All posts by Don

George II – 18208

18th Century, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Baroque

A George II period white Statuary marble chimneypiece with coloured Spanish Brocattele inlays

The solid white marble jambs are slightly canted and inlayed with Brocattele marble panels. At the top of the jambs are Brocattele corbels, under a serpentine shelf with an egg and dart carved edge. The serpentine shaped frieze features scrolled details and Brocattele inlays. 

Its incredibly rare to find fireplaces from this early period. A transitional piece with both Palladian and Rococo elements. 

Circa 1740

 

 

Register grate engraved – AG175

Antique Fireplaces, Antique Period Grates, Antique Register Grates / Inserts, Exceptional Pieces, Fireplace Accessories

A very good George III period engraved brass and blackened iron register grate

The brass surround and fire cheeks are engraved with neo-classical motifs. The basket has four blackened bars surmounted by urn finials. Below the bars is a pierced and engraved brass apron.

Signed at the centre of the frieze by the maker. (CLARKE, ASTON’S QUAY, DUBLIN). 

Circa 1780

 

T.T. CLARKE

The signature refers to a Dublin-based manufacturer and ironmonger named Clarke, considered the finest producers of this type of grate. They operated at 20 & 21 Aston’s Quay and 16 Westmoreland Street. 
Location: Aston’s Quay is a street on the south bank of the River Liffey in Dublin city centre. This area was a commercial hub for ironmongers and hardware suppliers during the 18th and 19th centuries.

 

Sideboard – AF195

Furniture, Other Antiques

A Regency period mahogany sideboard with brass handles, escutcheons and back rail

The three cupboard doors above three pull out drawers, with brass lions head and pull ring handles.

The break-fronted top with reeded edge, and reeded pilasters raised on turned legs.

Circa 1820

 

Black marble – 19617

19th Century, 19th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Georgian, Regency

An early 19th century late Georgian period black Kilkenny marble fireplace surround

The plain pilasters with full length free standing Doric columns  in front, these supporting a triple reeded edge shelf. The cushion moulded frieze rests on a reeded architrave moulding.   

Made from quite a black marble with little markings and in fantastic condition, having no breaks and a good patina. 

Circa 1820

 

Photographed with the original Georgian brass register grate that came with it. £8,000 + VAT

 

Cornice Bolection ‘marble’

New Fireplaces, New Marble Fireplace Mantels

A bolection style fireplace with curved frieze and cornice shelf, made from a white statuary marble with subtle veining

A marble fireplace consisting of a moulded bolection frame on plain plinths, above this rests a barrel shaped frieze and stepped cornice mantel.

A classic design which has been fashionable in England and Ireland for over three hundred years.

 

 

 

Black marble – 19610

18th Century, 18th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Georgian, Palladian

An antique mid 18th century Palladian style, Irish Kilkenny Fossil marble chimneypiece

The jambs with simple scrolled corbels above plain pilasters, the frieze with break-fronted centre tablet, under a moulded edge cornice shelf. 

Made from a dark grey/black Kilkenny marble with many light coloured coral fossils. 

Circa 1750 

 

Kilkenny marble is a fine-grained very dark grey carboniferous limestone found around County Kilkenny in Ireland in the “Butlersgrove Formation”, a Lower Carboniferous limestone that contains fossils of brachiopods, gastropods, crinoids and corals. The first and main source was the “Black Quarry” in the townlands of Archersgrove and Gallowshill just south of Kilkenny city, which was used from the 17th to the 19th century. Kilkenny is nicknamed “the Marble City”; the footpaths of the city streets were paved with Kilkenny marble flagstones, which were highly polished with wear and glistened when wet.

 

Large side-table – AF194

Furniture, Other Antiques

A large Regency period mahogany side-table/serving table in the manner of George Smith

The break-fronted top with three oak lined drawers decorated with fine beading. The scrolled console legs with acanthus leaves and paw feet.

Fabulous quality Cuban mahogany throughout, in original country house condition with excellent patina and colour. 

