Hand-Carved Building and Garden Elements

A monumental Japanese antique pair of Shinto Shrine kitsune fox guardians, hand carved in solid granite. A pair (2) that is rarely available. Japan, a fine pair of hand carved gra...

This stone fragment is thought to have been carved as part of a stone pagoda during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). The stone appears to be andesite, or a similar type of volcanic ro...

Very decorative and beautiful weathered white marble panel depicting a vase. France, circa 1750-1800. Measurements include the wooden base. H:23,5cm W:14,5cm D:7,5cm

Amazing carved stone lion fountain head with a great expression, Italy, circa 1650-1750. Unique period piece. Weathered. H:26cm W:21cm D:15cm

This is an exceptionally rare stone statue of Shiroku, carved during the Edo period (18th–19th century). Shiroku is the scribe who serves under Enma Daiō, the great judge of the und...

This duo -pair -couple bring joy and happiness to you and your garden. This pair are considered to be deities of marriage and fertility. Large work of garden art hand carved in the ...

An attractive hard to find antique stone "arched " Tree trunk Rankei garden lantern ready to be installed in your favorite garden space- .Many installation possibilities: perhap...

Beautiful handcarved giltwood acanthus leaf ornament that once adorned a chapel . Original period piece that due its high age has a beautiful weathered look. Italy circa 1780/1850 , ...

Beautiful weathered Neoclassical pedestal with its original silver-leaf gilding. Great to use as a display for a small collection or just with some candles. Italy, circa 1780. Weathe...

Monumental French Louis XIV Period Château Fireplace Dated 1712 with Latin Inscription and Louis XIII Influence. This monumental French château fireplace surround in sandstone, date...

Beautiful and very rare hand-carved white marble water basin or sink, Italy, circa 1750-1800. Weathered. H:12cm W:56cm D:29-40cm

Carved during the height of the French Gothic era, this remarkable limestone fragment—once an engaged capital—embodies the profound mastery of 13th-century masonry. Hewn from the bri...

A fabulous late 19th century carved marble display pedestal from France, to elevate precious artwork, décor, or greenery in your interior. Geometric elements distinguish the capital ...

Rare and beautiful small medieval treasure. Hand carved Romanesque marble capital, Italy, circa 1250-1400. Weathered, small losses. More photo's available on request. H:15,5cm W:16c...

This striking near pair of antique Indian architectural doors showcases the rich tradition of vernacular wood carving and craftsmanship. Handcrafted in the 19th century from substant...

とても良い修正です。 内容に忠実に、余計な脚色をせず翻訳いたします。 --- This work is a seated stone statue of Nyoirin Kannon, believed to have been created during the mid to late Edo period (18th–19th century). It...

A good find comes this large 26 inch diameter, 5 inch thick round hand-carved mill stone from the 19th century or earlier period. This was likely a grinding base stone for a large oi...

Spectacular and unique carved stone cherub fountain head on marble plate of later date. Italy, circa 1650-1750 Weathered, small losses H:39cm W:28,5cm D:17cm

Stunning Gothic architectural door with strong iron hardware in original frame. This striking and all hand carved door was originally probably part of a church or monastery and the ...

This antique Indian architectural frame showcases a striking combination of hand-carved ornamentation, geometric decoration, and rustic character. Crafted from substantial timbers, t...

Extraordinary and monumental 19th century Napoleon III Carrara marble fireplace mantel, masterfully sculpted during the height of the Second Empire period (circa 1850–1880). This exc...

A fine and rare pair of Italian Baroque carved giltwood and polychrome-painted Solomonic columns, late 17th century, circa 1680. Each spiral-twist column carved with trailing grapevi...

Japan, a handsome and large natural organic shaped stone water basin planter -tsukubai- created from a natural granite mountain boulder and sourced from...

Classical Marble Sink Basin Serpentine fronted character piece with deep gadroon style carving 24" wide 15-3/4" deep Limited Stock

A single reclaimed provincial cupboard door with carved details. Enclose a built-in cabinet with this charming door to feel as if you’ve been transported to the French countryside. ...

