Strictly speaking, this old-fashioned fixture has the elegant lines of the late Victorian or Edwardian period. (Late Victorian is good. Early Victorian means no running water.) This hand shower unit comes from Gnutti Sebastiano & Figli S.p.A., an Italian manufacturer known for high-end fixtures. This triple-plated fixture has a satin nickel finish, mounts on a sliding bar, and attaches with a 59-inch double-interlocked metal hose. The showerhead itself features a movable connecting joint that makes it easy to aim the spray. The same maker also offers a coordinating (non-Victorian) soap and shampoo holder (sold separately) that mounts at the bottom of the unit's sliding bar. This hand shower looks vintage by default, even if your house was built last year. It may actually help you sing barbershop quartet tunes better just by osmosis--at least while showering. (Don't send us an audition tape. Don't quit your day job.) However, the showerhead does not have adjustable spray patterns. Be brave: the late Victorians stayed clean without massaging showerheads, and so will you. Recommended for anyone restoring a home built before King Edward VIII's abdication or those who want to create an Edwardian mood in the loo. --David Fagan
