Hand-Carved Fireplaces and Mantels

Reclaimed Antique Carved Stone Fireplace Mantle chimney surround Los Angeles CA . Rare 18th century Louis XIV carved stone fireplace from Provence. Under Louis XIV, everything is full of richness and luxury, everything is grandiose and monumental. But wealth is never excessive. Without heaviness, the style seeks symmetry and perfection. Artists of this period also knew how to create new decorative motifs, new canons of beauty and new architectural rules. Under the reign of the Sun King, in the middle of the 17th century to early 18th Century , the general profile of the hood fireplace became a trumeau gradually . There is now more depth in front of the shelf and the gradual disappearance of the first ledge generates a more significant height of the trumeau. The jambs are narrower at the base and rather swollen on their upper part, recalling the balustrade legs of the furniture of that time. Molded Cornice Framing. This fireplace will be the perfect focal point for any room, living room, bedroom, library, dining room ... The depth could be adjusted when installed, since we pull the fireplace as is mostly without cutting the extra stone pieces that were partially in the wall. The simplicity of the Carved line and the symmetry, makes this fireplace versatile in any design, even in a modern space, a provincial design, an Italian design, or even a Spanish style house a Farm house or a winery. This fireplace mantle with trumeau...

French Art Nouveau white carrara marble mantelpiece. Depth: 16? – 40.6 cm External height: 43 1/2” – 110.4 cm External width: 60? – 152.4 cm In...

A distinguished English neoclassical fireplace mantel exquisitely carved in luminous Statuario marble and inlaid with striking panels of richly veined Brocatello marble. The composit...

This stunning mantel is carved from deep violet marble with flecks of white, aubergine, and gold ochre veining. Long rectangles featuring raised panels rising from a sunken relief, a...

This extraordinary fireplace is made of Noir de Mazy marble, which is complemented by the luxurious green marble type Verde. Despite the clean lines, this is a very elegant piece. Th...

An Imperial 19th century chimneypiece of good proportions carved in well preserved Carrara marble. The statuesque piece has canted jambs carved with flutes filled with Campanula, oth...

A Baroque Bolection fireplace mantel in Italian Pavonazzo Marble A Baroque style bolection fireplace surround of bold proportions with very finely carved columns with a rising ogee ...

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...

English Georgian Pine Classical mantle with original carved gesso, foliage, and medallion motif. Late 18th Century. Overall measurements- 67.25" Wide at top / 7.25" Deep at top /...

A stately English Regency period fireplace mantel crafted from lustrous black Belgian marble, adorned with classical gilded bronze fluted columns and Ionic capitals. Dating to circa ...

This impressive authentic 19th century French fireplace surround is carved from magnificent Red Griotte marble, a historic stone famously used in the Kings cabinet interior and on th...

Large Double-Slip Georgian Style Fireplace Surround in finest quality Italian Violette Brescia Marble. Measures: Depth: 8” – 20.3 cm External Height...

A charming and imposing Louis XV style antique Rococo chimneypiece in Fleur de Pecher Marble with exceptional ormolu mounts by Francois Linke (1855-194...

21st Century Victorian Carved Corbel Marble Fireplace Mantlepiece. Hand Carved From Italian Statuary White Marble Made In England. Based On A Late Victorian Early Edwardian Design. S...

Limestone French fireplace surround for a small budget. The fronton has been restored and has a nice star in the center. The surface has been honed. Measurements: 168,5 cm Exterior W...

Antique 18th C. Hand Carved Stone Fireplace Mantle Chimney Mantelpiece Surround . Gorgeous antique Hand Carved limestone fireplace from Provence. 18th century Louis XIV cheminee trumeau mantle...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning ornately carved circa 1400 Henry VIII Armorial Crest Coat of Arms fireplace with Dieu Et Mon Droit...

Baroque Bolection Chimneypiece in Italian white statuary marble fireplace A Baroque style Bolection fireplace surround of bold proportions with very finely carved columns with a ris...

This 18th century French chimneypiece is made from sandstone and has its original Trumeau or upper piece. It’s a fine example of the Louis XIV style w...

Continental red marble fireplace surround, early 20th c., having molded mantel shelf, over shell carved apron, pilaster corner supports, ...

A small 18th century Louis XV rouge marble fireplace. The richly moulded and panelled frieze is centred by a simple Rococo cartouche, all supported on panelled jambs. French, late 1...

This is a unique, one of a kind, bicolor French Burgundy marble hard stone original antique fireplace mantle. The size being petite makes this a small and charming mantle piece suita...

Antique old vintage fireplace mantle, hand-built in black lacquered solid wood with bas-relief floral carvings, from Italy 19th century, ideal both as a fireplace frame and as a bed ...

Louis XIV style carved limestone fireplace mantel created by hand and perfectly distressed to create great age. The natural lines and neutral tones allow this piece to work in a vari...

An impressive reclaimed Statuary marble fireplace surround with Verde marble inlay. We currently have a matching pair of these surrounds (ARMSTRONG & DARLING); both were reclaimed fr...

An attractive and architecturally stylish Bbreccia Viola marble mantelpiece. The serpentine opening with fluted keystone below a recessed panelled frieze, three corbels support a cor...