Circa 1820

 

Smith, George

London; designer, cabinet maker and upholder (c.1786–1828)

Smith is described on the title page of his ambitious and influential pattern book A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, 1808, as an ‘upholder extraordinary to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales’. The 158 aquatint engravings bear dates from 1804 to 1807 and are important as being the first collection of designs for ordinary furniture in a fully developed Regency style. Advertisements for the book in the Liverpool Chronicle, 20 February 1805 and 25 November 1807 disclose that it was issued in three parts over three years, each priced £1 11s 6d plain or £2 12s 6d ‘elegantly coloured’. Smith contributed designs for furniture to Ackermann’s periodical Repository of Arts in January and March 1809 and his A Collection of Ornamental Designs after the Antique appeared in 1812.

Smith traded as an ‘upholsterer and cabinet maker’ at 69 Dean Street, Soho (1795–97); as ‘upholder etc’ at 15 Princes Street, Cavendish Square (1806–11); and at 28 Marylebone, Piccadilly (1826).

 

Black bolection – 19614

20th Century, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Baroque, Victorian & Edwardian

A reclaimed antique Black Kilkenny fossil marble bolection fireplace  

Made from a desirable dark grey/black Kilkenny with various light coloured fossils.

Circa 1900’s

 

Kilkenny marble is a fine-grained very dark grey carboniferous limestone found around County Kilkenny in Ireland in the “Butlersgrove Formation”, a Lower Carboniferous limestone that contains fossils of brachiopods, gastropods, crinoids and corals. The first and main source was the “Black Quarry” in the townlands of Archersgrove and Gallowshill just south of Kilkenny city, which was used from the 17th to the 19th century. Kilkenny is nicknamed “the Marble City”; the footpaths of the city streets were paved with Kilkenny marble flagstones, which were highly polished with wear and glistened when wet.

 

Sienna marble – 19613

19th Century, 19th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Exceptional Pieces, Palladian

An antique mid 18th century style Sienna and Statuary marble chimneypiece of Palladian form

Made using the finest Statuary Carrara marble, incredibly pure with no veins, inlaid with richly coloured Convent Sienna marble which has been book marked. 

The dog legged shaped frame exquisitely carved with leaf work, the break-fronted cornice shelf carved with egg and dart.

Circa 1890

 

Sienna – 18207

18th Century, 18th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Exceptional Pieces, Georgian, Neoclassical

An antique George III period Statuary and Sienna marble fireplace attributed to English architect John Yenn (1750–1821).

This restrained architectural Statuary marble chimneypiece, features a subtly coloured Sienna marble frieze and pilasters. 

The pilaster capitals are carved with leaf-work, the centre tablet carved with flute and dart motif.

A break-fronted cornice shelf rests on top. 

Circa 1770

 

Comparable chimneypiece designs in pen and ink watercolours by John Yenn are held at the The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

John Yenn was a pupil of Chambers from 1764 and five years later was one of the first students to be admitted to the Royal Academy Schools, where he was awarded a gold medal in 1771. Drawings such as this well demonstrate his skill as a draughtsman, working with the techniques learnt in Chambers’ studio to produce drawings of great beauty and clarity. Yenn became one of the architect’s chief assistants. In 1774 Chambers described him as ‘an ingenious faithful intelligent servant’ who ‘for two or three years past has managed a great part of my extensive business very much to my satisfaction’. After the start of work at Somerset House, Chambers depended on Yenn increasingly, both in London and in the different projects commissioned by the King elsewhere. In 1782 Yenn was appointed by the Office of Works to the position of Clerk of the Works at Buckingham House and Kensington Palace. He was elected Royal Academician in 1791 and on Chambers’s death in 1796 he became Treasurer to the Royal Academy, actively (occasionally acrimoniously) involving himself in the politics of that institution.

Bookcase – AF193

Exceptional Pieces, Furniture, Other Antiques

A truly magnificent fabulously carved antique walnut bookcase in the renaissance revival style 

Profusely carved with male figures, putti, griffins, masks, foliage and deep cut mouldings.

The base with two cupboard doors, the top section with two glazes doors and adjustable shelfs within. 

A real masterclass of cabinet making. 

Circa 1860

 

 

Sideboard – AF192

Furniture, Other Antiques

A large and remarkable antique Victorian period, highly carved oak side board/server

The entire piece is profusely carved, the sideboard back with oval scene depicting a fox with grouse, above this is a deer’s head.

The base with two cupboard doors and three drawers, all highly carved and with brass handles. 

Circa 1860

 

Sienna Fireplace – 18206

18th Century, 18th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Exceptional Pieces, Georgian, Neoclassical

An antique Irish late 18th century Statuary and Sienna marble chimneypiece of fine Quality and simple architectural form

This Irish Georgian fireplace is made from the purest white statuary Carrara marble and richly coloured Convent Sienna marble.

