19th Century Fireplaces and Mantels

This fireplace surround captures the essence of the Louis Philippe period from the early 19th century with its minimalistic and elegant design. Crafted in French marble stone, it fea...

Thomas Jeckyll in the style of. A rare pair of Aesthetic Movement cast iron fire inserts, each with twelve Minton tiles, printed in blue and white with comical designs by John Moyr-Smith from Aesop's Fables. The designs Moyr Smith drew on these tiles are known as:- The Dog and his shadow. The Fox & the Goat. The Hare and the Tortoise. The Frogs Who Wished for a King. The Wolf and the Lamb...

Authentic 19th century French marble mantelpiece in Pompadour style. Made of red veined marble and richly detailed, perfect as an eye-catcher in any interior. This antique mantelpiec...

A fine Rococo Louis XV chimneypiece in pavonazzo marble. The serpentine shelf sits above a beautifully carved panelled frieze, centred with a shell cartouche framed by sprays of oliv...

French 19th century period stone fireplace mantel in great condition. This small fireplace mantel is the perfect eye-cather in a chic timeless d...

An Arts and Crafts oak fire surround by Shapland and Petter with five heart carvings to the top flanked by tapering columns with a central circular detail. The overmantel sits on th...

A beautiful cast iron Louis XV fireback or backsplash from the 18th century. Displaying the spell of Omphale, Queen of Lydia. Hercules is spinning the wool, spindle and distaff in h...

This amazing, one of a kind fireplace mantel, surround is in perfect condition; it was made by special order for a Parisian salon (France). It is crafted from white statuary marble w...

A very pleasing 19th Century Victorian cast iron fireplace insert. A generous outer plate in the form of a horseshoe shape with cast embellishments and an intricate central shell, a funnel chamber back section the three piece curved bars adorned with three cast finials...

A late 19th century cast Iron hooded fire grate, possibly Paktong in the Beaux-Arts style. A shaped hood sits above a pair of sweeping gables, at the base of each gable are a pair of...

Monumental figures fireplace Neo-Renaissance 19th century walnut -hight 111 inch. Solid walnut body flanked by a fully plastic male figures / atla...

Pair of French polished bell brass medallion andirons with centered floral coat of arms, tapered hand chased faceted plinths, matching ball lo...

19th Century Cast Iron Tiled Fireplace Insert. Original English Made Victorian Firepalce. With Embossed Ceramic Hand Painted Blue Waterlilly Tiles. Recently Salvaged From A London To...

American brass and artistic wire work fireplace fender with flanking banded ball finials. Boston, MA. Early 19th Century

French Rococo Louis XV fireplace mantel made in a superb Potoro marble. Hand carved molded shelf above a paneled frieze, centered by an elaborate scrolle...

19th century fireplace frame of Carrara marble with unusual beautiful side panels. An ornamental fireplace in perfect condition with extremely fine sculptural work. This is an exampl...

This is a petite antique fireplace surround from a Parisian apartment in the Pompadour style. The marble has a nice oxidation. A perfect fit for a small room, bedroom, library with a French touch...

Antique French limestone fireplace from the 19th century! A rustic, slender fireplace with few ornaments, but with beautiful lines. The front part is provided with flutes that also c...

A timeless French chimney piece in sand-beige Burgundy limestone, crafted in the 19th century and preserved in three solid blocks (two cambered jambs and a straight, lightly moulded ...

A rare, compact original from 19th-century France, hand-carved in three solid blocks of Burgundy hard stone (Pierre de Bourgogne). The linear profile with a gently cambered lintel re...

Antique Limestone Fireplace with Trumeau Dimensions: - Overall: 59 1/2” W x 31 1/4” D x 93 1/2” H - Depth: Varies depending on instal...

A nice tall and Large French Louis XV Fireplace Mantel. The shaped topshelf has a lovely elegant designed profiled edge the frieze it ...

This impressive antique fireplace surround has been expertly carved and crafted from statuary marble. The ornate fireplace is a true masterpiece, with its intricate carving and deli...

Monumental carved walnut fireplace with atlantes and painted medallion Imposing ceremonial fireplace in solid walnut, richly carved in a Neo-Renaissance style. It features two full-r...

This fireplace is made in the rare marble 'Breche du Nord" wich has arich brown/grey base color with white and dark red veigns and beautiful fossils. This authentic and complete fireplace...

Very impressive castle mantelpiece made of French limestone from the 19th century in style of Louis XIII. This antique mantel has a beautiful wide front section, making the mantelpie...

A small 19th century Victorian cast iron fire grate, with a pair of scrolled based griffins hosting the 'Swans Nest' shaped fire grate. The significance of the mythological Griffin ...

A striking mid-19th century fireplace mantel crafted from fine black Belgian marble, dating to the 1840s. This elegant architectural piece showcases classic proportions and intricate...

Beautiful unique fireplace of Portoro marble. Portoro marble has its origin in Italy and is a very nice warm marble of dark brown/black with beautiful flam...

A very elegant polished steel late Georgian register fireplace insert grate, a central etched tablet within a repeating beaded border and framed with an outer raised bar...

Antique 53" Georgian Carved Wood Blue Painted Mantel Column Pillar Fireplace Architectural Salvage with Carved Fruit Harvest - Pair. Circa Late 19th Century. Measurements: 53.5" H x ...