White Decorative Fireplace Сhinoiserie style in Solid Wood and Marble This decorative white fireplace is a part of a Bespoke collection "Forbidden city" for Alexander's Collection ...

An early 19th Century English Regency Neoclassical statuary marble fireplace, carved in Italy to the highest quality with crisply and deeply carved undercutting to the sculptural dec...

Beautiful late 18th century Louis XV Parisian rouge marble fireplace mantelpiece and cast-iron interior. This French fireplace mantel boas...

A Superb and Rare George III, Neoclassical Siena and Statuary Marble and Painted Pine Fireplace with Porphyry and Antico Verde Faux Marbles Circa 1785–95. Inset with painted polychr...

Decorative Fireplace in Ebony Wood White Carved Elements and Peacock Design Alexander's Collection Peacock decorative fireplace (limited edition, only 10 pieces) was used as an exhi...

This exceptional Neo-Renaissance style fireplace comes from the Péclavé castle in the town of Samazan in the Aquitaine region. The castle b...

A distinguished and gracefully sculpted Louis XV-style fireplace mantel, originating from France circa 1850, this exquisite piece embodies the opulence and fluidity of the 19th centu...

Antique Fireplace mantle in solid wood, richly hand carved with ebonized finish, Shaped top, legs carved with three-dimensional figures of soldiers and shields, Front with central li...

Antique fireplace mantle, carved with a smooth and clean geometric shape in white veined "rosso francia" marble, complete with brass side vents and wavy legs, from a villa in France ...

Antique mantel fireplace, hand-carved in gray lacquered wood, with moved mouth shape and beautiful original antique patina, hand-built in the ...

Antique and Precious mantel fireplace, constructed of French Red marble with beautiful light white veining, The frame features carved geometric moldings with space for central coat o...

This Régence mantelpiece in grey sandstone tics all the boxes of the age of the Baroque. The Régence used the same strong classically inspired lines from the early Baroque but brough...

Louis XV style mantel in Rouge Royal marble, 18th century This fireplace is sold without any fireplace insert nor marble floor but could be made to order (please ask for marble avai...

This extremely large French Louis XVI white marble mantel features an apron embellished with a fantastic square marguerite on each end, a...

A mid-19th century, Italian carved walnut fireplace. The jambs carved with muscular, Atlantean figures. They stand on reclining elephants with outstretched trunks. Heaven represented...

This impressive fireplace made in walnut wood during the second half of the 19th century shows a very rich and eclectic decoration typical of the Second Empire's taste. Its rolled ja...

Louis XV style mantel in onyx This fireplace is sold with its original cast iron insert and with its marble floor.

Rustic French fireplace surround from the 18th century period in beige granite with original wear from Normandy. A manor fireplace that instantly brings the French feeling to the roo...

A magnificent French Louis XV period fireplace mantel, dating to circa 1740–1760, exquisitely hand-carved from richly veined Rouge Royal marble. This mantel exemplifies the Rococo se...

American brass and polished steel fire tools resting on a turned urn finial marble stand. Set consist of poker, tong and shovel, Early 19th Century.

A large early 18th century French Regence carved brown marble mantelpiece with a large carved shell. This mantel is made from an extinct and very unusual marble. It is a great size a...

This authentic 19th-century French fireplace mantel is hand-carved from deep black Belgian marble, renowned for its mirror-like polish and luxurious depth of tone. The surface reflec...

Antique fireplace mantle, built in a corner with original threshold, all in Serena stone, hand-sculpted with noble coats of arms and Gothic columns, coming from an illustrious family...

Ancient fireplace mantle, richly carved with acanthus leaves and geometric motifs, built in white Carrara marble, in the 19th century for a palace in...

Majestic statuary fireplace in white Carrara marble, richly carved, The precious white Carrara marble is known throughout the world for its uniform pure white color with gray veins. ...

This exquisite 18th century French Regency fireplace surround is crafted from a striking bicolor bleu-grey hard stone, celebrated for its depth of tone and natural variation. Its ref...

This gothic revival fireplace surround is a stunning centrepiece that captures the elegance of historical architecture while incorporating distinctive design features. Its peaked arc...

American brass finial and polished steel fire place tools resting on the original squared grooved marble stand, Early 19th century. Set consists of pierced shovel, tong, and poker.

A sophisticated fireplace crafted from white marble with delicate, classically inspired ornamental carvings. Its design features a molded upper mantel with wavy lines, while the fron...

A handsome antique English oak fireplace beam carved in the arts and crafts style, perfect for an inglenook fireplace. With its medium golden oak colour, this reclaimed oak fireplace...

This small scale English Regency style mantel is carved from warm white marble, inlaid with a mixed, unique brown colored marble. This unique brown marble inlay runs the length of th...

Prezioso e antico camino mantello di dimensione monumentale in pietra, Fronte riccamente scolpito con volute, decori floreali, stemmi e conchiglie. Centrato da cesto di frutta con c...

A striking 19th century chimneypiece carved in Carrara marble, with intricate carving. The piece demonstrates a frieze and shelf bowed in form with the shelf breaking forward over th...

This exceptional Statuary marble fireplace is an absolute gem. This Statuary is an Italian marble type. This particular piece of marble is totally whit out veins. The same marble ...