Jamb Ltd.

A Regency Oak & Caned Bobbin Hall Bench Of unusual angular and characterful form, with gothic lines and bobbin shaping, with caned seat on brass casters. Height: 90cm, 35 1/2″ Widt...

A Set of Eight Regency Mahogany Caned ‘Barrel Back’ Dining Chairs On turned and tapering legs and accentuated back legs. Height: 84cm, 33″ Width: 48.5cm, 19″ Depth: 50cm, 19 3/4″

A Pair of Early George III Mahogany Sofas, c.1765 Of pleasingly compact form, with straight back and tightly curving C-scroll arms, with Chinese-Chippendale pierced stretchers and s...

A Pair of George II Window Seats With needlepoint upholstery and generously outscrolling form, on square mahogany legs with central stretcher. English c.1760 Height: 62 cm, 24 3/8″...

A Pair of Early 19th Century Carved Oak Sofas, Designed by William Atkinson With subtly carved gothic detailing to the arm, and low, broad and deep dimensions. From the workshops of...

A George III Mahogany Camel Back Sofa Photographed here without upholstery, showing the well drawn lines of the camel back, gently curving outscrolled arms, and straight legs united...

A George II Mahogany Camel Back Sofa Of generous form and scale, with high camel back, and carefully controlled contours with tall scrolling arms, on moulded square mahogany legs of...

An Exceptional Pair of Early George III Mahogany Gainsborough Chairs Of robustly drawn form; the frames displaying beautifully executed blind fretwork, with fretted spandrels on ori...

A Pair of William IV Mahogany Day Beds Stripped to reveal the original early 19th century upholstery. Height: 81 cm, 31 7/8″ Length: 180 cm, 70 7/8″ Depth: 67 cm, 26 3/8″ Seat Heig...

A Harlequin Set of Six Yew Wood Windsor Armchairs Height: 91 cm, 35 7/8″ Width: 55 cm, 21 5/8″ Depth: 57 cm, 22 1/2″

A Set of Fourteen Early 19th Century Anglo Indian Carved Ebony Armchairs All carved with elbow arms, with caned seats and overall dry ebony surface. Height: 83.5 cm Width: 57 cm De...

An Irish George II Red Walnut Open Armchair The back with carved crest rail and solid but intricately shaped back splat, with unusually drawn and angular arm, reminiscent of the syn...

An Irish George II Mahogany Wingback Armchair With a well shaped back and roll arms resting on bold acanthus carved cabriole legs, terminating in lions paw feet, supported by a flat...

A Regency Mahogany Scroll End Sofa With carved show wood front, on turned and reeded legs with brass casters Height: 88 cm, 34 5/8″ ...

A Set of Eight Regency Mahogany Dining Chairs, Including a Pair of Elbow ‘Carver’ Chairs With curved bar top rails and ebonised star decoration and inlay, with drop on seats on sabr...

A Pair of George III Mahogany Gainsborough Chairs, with Needlepoint Upholstery With shaped camelback seat, with carved flower, acanthus and bead and reel scrolling arms, on plain sq...

A Fine Pair of George III Mahogany Hall Chairs by Gillows, Lancaster The pierced oval backs above shaped panel seats, on turned legs united by ‘X’ stretchers, both seat rails stampe...

A Pair of 19th Century Mahogany Elizabethan Revival Hall Chairs, in the Manner of Bridgens Height: 94 cm, 37″ Width: 46 cm, 18 1/8″ Depth: 51 cm, 20 1/8″

An Early 19th Century Mahogany Side Chair in the manner of Gillows Height: 94.5 cm, 37 1/4″ Width: 51 cm, 20 1/8″ Depth: 61 cm, 24″

A George III mahogany hall bench, with slender moulded back rail, on turned arms on rectangular solid seat, with four turned and tapering front legs. A similar early 19th century ex...

The tiered shelf is punctuated by finely carved dentils, egg and dart, and acanthus ornamental details. This is supported by an elegant acanthus leaf frieze with beading. The slender...

An early 18th century Irish frame chimneypiece in Kilkenny fossil marble. The header carved with a central stylised keystone. Dimensions Height 47½in (...

A set of six Regency mahogany hall chairs with shaped backs and modestly scrolled tops on square seats, on turned tapering front legs Height: 86.5 cm, 34″ Width: 41 cm, 16 1/8″ Dept...

With curved supported back Height: 79.5 cm, 31 1/4″ Width: 65 cm, 25 5/8″ Depth: 53.5 cm, 21″

The breakfront, moulded shelf above the frieze which is centred with a tablet carved with a lion’s head on two pieces of draped linen. The blockings above the pilaster decorated with Roman shields...

With a tiered moulded shelf, a frieze with stopped finger flutes and the inground veneered in Convent Sienna marble, supported on console jambs. In 1731 Isaac Ware shows a design ver...

A Fine 19th Century Pine Chimneypiece in George II Revival Style. The imposing and elegant moulded shelf is supported by a dentil detail. The pulvinated frieze is carved with a refin...

A Finely Carved Irish, George III Period Kilkenny Marble Chimneypiece in the Manner of Charles Robert Cockerell. Featuring a central tablet carved with a roman tazza ern motif, popu...

A Very Refined 1780S Neoclassical Chimneypiece In White Statuary Marble With Tinos Inlays Of The Highest Quality. An exquisite late 18th century chimneypiece of Robert Adam’s design....

The central tablet depicts the three Graces disarming Cupid. The scene is after a painting by the Neoclassical painter Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807). The Graces steal and break Cupid...

