Marble Building and Garden Elements

Pair of massive Edwardian style bronze mounted Portoro marble pedestals, each of octagonal form, having fluted sides mounted with gilt bronze l...

Very exclusive mantel of Carrara marble from Italy! A beautifully decorated fireplace in the style of Louis XVI with various ornaments in the front part of the fireplace and on the l...

Abstract sculpture carved with three different faces is perfect for a center table location or garden.

Standing at an impressive 6 feet tall, they were procured from an esteemed estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, which adds a layer of history and significance to the pieces. They are pr...

A beautiful antique fireplace in the typical Louis XV style, made of Carrara marble. With their French origin, these types of fireplaces are also called “trois coquille” fireplaces. ...

This 19th century marble fireplace surround is very unique and in perfect condition. Its lines and its form have very nice movem...

21st Century Nero Portoro Marble Bullseye Surround. The Georgian Design Has Been Faithfully Reproduced From Antique Nero Portoro Marble. With Hand Carved Demi Lune Panels To Its Cent...

A late Victorian Carrara marble fireplace with arched moulded opening, headed by a corbel keystone flanked by foliate spandrels. The heavy jambs inset with arched lozenges carved wit...

Dutch Louis XIV style wooden mantelpiece with overmantel, crafted from carved oak and pine, dating back to around 1740. Originally from an Amsterdam canal house, this piece features ...

Louis XVI Style Fireplace In Royal Red And White Carrara Marble Dimensions of the hearth: 94 x 98 cm

An English moulded bolection fireplace in Calacatta Verde marble. A scaled down version of a chimneypiece originally housed in the Officer's mess at Ch...

A carved marble group with two cranes on a rocky base, one crane shown with head down harvesting aquatic plants, the other upright with aquatic plants in its beak, both birds with fi...

Trace Outdoor Coffee Table The Trace coffee table is the perfect piece to add life and sophistication to any well-structured living space. As a central piece, it provides both func...

A nineteenth century Louis XV style fireplace, French, carved in Carrara Marble, the frieze centred by carved shell with delicate trails of flowers to either side, the out-turned scr...

Delightful French Louis XVI "Demi Lune" style fireplace mantel. This perfect size Parisian Louis XVI fireplace mantel is the perfect mix of simple and strong profiled elements and ...

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 antique fireplace surround in Burgundy reddish marble stone has a naive rustic touch. Waxing can make this piece having a richer look, more to porfire. The legs are very elegant...

Extraordinary 19th century French Bleu Turquin Louis XV style carved marble mantel. Decorative carvings and exceptional veining on this piece. A true work ...

An imposing period Georgian fireplace in Calacatta Oro marble. The barrel frieze with foliage and berries throughout, tied with cross banded ribbons to c...

Marble and glit wood pedestal / plant stand.

Antique Dutch fireplace mantel to place around the chimney from the 19th Century.

Senses Kitchen With the usual high-performance materials and a modern design, this kitchen was designed to adapt to different spaces and needs, due to the possibility of adding or ...

This unique original vintage fireplace surround is composed of Bleu Turquin marble with White Statuary marble. Its provenance is a Bruges Patrician house. It is off the end of the 18...

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...

A large stylised and very well configured fireplace in Belgian black marble and Italian Verona marble. The jambs with tapering fluted panels in Verona, surmounted by corner blocks wi...

Pair of French marble mounted ormolu and bronze pedestals by Maison Marnyhac French, Late 19th Century Height 105cm, width 64cm, depth 58cm This magnificent pair of pedestals, craf...

A pair of large substantial reclaimed bolection fireplaces from Italy, executed in a form of Carrara marble known as Calacatta Vagli . Pale background colours with gold tones and hue...

A lovely, antique corner sink of French marble. Its shell motif gives the impression that it was plucked from the sea floor. There is a thoughtfull...

Pair of large Neoclassical style glass, marble and ormolu pedestals French, 20th century Height 114cm, diameter 42cm This pair of Neoclassical style pedestals have been crafted...

Antique Dutch Louis XIV Fireplace Mantel. Monumental 18th Century Dutch fireplace in beautiful deep colored Belgian bluestone. The perfect shimmer and color really make this stand o...

A late 19th/early 20th century Victorian washstand with Carrara marble surface, splash back and modern marble effect porcelain sink. This piece has an ebonised finish, with a dark to...

A really striking and large Victorian fireplace in Bardiglio Fiorito marble. The wide and deep shelf is supported by simple corbels on plan j...