A French 19th Century Cast Iron and Metal Fireplace Mantel Wood/Coal Register Insert Grate. Circa: 1870-1880 Height: 35 7/8 inches (91.1 cm) Width: 36 inches (91.5 cm) Depth: 14 inc...

An enormous and grand antique walnut chimneypiece in the neoclassical style. The frieze elaborately carved with three pairs of sea serpents alternating with flambeau urns and scallop...

Antique cast iron fireback presenting a classic scene.   

19th century Victorian cast ion Hob grate fireplace. Sand casted Hob-grate, Recently Salvaged From A London town house & restored to its tradition...

Timeless hard limestone French fireplace surround with beautiful hammered surface. The hard stone is reflecting the light in the room. Rustic elegant home decor object to personalise...

Nice sized and decorative Dutch mantel. The deep polished black "Noir de Mazy" marble combined with striking red "Griotte" marble makes this stylish mantel really stand out. This could work really well in a modern, contemporary and a Classic interior. Prefect usable dimensions. Great original condition, can be sold with black marble flooring...

Beautiful late 19th century modern brass Fireplace Fender with handsome original brass claw feet. Wonderful aged patina. Placed on the fireplace...

A Rare English Gothic Style Highly Carved Walnut & Polychromed Fire-Place Carved with precision by the most gifted carpenters in the 19th century. This fire place was made for the ...

French Louis XVI Style Gilt Ormolu and Blackened Mesh Fire Screen with Classical Trophy Mounts France, Late 19th to Early 20th Century Overall: 31" H x 28" W x 8" D Cartouche screen...

Pair of 19th century French Chenets with doré and patinated bronze. Finely chased.

Brutalist minimal bicolor limestone fireplace surround. Brute surface for timeless slow-living home decor. Measurements: 129 cm Exterior Width 50,79 ...

19th Century Iron, Brass, and Steel Firedogs / Andirons These 19th-century andirons stand out for their combination of robust materials and elegant design, blending iron, brass, and...

A very fine statuary white marble fireplace in the Italian Renaissance manner. The carved jambs featuring classical amphorae surmounted by fruit, acorns, ribbons and foliage topped w...

Beautiful antique fireplace mantelpiece made of Carrara marble from the 19th century in the style of Louis XV. Equipped with a beautiful ornament in the middle and also beautiful orn...

This Louis XV style paneled room was made in the early 20th century. The Louis XV era stone fireplace was made in the 18th century. The woodwork may be likened to the work of Jansen....

A handsome Victorian style carved oak fire mantel dating from the late 19th century. This wonderfully carved Victorian fireplace features Tudor rose motifs below the frieze and and i...

Louis XVI style turquin blue marble fireplace Fireplace dimensions: 92.5cm x 90cm

Beautiful marble Louis XVI fireplace 19th century to place around the chimney. It is made out of Gris D’Ardenne Marble.

A fine free-standing fire grate in the manner of Robert Adam with a semi-circular fan-fronted fire basket adorned with harebells and interlocking circles. The cut-steel polished fron...

A large Georgian style antique 19th century fireplace mantel of simple yet elegant design in Antico Verde and Pencil Vein Carrara marble. The jambs in Carrara with Pilaster Antico ve...

Beautifully detailed and square antique cast iron fireback. This fireback shows Poseidon standing on a big shell in between of his sea horses while holdi...

A large Victorian brass and iron fire grate in the Renaissance style, c.1870 the hood with trails of decorative foliage, the basket flanked by a pair of panther monopodia. Dimension...

A reclaimed Arts and Crafts style copper insert with repoussé foliage decoration. It is an ornate fire insert to accompany a fire grate and surround, adding classical opulence to any...

An antique French marble and gilt bronze mantelpiece of exceptional quality and large scale. After a design by François Antoine Vassé (1681-1736) for the Salon d'Hercule of the Palace of Versailles, France.  Made from the finest and richest coloured Breccia Violleta marble with superbly cast 24-carat gold gilt bronze mounts. The solid marble jambs with gilt-bronze Nemean Lion masks at the top, these are under an arched frieze with a gilt-bronze centre cartouche depicting the mask of Hercules wearing the Nemean lion pelt. Flanking Hercules are extremely well sculpted and flamboyant gilt-bronze cornucopias, also called 'the horn of plenty', a symbol of abundance and nourishment. Salon d'Hercule Beginning in 1724, work on the Salon d’Hercule recommenced. Louis XIV commissioned architect Jacques Gabriel...

A very Fine and rare French 19th century Louis XV style giltwood carved Vernis Martin Stylefl fireplace screen. The rectangular carved giltwood panel surmounted with four circular oil paintings...

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...

18th-19th century French Louis XV fireback depicting the abduction of Ganymede. Ganymede was the son of King Tros, the founder of Troy, and the shepherd of his father's cattle. H...

Crafted in France during the 1890s, this French African Breccia Marble Mantel boasts intricate carvings throughout the piece. Made from stunning African Breccia stone, this mantel is...

19th Century French Napoleon III fireback with the Roman god Bacchus. God of agriculture, wine and fertility. The fireback is made of cast iron and has a brown patina. Upon request...