19th Century Building and Garden Elements

A Mid-19th century cast iron cold painted garden urn. Made by wood and Perot with a mark dating this to PRE 1865. A famous maker from Philadelphia of ex...

Once a common sight in courtyards throughout rural China, this textured stone vessel was used as a grain or water trough for chickens and other barnyard fowl. Chiseled from a block o...

19th Century Devil Gargoyle Bracket This is a very old hard plaster wall bracket The subject is a horned devil surrounded with grapes and vines The Bracket is sound with the expec...

A spectacular and high quality Italian 19th century Renaissance st. white Carrara marble fountain. This wonderful fountain is raised by a rectangular plinth supporting a top rolled c...

Unique antique wrought iron stair railing sandblasted and galvanized some years ago to protect it against rust. We are happy to a...

A large-scale 19th century panelled oak fireplace in the earlier Georgian style. Simply decorated with raised and fielded panels throughout, this antique wooden fire surround is a ti...

Repousse sheet copper lion's head architectural element from the Union Railroad Station, Worcester, Massachusetts, circa 1875.

3-622 Victorian iron based table with floral detailing. Marble top is newer Can be used as a coffee table indoors or as a garden table.

Antique English Victorian Brass Cabriole Leg Fireplace Hearth Footman Trivet. Circa Late 19th Century. Measurements: 15" H x 17.5" W x 16" D.

American brass rail and pleasing wire work fire place screen, Early 19th century.

A good find comes this large 26 inch diameter, 5 inch thick round hand-carved mill stone from the 19th century or earlier period. This was likely a grinding base stone for a large oi...

19th Century polychromed terracotta pair of Angels. The pedestals shown in the photos are not included. Measurements: Angels figure: 69 cm (23,6...

Early French Biot jar with remnants of yellow glaze along its rim. Dates to the late 18th or early 19th century. Nice patina and pitted surface from centuries of natural wear and use.

Recently lifted from its original home, this amazing and unique set of 35 antique French handmade ceramic tiles. Designed by Maison four maintraux-Hornoy and manufactured for Pas de ...

circa 1820 Large 19thC Swedish Painted Vernacular Pine Fire Surround Measures: W210 x D15 x H133 cm.

Charming antique Country French wrought iron Children's Sleigh provided sheer joy to the two children who were pushed in the snow as if they were in a stroller. Such devices allowed ...

A large & important pair of rare antique 19th century Indian Polychromed & hand carved stone Dvarpala (temple door guard) statues, circa 1850. Each statue is hand carved as a male Hindu four armed temple guard, the guards holding a mace (Gada) and one hand on a dagger (Katar), another hand holding a lotus flower to represent spiritual enlightenment. Each guard stands crossed legged on a plinth decorated with an elephant, both statues retaining old and yet brightly colored polychromed decoration, the statues are approximately 3/4 lifesize. They are a true pair facing each other and would have flanked either side of the temple door entrance, they are large and very heavy, each figure weighs about 300lbs. A rare & important pair of carved 19th century stone temple guards...

19th century French large zinc finial was originally a decorative element on a Parisienne building. It is now used as a decorative sculpture.      

This pair of antique rustic octagonal wooden planters, priced and sold individually at $350 each, captivates with their authentic charm and simple yet s...

A fine French 19th/20th century Louis XV style gilt-bronze figural fireplace screen. The whimsical ornate ormolu frame with scrolled and rounded corners, detailed with flowers and ac...

A beautiful antique Doulton and Co floral pattern glazed toilet with an original mahogany toilet seat. The mahogany seat compliments the striking blue and white porcelain toilet...

A beautiful Italian 19th century marble pedestal. The pedestal is raised by a square base with a circular mottled design and round column....

Here available are 25 pieces of original Victorian pressed tin ceiling cornice pieces. Each section is 8" wide by 27" long for a total of about 56 feet of cornice, with some extra p...

19th century French Louis XV style carved white breccia marble mantle. You're exploring a fireplace that blends Rococo elegance with sculptural drama—a French Louis XV–style carved w...

A French set of two doors, both singles, from the 19th century. These antique doors from France, though not meant to match up together (as in a pair of French-style doors) but are two near-identical single doors. Each door is comprised of two panels, with top being near-square in shape, over the lower rectangular raised panel. The new custom finish has a soft color palette of gray, blue and green hues. Both sides of the doors are paneled and painted, so these are a great option to place between living spaces. As with all of our doors, we recommend that a professional contractor be used for installation, and that our dimensions are approximate and may vary slightly. This set of 2 single French doors...

A good condition antique Victorian ‘Waterfall’ toilet with P-trap waste, decorated with a light grey-blue transfer print floral pattern, circa 1890. This reclaimed toilet is a beau...

An impressive and large scale French 19th century Grand Tour patinated Bronze statue of the Borghese Gladiator. The handsome Gladiator is raised on a Verdigris patinated Bronze base ...

