A carved fire surround from Sir Winston Churchill’s drawing room

A bronze portrait of Sir Winston Churchill by Rufus Martin, 2023 This head and shoulders bronze bust is instantly recognizable as Sir Winston Churchill. He is wearing a British Warm greatcoat with epaulettes and has a half-smoked cigar in the left hand resting on his hip. His right hand is raised in his trade mark V-for-Victory salute. Signed ‘Rufus Martin 1/12’. Sir Winston Churchill (1874 –1965) was a British politician, army officer and writer. He was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, when he led Britain to victory in the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. Churchill represented five constituencies during his career as a Member of Parliament. Ideologically an economic liberal and imperialist, for most of his career he was a member of the Conservative Party, which he led from 1940 to 1955, but from 1904 to 1924 was a member of the Liberal Party. This portrait of Churchill by Rufus Martin is striking for its juxtaposition of this famous historical subject and the free and contemporary choice of presentation. Churchill’s tenure during the Second World War infused the nation with calm and confidence, providing the British people with strong leadership during its darkest hours. Martin succeeds in portraying Churchill’s unshakeable belief in a successful outcome for the Allies through his defiant stance, unwavering gaze and Victory V gesture. Together with the recognizable “Bulldog” facial features and broad shoulders, this bust captures the subject in terms of character as well as being an accurate physical portrait . Rufus Martin trained at Wimbledon College of the Arts, London, though his aptitude for 3D design and sculpture was apparent from a very young age. His mother, a portrait painter, showed him the portrait sculptures of Augusta Savage, Jacob Epstein and Augustine Rodin, which inspired him to create a bust of his late mentor, Michael Howells. He sculpts ‘intriguing individuals, always hoping to capture some element of their past or current struggles and to create something for the good of the community they inhabit and wherever possible for posterity’ – an ambition he has most successfully fulfilled with this powerful portrait. After leaving college in 2017, with first class honours, Martin has won many prestigious prizes including the Tiranti Prize at the FACE, the Signature Art Award, the Chelsea Arts Club show for ‘Amy’, the True Blue Show, the Salmagundi Open Show, New York, Green & Stone Summer Show, the Chelsea Arts Society Summer Show, RBA Rising Stars, the Royal Cambrian Academy Open, the Binny Mathews & Sons joint show, The Next Big Thing and has been published in the Kings House...

A pair of Sir Winston Churchill glass decanters, by Garrard & Co.,1974. These lead crystal decanters are numbers 27 and 28 in a limited editio...

An antique pair of George III steel fire dogs. These steel fire dogs have front supports shaped like short tongs with urn and baluster finials.

This pine chimneypiece has a swan-neck pediment supporting three pedestals, with dentil and leaf borders. There is a central limewood oval portrait of Robert Marsham, 2nd Baron Romney carved in relief and suspended by acanthus and tied ribbons. The frieze below is also applied with limewood carving of naval trophies, emblematic of seamanship and learning, flanking a central tablet depicting a reclining Marine Society boy. The supports are composed of large fluted columns with Ionic capitals and edged with egg and dart borders and leaf-carved mouldings. English, 1775. Provenance: Supplied by Mr. Tousey for the Committee Room of the Marine Society at No. 54 Bishopsgate Street, London, in April 1775 at a cost of £30.15s 6d removed to Clark’s Place, Bishopsgate Street, London, in 1891 Published: Woodman, Richard “…..of daring temper 250 years of the Marine Society.” London 2006, pp 24-25. Bosanquet, Henry T. A., The Marine Society, A Catalogue of the Pictures and other Works of Art, 1905, p. 14. The Marine Society is the world’s oldest public maritime charity and was the brainchild of Jonas Hanway. In 1756, at the beginning of the Seven Years’ War, he reflected on Britain’s woefully undermanned and ill-equipped navy. His idea was to ensure that young men and boys who wished to ‘learn the duty of seaman…shall be handsomely clothed and provided with bedding, and their charges born down to the ports where His Majesty’s Ships lye with all other proper encouragement.’ During the ensuing hostilities the Society equipped 5,140 men and 4,787 boys for the Navy. In 1793 Admiral Lord Nelson, a governor of the Society, requested 20 lads to join his 64-gun ship Agamemnon at Chatham. By the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, at least 15% of British naval manpower was being supplied, trained and equipped by the Marine Society. By 1774, the Society had outgrown its offices in the Royal Exchange and moved to 54 Bishopsgate Street. Detailed minutes of the weekly Committee meetings describe the furnishing of the Society’s new Committee Room, including ‘a carved chimneypiece...

An original portrait drawing by Sir Stanley Spencer of Daphne Spencer, his niece (and reputedly his lover), finely drawn with the sitter looking slightly to the right, pencil on car...

This large and historically interesting inkwell, or standish, is carved from timber recovered from the wreck of H.M.S. Lutine. It has a central inkwell, with a bud and oakleaf cover...

Carved oak fire surround, the rectangular mantle above carved detail. to the acanthus capitals flanking two original bevelled mirrors. Supposed on bold reeded carved pillars. Dimensi...

An elegant Victorian surround with barrel frieze and panelled jambs. Opening Height 120 cm Opening Width 122 cm.

A large Georgian period pine fire surround, reclaimed from a London townhouse. Highly decorative, the wide shelf is highlighted with lambs tongue carving and dentils above carved scr...

Impressive old generously hand carved pine fire surround mantle from England. Opening 41"W 36"H.  

English Georgian Carved Pine Fireplace. A decorative and deeply carved fireplace carved with fruits and foliage. The frieze carved with an eagle centrepiece, foliage and pomegranates...

This fire surround has a stripped and waxed finish. Measures: Opening height 81 cm Opening width 125 cm Width between iutside of legs 169.5 cm.