Carved Fireplaces and Mantels

A splendid antique nineteenth-century Regency period Portoro marble fireplace surround, the frieze, corner-blocks and jambs carved with raised and fielded panels. English c.1830. A ...

A large and attractive late 19th century Pine & Gesso fireplace surround complete with its original over mantel mirror. The triple bevelled mirror sits within separate frames featuri...

A French handcrafted, circa 1880-1890 fireplace surround in ‘Rouge de Rance’, a rare red marble with subtle white or grey veining. This Classic style an...

Antique fireplace mantle in terracotta, richly carved with a pair of cherubs holding a noble coat of arms, composed in the early 1900s in Tuscany, Italy. maximum measurements cm W 1...

21st Century Nero Potoro Marble Fireplace Mantlepiece. This Luxury Marble Fireplace Mantlepiece Is Hand Carved From Natural Nero Portoro Marble. It Has B...

This magnificent chimneypiece is carved from fine statuary marble with contrasting inlaid thumbnails of dark Rosso Lavanto across the frieze. The signature motifs, expert craftsmans...

This extraordinary mantel is superbly carved, firstly with a simple dentil cornice; above a front panel, carved in high-relief with birds, scrolling leaves and tendrils. The jambs ar...

Crafted in the late 19th century, this substantial fireplace surround and mantel, made of oak and finished with a dark stain, features a frieze of scrolled leaves below a carved, bre...

A Regency period Antique Statuary white marble chimneypiece. Superior quality Italian Statuary marble, no discolouration very well carved corner blocks of flowers and foliage flank a...

A Regency period Antique Statuary white marble chimneypiece. Superior quality Italian Statuary marble, no discolouration very well carved corner blocks of flowers and foliage flank a...

19th Century Louis Marble Fireplace Mantlepiece 19th Century Statuary White Marble Fireplace ThIs Victorian Louis XV Style Marble Fireplace Is Hand Carv...

A Regency period pair of Antique Statuary white marble chimneypieces. Superior quality Italian Statuary marble, no discolouration very well carved corner blocks of flowers and foliag...

A large and imposing 18th century Georgian fireplace. The bulbous column jambs, stood on square foot blocks and socles, topped with ca...

Large Double-Slip Georgian Style Fireplace Surround in finest quality Italian Violette Brescia Marble. Measures: Depth: 8” – 20.3 cm External Height...

Made from veined Carrara marble and white statuary marble. The centre plaque with a well carved mask of Apollo surrounded by a sunburst. The console jambs are under fluted corbels...

This is a fine original antique fireplace surround from the first half of the 18th century. Louis XIV period. The Saracolin marble and the fine carved center is of exceptional qualit...

An elegant, hand-carved white and pink marble fireplace, adorned with urns, garlands, and classic relief details. Its symmetrical design, featuring round columns and Ionic capitals, ...

An impressive and large scale Victorian Tudor revival oak fireplace, reclaimed from a cottage in Penrith, Cumbria. This stunning 19th century English chimneypiece is certain to make ...

Though this antique carved English oak fireplace dates from the late 19th century, it draws inspiration from eras across the ages. It is elaborately carved throughout and handcrafted...

An exquisite example of French Rococo artistry, this antique fireplace mantel dates to the mid-18th century, circa 1740–1760, during the reign of Louis XV. Crafted from rare Rouge Ro...

This authentic 19th-century Parisian Pompadour fireplace surround, crafted in the prestigious Bleu Fleuri marble—also known as Bardiglio Forito, a refined and noble variant of Bleu T...

An antique Early Victorian period Gothic revival, black marble and portoro marble fireplace The half octagonal Nero Portoro marble columns are sat on pure black marble pilasters and ...

