British Building and Garden Elements

A large Art Deco style leaded stained glass panel, depicting a sun rise over a rolling mountainous landscape and vivid blue sky. This is an abstract contemporary stained glass windo...

Fine mid-19th century English brass and iron fire screen or nursery guard having half round brass rail over wrought iron framework with iron wire mesh having swag decoration, retaini...

Pair of English Regency tole chestnut urns with hand-painted floral decorative motif, removable lids with acorn finials, original lions head side ha...

A reclaimed antique double basin or sink by Morrison Ingram & Co. Registered design number 24404. Constructed with a slate top, and under-mounted ...

A large, Probably Scottish, 19th century mid Victorian arched fireplace insert with applied brass embellishments. A wide and generous polished outer plate...

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...

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 simple, yet elegant polished cast iron fireplace. The half rounded pilasters surmounted by plain frieze and molded shelf, English, circa...

An abstract style shallow arched stained glass panel by Goddard and Gibbs featuring a painted scroll and stylised leaf. This is an abstract modernist stained glass panel with an unu...

Dr C Dresser for Benham and Froud, stamped mark to base. An Aesthetic Movement brass fire bucket and shovel with an organic whiplash handle, rising ...

Sn5620 Pair of very attractive English Arts and crafts stands, each having oblong top above a shaped and moulded frieze and a floral carving to the front. This antique pair of pillar...

Monumental very large vintage pair of black cast iron urns planters from England that rest on 14" square plinths. Two pieces. Hole in inte...

Five mile town, Ireland, made by John Williams. In the style of Liberty & Co. An Arts & Crafts copper and wrought iron fire screen with wonderful whiplash style iron and brass work t...

An antique York stone statue of King Caractacus. Signed Morton, South Street, this over life size statue displays a powerful stance and characterful weathering. It certainly is a impactful and striking sculpture in expertly carved York stone...

You can see an small chimney piece made in England. It is made out of an cotswolds sandstone, circa 1760. Through the simplicity the chimney gains an very special charisma. Firepla...

A reclaimed octagonal salt glazed stoneware planter by Errington Reay and Co, Bardon Mill. At an impressive size, this 'Tangularium' planter is a modernist piece with a tower sectional design and charming rustic finish. A practical piece built with the best traditions of quality crafts from 19th and 20th British ceramics set to last for years to come. This planter would make a stylish decorative feature in any garden, to house an array of various plants and fruits or perhaps even used as a bird house. Errington Reay & Co Robert Errington and William Reay founded Errington Reay & Co pottery at Bardon Mill in 1878, when it was a water powered woollen mill. Starting out with sanitary ware and drain pipes before diversifying to garden pots and planters...

A large antique steel fire grate. Lovely and impressive formal piece that would work great in a larger mantel. It has some lovely decorative and traditional urns on top of tapered...

A vibrant and colourful antique stained glass window depicting green fields with a horse and rider in the distance; one of a series of early 20th century stained glass panels we are ...

A vibrant ecclesiastical stained glass window depicting a religious scene dating from the mid 20th century. This beautiful stained glass w...

Bring the understated glamour of the Art Deco era to a property with this stylish set of 1920s internal double doors. Each door features full length copperlight glazing within a stripped and sanded pine wood frame with a natural finish. They make a beautiful pair of dividing doors, letting light flow through the glass from room to room to instil an interior with a spacious feel. These Art Deco double...

A large bolection fireplace produced in three solid blocks of white statuary marble with very subtle veining. The Roma Bolection is a stylishly simple and robust example of a bolection moulding...

A highly decorative black Chinoiserie fireplace dating from the 1920s. With its straight lines and angular proportions, this impressive Japanned maho...

A simple late 19th century Scottish polished fire grate in the manner of Robert Adam. A square back plate with scalloped sides, below, a polished fire apron mounted with splayed finials, a four barred curved fire front...

A Neo-Classical Statuary marble fireplace in the Georgian style, mid-twentieth century, the tablet depicting Apollo with his lyre and bow, the corner blocks with campana urns, these ...

A set of six (one bonus tile thrown in of a double but in bad condition) Victorian hand painted Minton China Works in Stoke-upon-Trent, England, English tiles designed by John Moyr Smith...

This beautiful concrete stone dove garden ornament has a modest and graceful design that brings a sense of peace and serenity to your outdoor decor. The dove is perched on a rock wit...

Pair of Victorian salt glazed terracotta faux-bois strawberry planters, likely Scottish, each naturalistically modelled as tree trunks. In fantastic...

A pair mid Victorian handwrought iron and hand riveted meadow gates with simple scroll details at each upper end, and a simple latch with a swing over clasp to the top. Measuremen...

English brass serpentine molded edge fire place fender with central engraved urn foliage with flanking fire dragons fighting birds and resting on the original three brass ball feet, ...

Presumably having English origins, this antique solid bronze sundial is ornately cast with a series of Medieval figures across the top portion and standing in the facade of an arched...

A tall antique Arts & Crafts style oak period fireplace dating to the early 20th century. This handsome fire surround displays an unusual shaped semi-circular mantle with corbels to...