Complete fireplace insert set from the Art Nouveau / Jugendstil period, consisting of the central insert and two matching side cheeks. The piece is crafted from enameled cast iron. ...

Set of quality brass fire irons with quality rope twist handles. Consisting of a shovel, poker and pair of tongs.

A Spanish hand-carved trough basin from the 19th century. This antique stone vessel from Spain has an oval-shaped basin with rounded front and flat backside, giving it an overall "D"...

These antique metal workbench saw horses have been adapted and made into a stylish dining table base. Partnered with a reclaimed teak wood top...

A large 19th century English polished steel, Gun metal and brass fire grate in the Georgian manner. Brass tapering legs surmounted by classical urn finials. Intricately pierced Gun Metal fret work and bowed shaped bars again surmounted by brass finials and a large square fireback.

An antique carved oak fireplace salvaged from a property in Tunbridge Wells. Displaying a decorative frieze carved with foliage and flowers, this ...

English Victorian wrought iron garden gate originating from circa 1870. Its unusual design shows scrolls coming together in an arra...

A very well made English wrought iron garden or pedestrian gate. Blacksmith made. Additional dimensions Height 234 cm is the tallest part.

Signed at the base: "Prof A(ristide) Petrilli Firenze". Fine carved and ornamented, in 4 sections. The top section can be rotated. Dimensions: H: 113 cm, Base: 33x33, Top: 22 x...

This elegant oak fireplace mantel is crafted in the Louis XV style, distinguished by its graceful curves, scalloped apron, and refined hand-carved motifs. The warm oak patina enhance...

An antique marble and bronze noonday cannon sundial by Louis Marie Arthur Chevalier (1830-1874). Noonday Cannon Sundial This sundial is inscribed ‘CONSTRUIT PAR ARTHUR CHEVALIER PALAIS’. It is based on a noonday cannon commissioned by the Sun King, Louis XIV, for the gardens of Versaille. This miniature bronze cannon...

An antique 18th or 19th century Annamese ceramic garden seat from Vietnam with green and brown glaze, raised scrolling frieze, pierced top, guardian l...

Pair of French Louis XVI-style (19th Century) bronze dore flame top andirons with winged cupid. (PRICED AS Pair)

Antique Oriental Japanese large fine quality bronze Buddhist Tearai basin for water libation in a temple. Dates from the late Edo Period, mid 19th Century and is well suited for use ...

Handmade and wood-fired centuries ago, these reclaimed French terracotta tiles tell a unique story. Durable and designed for flooring, they can withstand high-traffic areas when prop...

Pair of Andirons are made of cast wrought iron depicting the face of a roaring gargoyle with a, serpentine, detailed body. The stamp of B &H is on the back side along with the origin...

These Urns flanked a covered entry to a massive hedge maze, behind a Queen Annes County 1810s Mansard Mansion. Very Finely Casted, Rare Lions Head. Mansion is Still Standing and Vir...

Rare pair of beautiful antique carved and painted decorative pedestals/columns. Painted in marble trompe l'oeil. Stencilled frieze on base. Lovely antique ochre...

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 Napoleon III style mantelpiece was made in Statuary marble in the 19th century. It includes many Renaissance inspired elements. It features an imposing mantel top, also in marbl...

Antique quality Victorian mahogany coal scuttle box or cabinet, circa 1850. This is a lovely item, that is full of charm and character. This is a heavy q...

A very handsome French 19th century Louis XVI st. Giltwood and Vert de Patricia marble pedestal, retailed by L'Escalier de Cristal, Paris. The freestanding circular pedestal is raise...

This large Italian statue, sculpted from limestone in the late 19th or early 20th century, depicts a Roman soldier standing on a pedestal, holding...

French oval jardiniere or planter ball and claw feet, 19th century.

Delightful terra cotta cherub playing Horn. Made in France in the late 19th century.

An early 1800’s cast iron urn after the design by Robert Adam, believed to have been forged at the Carron Iron Works, Falkirk. The lidded urn of neocla...

Antique 19th C Rosewood & Figural Needlepoint Victorian Spiral Carved Fire screen. Item features a stunning spiral carved rosewood frame, glass fron...

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...

An impressive and large scale Italian 19th century white Carrara marble and patinated Bronze fountain. This stunning fountain is raised by a square base with carved paws at each corn...

Set of 3 English Renaissance style (19th Century) leaded glass window panels with diamond design and figure in center (PRICED AS SET).

Pair of American brass and cast iron horse head wagon wheel andirons with flanking ball finial log stops, mid 19th century.

Fabulous clothed torso of a fair maiden from the victorian era Two pieces, has a plinth base which is separate from the figure. Well worn as it has lived it's life in a garden. Str...

An early 19th century copper repoussé lavabo/fountain which was originally mounted on the wall inside the home. This period piece features a pair of doves/love birds on either side o...