George Trollope and Sons. Exhibited at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1878 winning a Gold Medal for Excellence. The set forms the four sides of a complete panelled room that was exhibited as a boudoir room or petit salon at the Paris Exhibition 1878 . The main feature and centrepiece of this boudoir room is the Rosso Antico marble fireplace surmounted by an open display niche carved in cedar wood. Each side of the room is composed of various panels and are as follows: One side with a grand Rosso Antico marble fireplace flanked by two doorways. One side with French doors originally opening onto a balcony, flanked by two large bookshelves. One side with a window flanked by two mirrors. The opposite side with three large mirrors. The complete room measures: 21 ft / 6.4 m wide, 17 ft / 5.18 m deep, and 12 ft / 3.65 m high. It could also be used in a number of different combinations to suit various room layouts. The mirrors could be replaced with windows or further bookcases. Each side is decorated with various sizes of finely carved panels and holds ornate Corinthian style columns surmounted with cherubim's on the capitals. Three cherubs are formed at the top of each corner with three columns, at the column bases there are circular carved pedestals to display statues. Published & illustrated in the ‘Illustrated Catalogue of the Paris International Exhibition’. The main part of this room, the Rosso Antico marble fireplace is surmounted by a large open display niche carved in cedar wood are illustrated with a line drawing in the Paris Universal Exhibition catalogue on page 209. The whereabouts of the seminaked caryatids and the marble bust of Alexander Pope are unknown. The bust of Alexander Pope was copied from the original one in Westminster Abbey, London. The Corinthian columns now flanking the niche above the fireplace are also in cedar wood having the identical carved fluting to the rest of the room and were made to replace the caryatid figures. Those Corinthian columns are period to the room and can only have been made shortly after it arrived back to London and before it was reassembled and fitted into the house built by George Trollope and Sons in the 1880's, and where we removed it all from. George Trollope made clever use of Alexander Pope's early 18th-century poetical successes in Great Britain and France by using ‘The Rape of Lock’, a mock-heroic narrative poem Pope wrote in 1712 about Petre who cut off a lock of Arabella’s hair without her permission, as the theme of the boudoir room or petit salon at the 1878 Paris Exhibition. In the original exhibition display of the room set, tapestries depicting the Rape of Lock were hung where the mirrors are now positioned. Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock is a humorous indictment of the vanities and idleness of 18th-century high society. Basing his poem on an actual incident among two families of his acquaintance, Pope intended his verses to quench hot tempers and to encourage his friends to laugh at their own foolishness. The poem is an outstanding example in the English language of the genre of mock-epic. The 'epic' was considered one of the most serious of literary forms; it had been applied, in the classical period, to the trivialities of love and war. Pope’s mock-epic is not to mock the form itself, but to mock his society in its very failure to rise to epic standards, exposing its pettiness by casting it against the grandeur of the traditional epic subjects and the bravery and fortitude of epic heroes: Pope’s mock-heroic treatment in The Rape of the Lock underlines the ridiculousness of a society in which values have lost all proportion, and the trivial is handled with the gravity and solemnity that ought to be accorded to truly important issues. The 18th-century society in this poem fails to distinguish between things that are important and things that are not. The poem mocks the men it portrays by representing them as unworthy of a heroic culture. Therefore the mock-epic follows the epic in that its main concerns are serious and moral. The point that the theme must now be satirical rather than earnest is symptomatic of how far the culture has fallen. Retaining the original exhibition label The back of the panelling still retains two original labels printed with the 'Union Jack' and printed adjacent to it, 'The Secretary Royal British Commission for the Universal Exhibition 1878 Champ de Mars Paris'. Adjacent to that and below, printed and written in ink vertically: Exhibitor: (and signed in ink) George Trollope & Sons. Address: (written in ink) Halkin Street West. London. Allotment in Block: (written in ink) a2. In the printed floor plan 'a2 square' is in the very first line to the right of the floor plan and handwritten in ink with a 'diamond shape' also written with '101' within it. This pin points where George Trollope's stand was located. With thousands of items being displayed at the Exhibition, this label would have been the floor plan for the craftsmen, so they knew the correct place to install the boudoir room or petit salon. The firm continued expanding house building and interior decoration side of the business and by 1849 was also trading as an estate agency, letting and controlling property for the Grosvenor Estates. A separate branch of cabinet-makers, bearing the family name, was opened at West Halkin Street, London. becoming known as 'The Museum of Decorative Arts' (looked after by George Robinson). Here Trollope and Sons also sold high-class antique furniture made by other makers. In 1851, the firm became formally known as George Trollope and Sons. West Halkin Street, London. The address was recorded in the listing for the firm in The Furniture Gazette Directory, 1876 & 1877. Period Press Coverage & Art Critic Review. everal newspapers also thoroughly describe George Trollope and Son's stand including the different tapestries that were hung where the mirrors are now, illustrating the poem 'The Rape of Lock', by Alexander Pope. Marius Vachon, a French Art Critic and journalist, who wrote for the journal ‘La France’ published an extensive review of the Trollope and Sons stand in a book called Les Merveilles de l'Exposition de 1878 (The Wonders of the 1878 Exhibition). Note: In the World Fairs translation it states door frame, Marius Vachon had originally written ‘chambranle’ in French, 'chambranle' loosely translates to a frame around something, and should read in its correct context: ‘fireplace in rosso antico’. We have taken the extract below written by Marius Vachon in its translated form from: Les Merveilles de l'Exposition de 1878, (The Wonders of the 1878 Exhibition). This puts into perspective the importance of this fine quality room interior when he viewed it at the exhibition in 1878: Marius Vachon: English furniture is very curious to observe; irreproachable from the point of view of execution, the furniture of our neighbours always reaches the last degree of respectability and comfort. One thing