The well carved central tablet depicts a classical lidded urn decorated with Vitruvian scrolls, swags of drapes and rams heads. 

Circa 1790’s

 

Provenance: Ballyscullion, Co Derry, construction began 1788

Built by Frederick Augustus Hervey, Bishop of Derry and Earl of Bristol. 

 

Jasper Mantel – 18205

18th Century, 18th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Exceptional Pieces, Georgian, Neoclassical, Regency

An antique English George III period white Statuary and Sicilian Jasper chimneypiece in the manner of English architect John Nash

The pure white statuary marble pilasters have inlaid panels of richly coloured semi-precious Sicilian Jasper, upon these are carved acanthus scrolled corbels with anthemion’s underneath.

The jasper frieze is overlaid with very well carved statuary laurel arabesques, rosettes and a plume of feathers at the centre.

A flat statuary shelf rests on top.

Photographed with its original and extremely large period steel register grate.

Circa 1790

 

John Nash (18 January 1752 – 13 May 1835) was an English architect of the Georgian and Regency eras. He was responsible for the design, in the neoclassical and picturesque styles, of many important areas of London and several country houses throughout the UK. His designs were financed by the Prince Regent and by the era’s most successful property developer, James Burton. Nash also collaborated extensively with Burton’s son, Decimus Burton.

Nash’s best-known solo designs are the Royal Pavilion, Brighton; Marble Arch; and Buckingham Palace. His best-known collaboration with James Burton is Regent Street and his best-known collaborations with Decimus Burton are Regent’s Park and its terraces and Carlton House Terrace. 

 

Antique marble – 19612

19th Century, 19th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Baroque, Exceptional Pieces, Victorian & Edwardian

A very grand and extremely rare antique marble chimneypiece made during the Victorian period

The Kilkenny marble baluster columns raised on square plinths, support end-blocks with cork-red marble bulls-eye roundels on three sides. The fluted frieze panels and centre tablet are inlaid with richly coloured Sienna marble. The pilasters and arched front panel are made of Cork Mitchelstown marble, these with a bull-nosed edge that frames the original cast iron register grate. The break-fronted cornice shelf with graduated canopy top and centre plinth, to carry a clock or perhaps a marble bust. 

 

In the manner of J. H. Pollen and most likely made by Alexander Ballantine, Proprietor of a stone, marble and chimneypiece workshop in Dorset St Upper, Dublin, from the 1840s until the 1870s.

Made using Irish Kilkenny fossil marble, Cork Mitchelstown red marble and imported semi-precious Sienna Brocatelle marble.   

Retains its original cast-iron register grate and all in very good condition. 

Circa 1870

 

 

White marble – 19606

19th Century, 19th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, French

An antique French marble mantelpiece in the Rococo Louis XV taste

Made from lightly veined Carrara marble, the fireplace features a serpentine breakfront shelf, over serpentine frieze carved with a central scallop shell. The panelled canted consoles,  are also carved with scallop shell motifs.

Circa 1880

 

This model is normally found in smaller sizes, its difficult to find them this big.

 

Rococo Mantel – 19605

18th Century, 18th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, French, Rococo

A mid 18th century Italian Rococo period marble fireplace with gold-gilded elements 

Hand carved from three solid blocks of dark grey Italian Bardiglio marble, with various carvings unpolished and gold-gilded. 

The elaborate frieze with a well carved female head (Italia turrita), which is one of the national symbols of Italy, depicted here with a crown and Stella d’Italia (‘Star of Italy’), the oldest national symbol of Italy. 

The scrolled cabriole console jambes carved with fruit and foliage, support the frieze and serpentine shelf. 

Circa 1750’s

 

Black marble – 19604

19th Century, 19th Century Marble, Antique Fireplaces, Antique Marble Fireplaces, Victorian & Edwardian

A large antique pure black marble fire surround from the early Victorian period

The arched spandrels carved with Gothic quatrefoil’s and rope twist decoration, these centred by an acanthus keystone. 

The fire opening framed by a substantial moulding and a deep shelf with tiered mouldings rests on top.

Made from flawless jet black marble in the Victorian Gothic style.

In excellent condition. 

Circa 1850’s