A Highly Important Empire Period Rosso Antico Chimneypiece Inset with Specimen Marble Portrait Reliefs of Roman Emperors The carved and veneered surround comprising a moulded shelf supported by a bold dentil cornice, above an inverted breakfront frieze carved with a central triglyph panel, flanked by a pair of rosettes carved in shallow relief, the frieze mounted with six carved hardstone profile portrait medallions of Roman Emperors, the stop-fluted jambs raised on moulded footblocks; in excellent condition with small restorations commensurate with age and use; the pale inclusions in the stone naturally formed. This spectacular neoclassical marble chimneypiece is carved from Rosso antico, the frieze inset with six portrait reliefs of Roman Emperors, each carved in marmo giallo on a bardiglio background, five variously incised: VESPASIANUS, TIBERIVS, OTHO, JULIUS CAESAR, TITUS. Rosso antico (marmor taenarium) is first recorded as being quarried in 1700 BC at Akra Tainaron (Cape Matapan), Greece.¹ The majority of this stone, however, was extracted throughout the Roman period, when it was one of the most coveted materials for carving due to its rich red colouring and association with highly prized Egyptian ‘Imperial’ Porphyry.² Rosso antico was chosen in antiquity for portrait busts, notably depicting Bacchic subjects such as Dionysus and satyrs due to its rich red wine colour which symbolised conviviality whilst conveying the education and cultivated taste of the owner.³ In the Renaissance, Rosso antico was also used for architectural detail on important buildings, such as the steps leading up to the choir in the medieval church of S. Prassede, and the large columns at the entrance to the Camera dell'Aurora.⁴ In 121 AD, G. Suetonius Tranquillus, secretary to Emperor Hadrian, wrote a biographical history of the first twelve emperors of Rome entitled De vita Caesarum (The Twelve Caesars). A Renaissance edition of Tranquillus’ work was published in 1470, followed by further reprints and translations into all the main European languages. Many of these were illustrated with prints of emperors taken from coins and statues, or imagined by the artist based on Tranquillus’ accounts. These interpretations were copied, in turn, by Renaissance designers for medals, Limoges enamels, and busts, as well as paintings such as the Eleven Caesars, a series of eleven half-length portraits of Roman emperors made by Titian in 1536–40 for Federico II, Duke of Mantua.⁵ These paintings were later given to King Charles I, before being passed in the Commonwealth to the Kings of Spain. Unfortunately, the series was destroyed in the catastrophic fire of 1734 at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid, and is now only known through copies and engravings.⁶ From the middle of the 17th century until the end of the 18th century, there was an insatiable demand for marble carvings, often sold as Roman or assembled from ancient fragments, thus perpetuating the reverence for antiquity that was the quintessence of the Grand Tour. Rosso antico was in extremely short supply, even after the ancient quarries at Skutari were rediscovered in 1830, and remained one of the most highly valued of all stones. Described in 1776 as ‘dark red; scarce and dear’, it was mostly used for small objects such as Grand Tour desk ornaments, inevitably using material re-cut from classical fragments, due to its rarity, as was the case with porphyry.⁷ The portrait roundels on this chimneypiece are typical of those produced in Rome and Florence in hardstones, semi-precious stones, gold, silver, bronze, and mother-of-pearl, which, being easily transportable, would be taken home from the Grand Tour to be mounted within wooden, gilded or brass frames, as fashion dictated.⁸ A group of gold portraits of Caesars, dating from around 1660, are in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence. Images of Roman emperors were not limited to Italy, England and France, however, as examples executed in Deshima for the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) show. Medallions depicting Roman emperors, invariably made of black and gold Japanese hiramakie or takamakie lacquer on copper, were produced for the Dutch market at the end of the 18th century. Examples can be found in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.⁹ There are two possible sources for the Imperial profiles on the chimneypiece: the engravings of The Twelve Caesars by Marcantonio Raimondi, or the Imperatorum Imagines by Hubert Golz.¹⁰ The portrait medallions also bear remarkable resemblance to a set of eighteen carved portrait reliefs of Roman Emperors, also of marmo giallo, almost certainly bought by David Ker (1742–1811) of Portavo, Co. Down, on his Grand Tour between 1792–4 in either Florence or Rome. Ker’s diary entry for 17th October 1793 is interesting as it reveals that he was offering his brother a choice of chimneypiece designs, which further supports a Roman origin for the offered example.¹¹ Indeed, fire surrounds incorporating antique fragments had been promoted from the late 1760s by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–78), encouraged by Rome-trained architects including Robert Adam (d.1792). One such example, inset with mythological tablets carved from Rosso antico, was acquired by the 9th Earl of Exeter from Piranesi himself for Burghley House.