The moulded shelf richly carved with egg and dart, above a barrel frieze carved with running laurel bound in ribbon, unusually running left–to–right rather than symmetrically from th...

A Superb Late 18th to Early 19th Century Statuary Marble Chimneypiece Carved in High Relief A neoclassical fireplace produced in Italy most probably for the English Market, in the m...

Provenance: Stair & Company, Inc. New York, NY, private collection, gifted to Telfair Museums, c. 1977. The elegant moulded breakfront shelf with an egg and dart and a beaded motifs...

A George III fireplace with an imposing breakfront shelf, an acanthus leaf motif running along the border. The central tablet is after the painting “Telemachus and the Nymphs of Caly...

With a fluted keystone, flanked by fielded panels to the frieze, on original footblocks. Height 57¾in (146.7cm) width 54in (134cm) Internal height 48½in (123.4cm) width 36in (91.3cm...

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...

With a fluted keystone, flanked by fielded panels to the frieze, on original footblocks. Height 48in (124cm) width 53in (137cm) Internal height 40⅛in (102cm) width 36¼in (92cm) Shel...

No doubt originally intended for a palatial interior, this elegant chimneypiece is carved in three different specimens of prized coloured marbles: yellow Marmo Giallo Siena, a favour...

An Exceptionally Finely Carved 18th Century Chimneypiece of Neoclassical Design in White Statuary Marble with Spanish Brocatelle Inlays From the Collection of Will Fisher at Jamb, L...

A late 18th century fireplace with a breakfront shelf, supported by a dentil motif. The central tablet is vigorously carved with foliage and flowers, continuing on the frieze. This i...

The central frieze is carved with a Rococo vase of flowers, flanked by scrolling motifs. This supports a broken pediment with acanthine modillions to the under-mould. The opening fra...

An Extremely Refined 18th Century Chimneypiece in White Statuary Marble by the Renowned Architect James Paine (1717–1789) A moulded breakfront shelf with lambs tongue and leaf and d...

A refined late 18th century chimneypiece in statuary marble with Verde Antico inlays of the highest quality, circa 1790. The fluted details on the jambs are centred by oval paterae. ...

The jambs in the form of free-standing Doric columns on socle bases, resting on square footblocks. The frieze is carved with a reeded motif that runs over the cornerblocks, supportin...

This George I frame chimneypiece is carved from Swaledale marble, a limestone which features an abundance of fossilised remains. The striking crinoids a...

Raised on elegantly fluted, square tapering legs with carved acanthus paterae and block feet. The swept arms finished with show-wood on both front and back, the front side with fine...

A Spectacular Nineteenth Century Walnut Egyptian Revival Day Bed With geometric inlay and accentuated stimulated rope bound hoof feet Height: 110 cm, 43 1/2″ Length: 188 cm, 74“ Wi...

The central plaque depicts a pastoral scene with a shepherd and his flock resting beneath a tree. Bales of hale details decorate the corner blocks, from which garlands of bell flower...

A French 1820’s chimneypiece carved in Bardiglio and statuary marble. An early 19th century French fireplace in the Egyptian revival style, the simple rectangular shelf surmounts a frieze with palmettes and rosette paterae carved in white marble. This is supported by Jambs with finely carved caryatids, palmettes at centre and feet on the footblocks. The Egyptian revival became popular in France during the era of Napoleon’s expeditions. This turned into a style in art, architecture and decorative arts especially after the Description de l'Égypte was published from 1809. Known in England as Description of Egypt...

A 19th century, Louis XV style Statuary marble rococo chimneypiece. Each canted jamb is festooned with carved foliage ranging from great curls of acanthus to prim flowers. It is likely this chimneypiece is a celebration of conjugal love and unity, the bearded bust...

An imposing and highly important antique Louis XV period statuary marble chimneypiece of exceptional quality and generous proportion, the serpentine opening centred with an elaborate...

A sumptuous Rococo 19th century chimneypiece of very large scale, in white statuary marble. Height 48½in (123cm) width 76¾in (195cm) Internal height 34¾in (97cm) width 48¾in (129cm...

An elaborate 19th century Rococo chimneypiece in Louis XV style with an elegant, moulded shelf. The fine asymmetric serpentine frieze presents a central cartouche in the shape of a s...

A Fine Pair of Irish Earl 19th Century Statuary and Portoro Nero marble Neoclassical chimneypieces, the rectangular moulded shelves with canted corners above a Portoro frieze centred...

An extremely fine late 18th century Statuary marble chimneypiece of strong architectural character and landscape proportion, after a design by the architect Robert Adam (1728 – 1792). The pilaster jambs are capped by Greek Ionic capitals, possibly quoting the recently discovered Temple of Ilissus in Athens, supporting a refined shelf with a charming cushion bed...

A refined late 18th / early 19th Century chimneypiece carved in Bardiglio and white marble. A central cameo tablet depicts a half bust female portrait in pro...

A very refined Adam period chimneypiece carved in white Statuary marble. The frieze is ornamented with enclosed alternating flowers within lozenge, and with a central tablet depicting two sphinx holding a paterae. The iconography of the sphinx originally derives from the ancient Egyptian sculptures...

An elegant pie-crust shelf rests on the frieze, adorned with alternating floralpaterae and finger flutes. Finely carved scrolls with delicate foliage decorate the side console jambs,...

An early 19th Century, William IV chimneypiece in grey Bardiglio marble of architectural design. With simple plain slab frieze and jambs topped with ornamental baroque scallop shells...

A George I early 18th century frame chimneypiece in dark Italian Bardiglio marble, punctuated by bed moudlings in statuary. The frieze and jambs incised with fielded panels, centred ...