to be noticed is that for large pieces of furniture, the English upholsterer is transformed into a sort of architect; everything he makes takes on a monumental aspect. The first object that catches the eye when one enters the furniture class is the beautiful boudoir-salon exhibited by Mr. Trollope. The boudoir (or petit salon), of carved cedar wood, is an attempt to reproduce the style which prevailed in England during the first decade of Queen Anne's reign, and all the details have been studied, but not copied, from examples of decorative work of the time. The fireplace is in "rosso antico" movement, and the ceiling is in portable plaster. The panels painted on canvas represent scenes from the heroic-comic poem "The Abduction of the Hairpin," (The Rape of Lock) written by Alexander Pope in 1712, the eighth year of Queen Anne's reign, in which the customs and mores of the time are satirized in a pleasing manner. The apotheosis of the Loop and its sidereal transformations will form the decoration of the ceiling. In these illustrations of Pope's charming poem, the costumes and accessories have been taken from models of the time; and the bust of the poet, copied from his tomb in Westminster Abbey, occupies the niche in the centre of the mantelpiece. M. Marius Vachon, the period writer of the above continues with: Now we shall mention at random the magnificent dining table of Messrs. Johnston and Co., their oak mantelpiece, their boudoir table; Mr. Watt's drawing-room mantelpiece stepped in the old style and imitating the Japanese; Mr. James Shoolbred's great The Decorative Arts Society on Trollope and Sons The boudoir or petit salon is mentioned again in the Decorative Arts Society: Trollope did not exhibit such highly rated objects at the 1878 Paris Exhibition as at previous exhibitions; items included a large mirror frame carved in limewood in Renaissance style and a satinwood cabinet in Adam revival style, with a similar armchair (illus. Meyer (2006), p. 242) and probably two rooms; one was a boudoir in cedar wood in Queen Anne style and the other was a boudoir decorated by the firm in the theme of Pope’s The Rape of Lock. In the above extract, it is quite clear that the two rooms mentioned are in fact the very same room, because the fireplace and niche are illustrated in The Paris Universal Exhibition catalogue on page 209 and Marius Vachon describes the rest of the room set in the above… Trollope and Sons exhibition pieces listed and described by Meyer in an article he wrote for: The Decorative Arts Society 1850 to present, Journal 25 in 2001., where he points out the importance of George Trollope and Sons and mentions a table by Trollope exhibited at the 1867 exhibition that sold for £40,000 in 1996. He also mentions a cabinet exhibited by Trollope at the International Exhibition of 1862 that sold at Sotheby's in 1997 for £150,000. Interest was not as strong in the 1990's as it is today for rare exhibition pieces, high quality items were abundant back then, it was a golden era when the most beautiful works of art just kept coming onto the market. But there are exceptions as in this instance, when a unique, gold medal-winning exhibition work of art comes onto the market for the very first time. Meyer continued researching and writing about the great exhibitions and released his book in 2006, 'The Great Exhibitions, London, New York, Paris and Philadelphia 1851- 1900, where he mentions only in passing, The Boudoir Room or Petite Salon exhibited by Trollope, he even states that an image was not reproduced and that Trollope's exhibits in 1878 were not up to the quality and class of the items Trollope exhibited in London in 1862 and Paris in 1868. This is probably because Meyer didn't know of the line drawing illustrating the Roso Antico Fireplace, Niche and Panelling reproduced in The Illustrated Catalogue of the Paris International Exhibition 1878 shown in the above which Geering recently uncovered. John Meyer continues in the DAS journal: Undoubtedly they (Trollope) are a firm worthy of further research as they were right at the forefront of the furniture business in London from 1860 to 1880. Our research shows that the Petite Boudoir was awarded the gold medal for excellence in 1878 (see Journal La Liberté 23-10-1878 with the list of all medals attributed), something George Trollope and Sons did not achieve at the London 1862 and the Paris 1867 exhibitions. Jonathan Meyer joined Bonham's in 1977. He was Director at Sotheby's in charge of 19th Century Furniture from 1994 to June 2007. He was also chairman of the Fine Arts Faculty for The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. In the original description from the article in Les Merveilles de l’exposition de 1878, M. Marius Vachon states: The first object that catches the eye when one enters the (English) furniture class is the beautiful boudoir-salon exhibited by Mr. Trollope. Suggesting, it was in his opinion the very best on display in the English section, and being awarded the gold medal for excellence can only add weight to this. Adjacent to the original label that was printed by The Secretary - Royal British Commission for the Universal Exhibition 1878 in stencil ‘TO BE KEPT’, i.e. ‘to be returned’. This confirms why it came back to London. We removed the Boudoir Room or Petite Salon from a Trollope house, part of a grand high-class housing estate in London which around the time of the exhibition Trollope and Sons were in the process of building, and where the room set was installed directly after it returned from the exhibition in 1878 until now. Worthy of note is the machines that did the carving for the Boudoir Room or Petite Salon and also did all of the decorative carving (most of which was linenfold carving) for the Houses of Parliament, London. This machine, the engraving and description of which we copy from Engineering, was specially designed by its inventor, Mr. Jordan, for assisting in the production of the vast amount of carved decorations required for the walls and ceilings of the Houses of Parliament, London, and it was so employed during the entire progress of the work. The late Sir Charles Barry was so well satisfied with it, that he frequently declared it would have been impossible to have accomplished the work without it. The Department of Woods and Forests employed five of the machines at the Government Works, Thames Bank, for several years; and the machines have now passed into the hands of Messrs. George Trollope and Son, and are still used in the same building. They also exhibited the new technique of xylatechnography and sgraffito, methods of impressing coloured design into soft wood and engraving veneer to reveal the base wood. The newspaper, La Liberte October, 23rd 1878 listing the medal winners of the Paris 1878 exhibition. Third column, ''GROUPE III MOBILIER ET ACCESSOIRES'', (GROUP III FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES). Medailles d'or. (Gold Medals) where G Trollope et fils (G Trollope and Sons...