¹² Another can be found at Islington House, Dorset.¹³ A third, inset with giallo antico and Rosso antico, follows Piranesi’s engraved design dated 1769 for a fire surround mounted with three marble portrait reliefs.¹⁴ It should be re-emphasised that Rosso antico was so precious that it was only ever used for small tablets or details rather than an entire chimneypiece, as with the offered example; likewise, while portrait reliefs are occasionally seen on the jambs of Italian surrounds, it is exceptionally rare to see the frieze mounted with a group, especially of this scale: the combination indicates an architectural commission by an extremely wealthy patron. The sophisticated lines of this chimneypiece epitomise the French Empire influence on the Italian states at the turn of the 18th century. This idiosyncratic ‘Roman’ taste is encapsulated by that of Napoleon, who identified with Rome’s Imperial past. Napoleon’s desire to establish a visual link between himself and Roman emperors is demonstrated by the portraits of his court painter, Jacques-Louis David, inspired by portraits of Emperor Augustus. This Imperial taste extended to architecture, furniture and porcelain, the latter two of which are combined in a group of magnificent ormolu-mounted guéridons commissioned in Sèvres between 1803–11, made to immortalise Napoleon’s reign.¹⁵ The second guéridon in the series, the Table des Grands Capitaines (Table of the Great Commanders of Antiquity), commissioned in 1806, is made almost entirely of hard-paste Sèvres porcelain. The top, painted in imitation of sardonyx, is centred by a portrait cameo of Alexander the Great, surrounded by twelve smaller heads of commanders and philosophers from antiquity: Pericles, Scipio Africanus, Pompey, Augustus, Septimus Severus, Constantine, Trajan, Caesar, Mithridates, Hannibal, Themistocles and Miltiades.¹⁶ Louis XVIII presented the table to the Prince Regent (later King George IV) in 1817 as a token of appreciation for Napoleon’s defeat two years earlier, and George IV treasured it so highly that it became part of the ceremonial backdrop for all his state portraits. The table remains in the Royal Collection.¹⁷ This chimneypiece remained, until recently, in the possession of a noble Dutch family, who acquired it from the owners of a bombed Knightsbridge house in the 1940s; unfortunately, its provenance prior to this has been lost. The use of Rosso antico on this scale, inset with these splendid Imperial profile medallions, appears unparalleled. 1. J. B. Grossman, 'Looking at Greek and Roman Sculpture in Stone' (Los Angeles, 2003). Grossman states that this material was ‘...quarried in three places during antiquity: on Cape Tainaron present day Matapan on the Peloponnese of Greece; on Crete; and at the site of Iasos in Asia Minor. 2. L. Lazzarini, ‘Rosso antico and other red marbles used in antiquity: a characterization study’, Marble, Art Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Ancient Sculpture’ (1990), 237–252. C. Gorgoni, L. Lazzarini, P. Pallante, ‘New archaeometric data on Rosso antico and other red marbles used in antiquity, ASMOSIA VI, Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone’ (2002), pp. 199–206. J. Deér, trans. G.A. Gilhoff, The Dynastic Porphyry Tombs of the Norman Period in Sicily (Cambridge, 1959), p. 144. R. Gnoli, Marmora Romana (Rome, 1988), pp. 187–191. 3. A notable example is a satyr from the Emperor Hadrian's villa at Tivoli, now in the Capitoline Museum, Rome. Another is the head of a satyr in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, accession no. 2006.110. See T. Opper, Hadrian. Empire and Conflict (London, 2008), p. 165, fig. 149. 4. De Luca, Marmi antichi (Rome, 1998), p. 126. Faustino Corsi, Catalogo ragionato d’una collezione di pietre di decorazione (Rome, 1833), p. 93. 5. For related Limoges medallions, see set of ten circular Limoges enamel medallions depicting Roman emperors, en grisaille with gilding, from the workshop of Jacques I Laudin, sold Christie’s London, Fine Renaissance Bronzes and Works of Art, 19 December, 1977, lot 95. 6. See set of drawings sold Sotheby’s London, Of Royal and Noble Descent, 24 February, 2015, lot 184. 7. J. J. Ferber, Raspe’s Travels through Italy in the Years 1771–1772 (London, 1776), p. 218. 8. See Sotheby’s London, Pelham, the Public and the Private, 8 March 2016, lot 75: ‘A set of twelve mother-of-pearl cameos of Roman Emperors, Southern Italian, early 19th century’ 9. Oliver Impey, Christiaan J.A. Jörg, Cynthia Viallé, Japanese Export Lacquer 1580–1850 (Amsterdam, 2005) pp. 48–57, no. 56 & 57. 10. For a further reference, see the candlesticks by Jacques I Laudin in the Waters Art Gallery, illustrated in P. Verdier, Catalogue of the Painted Enamels of the Renaissance (Baltimore, 1967), p. 389, nos. 207 & 208. 11. John Ingamells, A Dictionary of British and Irish travellers in Italy 1701–1800 (London, 1997), pp. 572–3. 12. Oliver Impey, Four Centuries of Decorative Arts from Burghley House (Virginia, 1998), p. 53, fig. 23. 13. Country Life, 12 June, 1997, p. 162, figs. 9–11. 14. A. González-Palacios, Il Tempio del Gusto, Roma e il Regno delle due Sicilie, Vol. II (Milan, 1984), pp. 592–93, p. 260. 15. S. Grandjean, 'Napoleonic Tables...

