauphin. Purchasing a dolphin fountain to grace your bedroom may well be auspicious if you are looking to bring home a little princess or prince.

Elegance can be achieved with ease, as many fountains are conveniently "plug and play." Fill it up with water and plug it into an electric socket for a most relaxing evening and a restful night.

Now, you may be thinking that hearing a fountain is bound to induce certain urgent sensations, which are irritating at the best and embarrassing in the worst case. Counter-intuitively, you might acquire a reproduction of the historic Manneken Pis, the infamous statue which has pride of place in Brussels. As succinctly and subtly noted in an old Baedeker travel guide, "water issues in a very naïve manner" from the bronze statue of a cherubic child. According to legend, the ingenious imp saved the city by putting out a fire with the handiest means. A sense of humor, after all, is paramount in the bedroom.

Your Hamptons cottage may not be situated on coveted oceanfront property, but with a fountain burbling and plashing just outside your bedroom, the sounds of water will still soothe you to sleep. Or, bring the calming murmur of running water home with a fountain in your urban flat! Even if you're not fortunate enough to have picturesque views from your bedroom windows, you can create focal points with fountains - vistas with visual impact.

One of Southampton's fabled estates, The Orchard, planned by noted architect Stanford White, featured the playful "Frog Fountain," with a laughing child hopping through spurts of water from tiny frogs. A carefree moment in a stately garden enhanced by statuary, the charming fountain was designed by American sculptor Janet Scudder, who has an eye for classical Renaissance sculpture. While the absolutely delightful "Frog Fountain" would be a truly enchanting addition to any garden, Ms. Scudder had the horror of creating too many reproductions, so one of the only places you can still view the piece is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Still, even a singular bronze or stone frog spraying water would add a touch of puckish personality to your smallish yard. You needn't have a large fountain to create a bit of interest and draw the eye to a shady nook or sun-dappled spot.

In addition, the author of Fountains of Morpheus introduces a novel argument for installing a fountain, saying, "It is a sovereign preventative of that listening at keyholes and behind curtains which has caused so much trouble to the human race." You might be a titan of business secretly plotting a corporate takeover in endless bi-coastal conversations from your bed. Or, perhaps you're a frazzled parent lying there conferring on whether to ship a troublesome teen to military school. In either case, something that muffles sounds so that snoops can't hear is utterly invaluable. You won't need audio jammers with a melodious fountain thwarting your domestic detective or nosy neighbors.

If the peaceful, splashing sounds also negate the need for Ambien, Sonesta, or Rozerem, that's all the better. Surely, a fountain is far more functionally decorative than an electronic machine playing authentic or natural ocean or rain sounds.

Admittedly, as per the perennially trendy and somewhat draconian decorating tool of Feng Shui, you shouldn't put a fountain in the bedroom. According to the tenets of this ancient art and science of balancing energies in a space, water introduces the element of worry. Only if you've installed one of those festive wedding-hall features, a champagne fountain, as a soporific at your bedside table, would a fountain be worrisome, though fun at first!