Elegant Italian carved white marble urn from the 19th century, featuring a beautifully sculpted draped cloth gathered by a finely carved floral garland. The graceful classical form...

The very traditional octagonal garden fountain was hand carved in limestone after an 18th century original (fountain du reservoir) and can still be seen nowadays in the French villag...

Hand chiseled stone basic with a rustic appearance. The basin is carved from a single piece of marble. The basin has a triangular shape so it fits into a corner of a bathroom. The...

Beautiful 18th century neoclassical giltwood ornament. Italy circa 1780. Weathered,small losses and old repairs. Measurements include the wooden base. H:67cm W:45cm D:9cm

Experience the unique aroma of scented cedar with this bench, sculpted from a single piece of wood. Its graceful arched base below the seat magnifies the exquisite wood grains and na...

This bench embodies simplicity with its essential and geometric lines, featuring a substantial beam as its seat. The focal point is the material itself: a single block of solid cedar...

This stone Buddha is thought to depict Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha). The stone is granite, and the piece is believed to have been carved sometime between the late 15th and late 16t...

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

French Gilded Wood Rococo Wall or Table Fragment. Beautiful period Rococo design constructed in gilt wood featuring intricate scroll motifs throughout as well a small old mirrored ...

Antique Spanish 19th century cupboard rustic doors with lattice and carved panels, early 19th century. These antique doors come from a cottage house in Galicia at the North coast of Spain. They were part of an antique lattice...

A large, rare, and most impressive antique hand carved and painted wood and metal stylized antelope African folk art sculpture with beautifully aged distressed patina. Handmade in East Africa, dating to around the late 19th / early 20th century, possibly earlier, this scarce, one-of-a-kind, museum quality work, features a richly detailed patinated bronze head and tail with etched textural elements, tall ears and faux ringed...