This antique French mantel, crafted from Balacet marble in the 1880s, showcases exquisite Empire-style design and exceptional craftsmanship. The centerpiece features a hand-carved ge...

This extraordinary fireplace is made of Noir de Mazy marble, which is complemented by the luxurious green marble type Verde. Despite the clean lines, this is a very elegant piece. Th...

A 19th century Carrara and Verde Antico marble chimneypiece In the George III style The inverted breakfront shelf with dentil cornice above a ribbon tied and medallion hung bell husk garlanded frieze with central tablet carved with a draped pedestal...

This spectacular, monumental 17th century English carved limestone fireplace, circa 1650, was reclaimed from Cobtree Manor House, England (demolished 1968). Standing at 2 m tall (6’ 5”) and over 2.7 m wide (9’), this exceptional English fire surround is a very rare find. It is not often you find a chimneypiece like this outside of a listed heritage property, making this a rare opportunity to purchase a fireplace of such size and grandeur. Highly elaborate, the surround is intricately hand-carved throughout, the frieze of which is most extravagant, carved with a mythical beast to the central tablet among birds, stylised lions holding crowns, parakeets and scrolling foliage. The jambs are carved in a column-like style with fruits and flowers below corbels to the end blocks, completed with a carved egg and dart trim beneath the shelf. This fireplace truly is a magnificent work of art, designed for an interior of prestige and fine grandeur. It is in the manner of late 16th / early 17th century English architect and designer, Inigo Jones (1573 – 1652), who was known for introducing the classical style architecture of the Italian Renaissance to Britain. His famous works include the Banqueting House at Whitehall, The Queen’s House, Greenwich and the Queen’s Chapel at St. James’ Palace. Provenance Removed from a wing of Cobtree Manor in Kent, UK. Though demolished in 1968, the house’s parklands remain to this day and were once the site of Maidstone Zoo. The occupation of the land itself dates back as far as the neolithic times (4300 BC – 2000 BC). However, the first known record can be found in the title estate deeds of English poet and politician, Sir Thomas Wyatt, in 1596. Cobtree is linked to the famous 19th century novelist, Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870). It is believed that during the 1830s, a young Dickens had fallen into a pond while out walking near Cobtree farm. He knocked on the door of the tenant farmer at the time – Mr William Spong – who took Dickens in. It is said that Dickens later took inspiration from Mr Spong in his 1837 novel ‘The Pickwick Papers’, in which he immortalised him as Mr Wardle of Manor Farm near Dingley Dell. 17th Century Heritage Having stood the test of time for more than 370 years, this antique fireplace offers a glimpse into England in the 1600s. This century saw the Stuarts rise to the English throne: first James I of England and VI of Scotland following the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, followed by Charles I in 1625. Other notable events of this century included the English Civil War (1642 – 1651) and Guy Fawkes...

A late 18th century Louis XVI period fireplace, of large proportions. Executed in a dark grey Belgian marble, the frieze with carved urn and opposing Asps. The jambs with fluted fron...

Louis XIV style carved limestone fireplace mantel created by hand and perfectly distressed to create great age. The natural lines and neutral tones allow this piece to work in a vari...

A George III Statuary and Convent Sienna marble fireplace, c.1790. The breakfront shelf with generous bed-mould, the frieze centred by relief carved plaque depicting a maiden, this...

This refined early Victorian chimneypiece, crafted from fine Italian Carrara marble, showcases intricately carved corbels with foliage motifs, a large bevelled shelf rests atop. A m...

A large and grand antique Statuary marble fireplace dating to the 1850’s. Each pilaster with two full rounded and free standing Corinthian columns th...

An antique black fossil and Portoro marble fireplace made during the William IV period (1830’s). The shelf, jambs, frieze and foot-blocks are made from black marble with subtle fossi...

21st Century Black Marble Mantlepiece. This English Made Unique Fireplace Mantelpiece Is Made From Deep Italian Nero Marquino Marble With a Polished Finish. The Design Is Based On A ...

This exquisite Louis XV-style mantel, dating back to 1850s France, is crafted from a rare, imported marble with warm coffee tones and striking burnt orange veining. Intricate hand-ca...

