An Italian, Venetian Mantelpiece in the Renaissance style, carved in Pietra d’Istria marble, sometimes called Istrian Stone

The deep shelf, with its front edges carved with flutes, bead and reel, Athemions, dental and egg and dart motifs, this rests on a very fine frieze. The frieze, which is a single solid block of stone, is carved in high relief with cattle skulls, arabesques, baskets of fruit and in the centre an eagle with wings spread. Supporting the frieze are acanthus bracket corbels, which sit on acanthus capitals and intricately carved pilasters of ornate Renaissance decoration.

Circa 1860