Crafted from luxurious Portor marble and designed in the timeless Louis XVI style, this French-made mantel exudes elegance and sophistication. Dating back to the 1880s, its low line ...

This is a classic antique marble mantel. The serpentine apron is decorated with a scrolled fleur di lis motif. Detailed lines highlight the carved panels on the angled vertical suppo...

A Louis XVI chimneypiece composed of S-scrolled jambs and a running guilloche frieze and projecting shelf. The carving in White Marble is brisk and dynamic, yet the delicacy and exte...

A large antique moulded bolection fireplace surround in a beige/grey Grand Napoleon Mouchette Marble, raised on square foot blocks. Together with its integral moulded fender, this piece would suit both, a period, or contemporary setting. Fireplace internal opening sizes: 1102mm high x 1388mm wide. Fender dimensions: Inside sizes: 1410mm long x 273mm deep Outside sizes: 1612mm long x 375mm deep Height: 100mm This Bolection marble fireplace...

This exclusive and rich colourful marble fireplace surround is a prefect match for a contemporary eclectic chic interior design concept. The Louis XVI style is classic and high in qu...

Antiques fountain in white marble, richly carved and inlaid with "royal yellow" marble in the pedestal and in the basin, upper part with mythological sculpture...

This is a Pair of Louis XVI Style Marble and Giltwood Pedestals. It depicts a round beige marble tops framed with giltwood over a tripod made of cabriole legs decorated with hand car...

Beautiful pair of shell-shaped "bénitiers" (holy water vessels), carved out of Carrara marble. The sink is fairly shallow, with an elegant, scalloped lip. It is possible to have a ho...

A large Marble Urn with fine traditional form. The upper section of the Urn has weathered to an attractive darker Gray while the protected lower section has retained the original lig...

Marble fountain designed by Matteo Thun. Size: Ø cm. 39 x 100 H Materials: Bardiglio Imperiale + Grigio Oliva+Nero Marquina Designed by: Matteo Thun.

Nineteenth century English Carrara marble fireplace, c.1830, with lamb's tongue corbels supporting the shelf, all on pilaster jambs. Dimensions: 119.5cm (47") High, 178.5cm (70¼") W...

A very large antique carved oak and grey Bardiglio marble mantelpiece. This is an extremely well carved English Palladian style oak fireplace of g...

Imposing Louis XV style fireplace, in Carrara marble circa 1880 Dimensions of the hearth: 83 x 129.5 cm

This is a Louis XVI Style Black Marble Pedestal. It depicts a large square black marble top supported by a tridimensional rectangular marble column that is attached to a three steps ...

Double-slip Georgian bullseye fireplace in Italian grey Veined Arabescato marble Measures: Depth: 9” – 22.8 cm External height: 43” – 1...

Louis XV style fireplace in Carrara marble, circa 1880 Hearth dimensions: 79.5 x 115cm

Beautiful grey marble fireplace mantel from the 19th Century to place in front of the chimney. See last picture to see all the dimensions.

A late 18th century Louis XVI period fireplace, of large proportions. Executed in a dark grey Belgian marble, the frieze with carved urn and opposing Asps. The jambs with fluted fron...

This Louis XV rouge royale marble mantel was imported from Europe by Danny Alessandro & Edwin Jackson Mantel Company - a fine mantel dealer that specialized in fireplaces and mantels...

Small sink made out of white Marble stone. Originates from France. Circa, 19th c.

3 pieces. Marble. 66 5/8" h x 9" w x 8 7/8" d. Condition Pieces of marble broken. Stains. Chips. Dimensions 67 x 9 x 9 in

Very nice fireplace from France.

HALF-MOON STOUP ORIGIN: VENICE, ITALY PERIOD: 13th Century Height: 33 cm Width: 82 cm Depth: 55 cm Nembro marble This hemispherical stoup is powerfully carved with a mascaron w...

Antique Shanks and Co marble basin with Mahogany Stand. Dove grey marble wash stand with under mounted porcelain plunger basin. Mahogany stand wit...

A beautiful pair of Italian 19th century Sainte Anne, Rouge Jaspé, Sienna and Campan Rubané marble pedestal columns. Each column is raised by a square Sainte Anne marble base with a ...

This late 19th century surround is in a brown Belgian marble. Simple and decorative with nice details on the front. Perfect for a small room. Measures: 106 cm EW 41.73" 100 cm EH ...