20th Century Georgian-Style Hand-Carved Marble Fireplace Mantelpiece A truly exceptional unique fireplace, meticulously hand-carved under lice...

19th Century Louis Petite Carrara Marble Fireplace Mantlepiece. An Authentic English Made Antique Dated Circa 1860. Louis XV Petite (Loire) French Design Fireplace Surround Made Fro...

Hand-carved in the style of Louis XVI, this striking French wood mantel dates to the 1900s. Decorative motifs during the reign of Louis XVI were inspired by ancient civilizations (Ro...

Antique Fireplace Mantle in White Carrara Marble Carved with Central Shell. The precious white Carrara marble is known throughout the world for its uniform pure white color with gray...

Pair of American brass and onyx andirons with flanking flame finial Urns, Corinthian capitals, centered bulbous onyx columns, squared floral plinths, matching flame finial log stops,...

Large early 18th Century French provincial walnut fire surround or chimney piece An exceptionally large walnut fireplace surround measurin...

A large and imposing English William IV fireplace in pencil vein Carrara marble, with paneled pilaster jambs with twin corbel brackets supporting a long wide and generous mantel. Som...

A large antique profusely carved oak fireplace surround in the Jacobean style Made during the Victorian period in England, incorporating 17th century and 18th century carved elements...

A late 18th century Georgian English neoclassical chimneypiece, with a wide breakfront shelf. The centre tablet carved in high relief of a classical female figure in a garden. Flanke...

American brass and polished steel fire tools resting on a turned urn finial marble stand. Set consist of poker, tong and shovel, Early 19th Century.

This exceptional Art Nouveau style pine and burr paneled room is beautifully carved and decorated with blue-green ceramics. Panels with elegant curved and sober lines are covering the bottom of the walls and harmonize the room to its center; a fireplace and its monumental over mantel mirror carved in walnut wood. The mirror is framed by a dynamic and undulating foliage, a pattern we can also find inside the fireplace in green enameled ceramic, which is highlighting the wood texture. The large overmantel mirror sumptuously raises the space of the chimney, structured with two consoles allowing to place lamps. Two distinct doors are also part of the composition, both surmounted by a small carved wood overmantel...

Antique fireplace mantle in poplar wood, hand-carved with period decorations and festoons, central cup, lacquered on a white background with gold details, built and original from the...

Antique fireplace in white Carrara marble, hand-carved mantle with central shell and decorations on the legs, built entirely by hand in Italy in the 1700s, from Genoa. It has no sid...

An elegant marble fireplace in shades of dark green and white, crafted in a neoclassical style with hand-carved details. The central frieze features decorative reliefs inspired by cl...

This beautiful Regency-style fireplace mantel is hand-carved in elegant white marble. The marble is a bright white, and is very clean, with very little veining. The hand-carved detai...

A large bolection fireplace produced in three solid blocks of Emperador marble by Ryan and Smith. The Roma Bolection is a stylishly simple and robust e...

This 18th century French chimneypiece is made from sandstone and has its original Trumeau or upper piece. It’s a fine example of the Louis XIV style w...

Elegant antique mantel fireplace in polychrome marble, peach blossom color, between pink and orange, Featuring a shaped frame with sinuous and refined lines carved in solid marble. T...

Timeless French Vintage Limestone Fireplace Surround. 19th century period in great condition. Perfect imperfections. Elegant beige...

Unique timeless French limestone fireplace surround with beautiful Fleur de Lys details on the fronton. Measurements: 176 cm Exterior Width 69,29 Inch 112,5 cm Exterior Height 44,29...

A magnificent and large palatial antique French Louis XVI style white marble and gilt bronze mantle. The structure is composed of rectangular white marble blocks with a stepped corni...

Antique Lecce stone fireplace, small size, with leaf bas-reliefs, so it can be installed in any interior, original from the 1800s, from southern Italy, maximum outside measurement L ...

A solid limestone fireplace of fashionable design, produced from three single blocks of stone. The 'Naples Bolection' is a stylishly simple and robust example of a bolection moulding fireplace...

An original Victorian era Gothic Revival sandstone fire mantel circa 1880, with ornate column-style jambs, decorative foliate spandrels and a dramatic arched fireplace opening with carved bust to the top. Sourced from a property in the North of England, this antique York stone fireplace...

A Baroque Bolection fireplace mantel in Italian Pavonazzo Marble A Baroque style bolection fireplace surround of bold proportions with very finely carved columns with a rising ogee ...