Empire Fireplaces and Mantels

This is a very unusual oxidized original antique fireplace mantle in Green marble from the Empire period with lion claw (griffon) The front has 2 diamond point details. The Marble is Vert Maurin with provenance from Hameau de Maurin in the Alpes-De-Haute-Provence ( France ). This marble was also used for the Grave Monument of Napoléon Premiér, in the Invalides...

Large Neoclassical style gilt bronze and malachite fireplace French, 20th century Measures: Height 124cm, width 218cm, depth 58cm Crafted from the timeless combination of malachite ...

A very important 19th century (circa 1820) French Empire Sienna marble fireplace with elaborate ormolu enrichments to frieze and jambs. The flu...

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...

This is one of a kind fireplace surround in Carrara marble was made by special order for the Castle of Fontainebleau. The identical but in grey mantel was ...

An early 19th century Empire period Statuary white marble with ormolu mounted fireplace. Very fine quality marble and ormolu, with demi lune shaped shelf, frieze and jambs. The friez...

This Empire-style fireplace is made of Rouge Griotte marble, known for its deep color and highly prized under Napoleon I. The gilded bronzes that adorn the fireplace are attributed ...

Empire style fireplace in antique green marble and gilded bronze Hearth dimensions: 85 x 102 cm

Empire Pedestal Table In Cuban Mahogany, Levanto Marble

Important French Napoleon III carved Rouge Griotte Marble and ormolu mounted figural fireplace mantel chimneypiece. The rectangular carv...

This original vintage fireplace surround is a one of a kind chimney piece. A real eyecatcher. It is influenced of the wars by Napoleon to Egypt. The mantel is in perfect condition a...

An antique Empire style fireplace in Verdi Antico marble with Statuary white marble semi detached columns to Jambs. The capitals in the Corinthian manner again carved in Statuary Mar...

Athenian Carved Wood, Red Patina in the Imitation of Antique Red Marble, Early 19th Century

Antique French Empire style paw foot brass pierce decorated fireplace mantel (fireplace) piece, circa late 19th century. Measurements: 7" H x 48" W x 15.5" D.

An attractive and finely detailed French mid 19th century Empire st. white Carrara marble fireplace mantel. This beautiful mantel is raised by striking elegantly scrolled jambs with ...

Pair of antique French ormolu mounted marble fireplaces with cast iron insets French, Late 19th Century Fireplaces: Height 112cm, width 152cm, depth 33cm Iron inserts: Height 89cm,...

This antique fireback was made in the first half of the 19th century. In the center, in an octagonal medallion, four armed soldiers in antique-inspired outfit vigorously raise their ...

This fire fender is a quintessential example of the opulent yet authoritative style of the Empire period. A patinated bronze frame in geometric form is adorned with ormolu bronze mou...

A French decorative stand to place in a fireplace, gilt, brass and bronze. This item will make any fireplace look great.

A 19th century French fireplace in Sarrancolin marble. The moulded jambs with scrolls to top surmounted by curved frieze with carved shell to centre. Moulded shelf above. Original br...

A decorative and most handsome French 19th century Empire st. patinated Bronze and Ormolu fire screen. This stunning square fire screen is raised by a long slender rectangular patina...

This surround was reclaimed from a property in Ascot, UK. It features carved Sienna marble end blocks and fluted Sienna frieze and jambs. Opening Height 90 cm (35.43 in) Opening Wi...

An Empire style gilt bronze-mounted green granite fireplace. French, circa 1850. The fireplace has a rectangular mantel shelf above a frieze cent...

Ornate French Empire style mantel carved from white statuary marble, with gold plated ormulu. Prominent bronze female satyr figures are positioned on each side, while an ormulu patte...

This pair of andirons is made of bronze with flams and garlands. This is a French work from Empire period. Circa 1850.

These andirons are made of bronze with lions lying face to face. This is a French Empire period pair of fireplace andirons, circa 1850.

An antique French fireplace in quality breche marble with ormolu mounts and original cast iron chamber. In typical Empire Style, and well-proportioned having fine tapering columns supported on square foot blocks and ormolu mounts, again caped with ormolu egg...

19th century Empire fireplace bronze

Louis XVI Console In Gilded Wood, Ardennes Grey Marble, 18th Century

A beautiful antique carved oak fireplace by Guéret Frères. This elegant fire surround features deep, bold neoclassical style carving and intricate mouldings throughout. The corbels s...

An early 19th century French Empire fireplace, the plain frieze with carved foliate paterae supported by disengaged Tuscan columns and pilasters, in Carrara marble, hearth not includ...

Empire-style black marble fireplace. This extraordinary fireplace is made of Noir de Mazy marble, complemented by the luxurious green marble type Verde. Despite the clean lines, thi...

An impressive French Empire fireplace in richly colored Sarancolin marble. The finely carved Egyptian Caryatids in statuary white marble with Sarancolin square tapering pilasters. The panelled frieze with white marble moulding, and gently shaped stretcher below with marble keystone...

Unique French Empire style Siena marble mantel with gilt bronze ormolu and original bronze surround.

19th century unique Empire style brown Bois-Jourdan marble fireplace mantelpiece, with a white statuary Carrara hand carved Roman Rosette on the cent...

A superb and large antique French Empire neoclassical gilt bronze and patinated bronze firescreen of unique shape and exquisite craftsmanship embellished with neoclassical gilt bronz...

Statity and radiance meet in this wonderful fireplace in Empire style. Made from luxurious Noir de Mazy marble, this piece brings warmth and elegance to any interior. The chimney originates in the Statenkwartier in The Hague between the Art Nouveau architecture...

A French Empire style limestone fireplace. The frieze with interlocking diamond pattern with tapering, full round columns. A copy of an 18th century original. Shelf width: ...

An early 19th century French Empire limestone fireplace, the panelled frieze with carved centre motif of Napoleonic bee and flowers, the panelled jambs with hexagonal motif to centre...