A very fine 18th century white statuary and coloured Spanish brocatello marble mantelpiece.

The centre plaque depicting a classical lidded urn with two resting sphinxes facing each other, surrounded by arabesques and swags of husks. The pilasters have drapes suspended from ribbons tied in bows. The frieze panels are inlaid with flutes of richly figured 18th century Spanish brocatello marble.
Produced by George, Hill and Arthur Darley.

Irish, Circa 1790

Price on application

George, Hill and Arthur Darley were cousins and came from a family tradition of marble masons, starting in the 17th century.

The Darley’s are listed in Wilson’s Dublin Directory as stone-cutters in the latter decades of the eighteenth century through to the first decade of the 19th century. From the 1783 edition they are listed at 5 Mercer Street, Dublin, from 1786-1798 both George and Hill Darley are listed at that address. A ‘Mr Darley’ was a subscriber to the First Volume of the instructions given in the Drawing School established by the Dublin-Society (Dublin 1769). They worked for prominent clients including the Italian Ambassador’s residence at Lucan House and William Ashford of Sandymount in 1788-9.

There are approximately seventy watercolours of mantelpieces by the firm held at the Royal Irish Academy of Dublin. Several of which bear similarities to this mantelpiece, it was common practice for Darley’s clients to choose aspects of several drawings to combine together for the desired completed article.

A George Darley was employed by Trinity College, Dublin between 1753-1817, (Trinity college muniments, MUN/P/97-204), which co-incidentally was where Arthur Wolfe was educated and became Chancellor of in 1802.