A deep, large scale English solid oak antique fireplace dating from the 1880s. Re-finished, this spectacular fireplace has a rich patina throughout that looks impressive in a variety...

A 19th Century Georgian Manner lightly veined statuary marble fireplace surround of good proportions. A deep break-front top shelf with channelled under moulding sits directly above ...

A pair of antique late 19th century Victorian cast iron wall brackets with finely cast elements, suitable for interior or exterior use. The intricate scrolling foliage design showcas...

A pair of antique ecclesiastical stained glass windows circa 1850 depicting two saintly figures: one a bearded, long-haired man and the other a young boy with locks of blonde hair. E...

An unusual English Mid 19th century fire grate in the earlier Georgian manner. The tall shaped original fireback decorated with a classical female figure medallion with beaded edge....

Group of 21 reclaimed glazed tiles by the makers Carter Tiles displaying ochre and buff stylised Tudor roses. These 3-inch tiles could be used in several ways including a decorative panel or a vibrant splashback for a vintage kitchen. Supplied loose, these tiles are antique and as such have a characterful, timeworn look with scuffs and crazing here and there that only enhances the beauty of their striking pattern. This set also includes some extra tiles with minor flaws. Carter Tiles Carter Tiles was founded in 1873 by Jesse Carter, a builder’s merchant and ironmonger from Surrey, bought James Walker’s brick and tile business on the East Quay at Poole. By the 1880's Carters...

An original Art Deco period Burr Walnut fire surround, reclaimed from a house in Southend-on-Sea. Beautifully veneered, this reclaimed fireplace is finished in a clear varnish, enhan...

Dating from the early 1900s, this striking antique English solid oak fire surround is of beautiful quality and craftsmanship, having stood the test of time for over 120 years. At its...

An Aesthetic Movement wrought writhen iron and copper fire bucket, with sunflowers that form a part of the main iron frame coming down to form the r...

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...

This extraordinary chimneypiece was originally part of Appuldurcombe House, once the grandest stately home on the Isle of Wight. A fine (and still important) example of English Baro...

A large reclaimed arched stained glass double windows with frame, sourced from a chapel built in 1850. Tall in scale, this colourful double window is currently fixed into an original...

A fine pair of antique Georgian curtain tiebacks. In turned brass and tin and set with Battersea or Bilston enamel plaques to the front threaded steel shafts to the reverse. The Battersea plaques decorated with black decoration depicting landscape and village scenes. Simply a wonderful pair of rare curtain tiebacks! Date: Late 18th or Early 19th Century Overall Condition: They are in overall fair as-pictured, used estate condition. Condition Details: One tieback with a re-cemented post...

A reclaimed limestone Georgian style garden pool or pond surround dating from circa 1930. With its straight angles and sharp lines, this pond surround is a stunning addition to conte...

A small 19th century Georgian Scottish Carron of Falkirk cast iron fireplace insert. An outer rim plate hosting arched reeded moulding with corner blocks of flowers, resting on moulded foot blocks, the tapered side panels of further reeding supporting the three polished front bars with spaced balls...

For those looking for something to add scale and impact to the garden, terrace, or entryway, look no further than this gorgeous terracotta building spire...

The 20th Century English Pine Column is a unique piece characterized by its distinctive features. It stands tall with a black painted round top, creating a striking contrast against ...

A superb pair of mid-century modernist concrete planters, reminiscent of the iconic style of Willy Guhl. A wonderful pair with a perfect balance of texture and wear. Often very di...

Pair of English Gothic Revival style (19th Century) mahogany doors with linen fold base and Gothic style top (PRICED AS Pair). Doors are 23.25" each

A set of 4 reclaimed Minton encaustic floor tiles perfect for a period cottage or townhouse. The set comprises of four 6-inch by 6-inch tiles in Pugin style with a repeating mustard ...

Standing at over 10ft tall, this spectacular set of ornately crafted antique Georgian style driveway gates make an impressive entrance to the grounds of an expansive country estate o...

Pair of English polished steel fire backs with paladin tops, floral ribbon swags, ionic columns, centered decorative flaming urn with paw feet resting on squared plinth with hoof fee...

Thomas Jeckyll for Barnard Bishop and Barnard. An Anglo-Japanese brass planter originally designed to compliment Jeckyll's timeless fireplaces ...

A single large antique oak wall panel salvaged from a British church. It dates from the early 1900s during the Victorian era and features solid oak construction with a rich warm wood...

An impressive English Art Deco style marble washbasin with accompanying original mirror splashback, manufactured by John Bolding and Sons, 19th and 20th century manufacturers of high...

A unique and wonderfully colourful small stained glass window panel. Though made in the mid 20th century, this stained glass window utilises...

Pair of English George IV style mahogany candle stands, late 19th/early 20th century.  

An antique lancet-arched stained glass window of an angel by Hardman & Co, Birmingham. Competently painted, this dramatic stained glass window dates to 1889, once a part of an impre...

A rustic English turn of the century oak barrel from the early 20th century, with brass braces and tin interior. Created in England during the early years of the 20th century, this b...