Calacatta Viola marble sinks are crafted from high-quality, Italy-sourced natural stone. Due to the natural formation process of the marble, each piece features a unique veining patt...

An ideal garden ornament, sturdy weather proof planter display base or a rock solid all weather stone base for a special sculpture. From China, comes this large 20.5 inch rectangula...

Great Pair (2) Of Large Round Stone Bowls/Planters From our recent Japanese Acquisition Travels- comes this unusual pair of large round garden stone vessels with inset carved handl...

France / 1880 / Pair of Doors / pine wood / Rustic / French province A beautiful pair of 19th century hand made monastery doors with original hardware we found in France. The doors...

Beautiful Baroque marble holy water font or stoup, Unique and original period piece. Italy, circa 1750. Weathered condition. H:11,5cm W:24,5cm D:18-33cm

Hand-carved in Italy during the 1700s, this holy water font was crafted from beautiful Verona rosso marble. Known for its reddish color and light veining, this particular stone has a...

A beautifully sculptural hand-carved stone vessel sink, crafted from a single solid block of natural stone, featuring softly upturned edges and a gen...

An antique rectangular fountain basin or in the style of the late Hellenistic period with minor repairs. This garden ornament features impressive mythological carvings of the art mus...

We Japanese introduce unique items with unique aesthetics, purchasing routes, and ways that no one can imitate. This is a traditional Japanese item from ancient times. There is a c...

Nice couple of two small gilded Baroque style wooden ornaments, Italy, circa 1850. Weathered and small losses. Measurement here below of the largest one and includes the wooden base....

Unique functional sculpture carved from a single piece of wood in the shape of a bathtub. This magnificent bathtub is carved by artists with basic wood carving power tools with dedic...

18th century Spanish solid oak antique rustic door with carved panels and hang forged iron pull adorned with a scallop shell. This door comes from Galicia, the Northern part of Spain. The handle is adorned by the an iron scallop shell, this shell is part of a system to open the door and symbol of the 'Camino de Santiago' from centuries. This door can be displayed as a wall decoration but also interesting to be used as headboard...

A well proportioned Bolection fireplace surround in Italian Arabescato Corchia marble. The warm variegated colours of the veining showing nicely from the pale creamy background colou...

A true one of a kind hand made piece, a true conversation piece. Hand carved out of solid pine with no detail spared. If you're looking for a unique piece, something different, to pu...

Unique carved oak Baroque altar niche with its original color and gilding. France, circa 1650-1700. Weathered, small losses Measurement includes the wooden base. H:65cm W:27,5cm D...

This solid base stone is a striking piece of off-white French limestone, perfect for those who appreciate the timeless elegance of Axel Vervoordt’s aesthetic. The rectangular, reclai...

Dating to the early 19th century, this pair of French provincial wardrobe doors offers timeless architectural beauty with their dry-scraped surface revealing soft layers of cream, sa...

This stunning 18th-century period fireplace mantel, sculpted in exclusive Royal Sarrancolin Fantastico marble, showcases intricate carvings and decorations, including a central shell...

Great Regency period original antique fireplace mantel with original upper piece.. Originally this kind of mantle pieces where painted in the decoration of the room. It is reclaimed ...

China Monumental Pair (2) Antique Stone “Spirit Pathway” Tigers, middle Qing period 1750-1850. Please view our video. Dimensions: 115cm, 46” high and 60cm, 24” in width. Likely utilized as spirit pathway tomb markers, these powerful, benign carved sitting effigies perched on haunches and front paws with round heads and faces exposing defined eye sockets, ears and two fangs a top bases that feature curled tails on side each whole atop a block shaped base and hand-carved from limestone whose surfaces show considerable weatherization from exposure and good age. Reference: 35 Years Collecting 35 Treasures, Schneible Fine Arts catalog Number 30, p. 66. Provenance: originally found in Fujian Province. Fujian has the distinction of being home to China’s last remaining wild tigers and famous “tiger” mountain. No wonder then that these early stone works...

Rustic wooden vessel constructed from solid timber planks and reinforced with hand-forged iron staples and corner brackets. The wood exhibits a natural weathered patina with visible ...

Beautiful Baroque hand carved limestone holy water font or stoup, Unique and original period piece. Italy, circa 1750. Good but weathered condition just as it should. Measures: H:10c...

More information coming soon… Originally a set of entry doors at a French cathedral in the 1800s, these oak and iron doors have highly carved interior sides with painted exterior vi...