Superb George III Neoclassical Fireplace Mantel Of The Roman Doric Order
London, United Kingdom
£97,149 per item
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Item details
Height
144.15 cm
Width
193.68 cm
Depth
20.32 cm
Wear conditions
Good
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
In white statuary and Spanish Brocatelle marbles; The design attributed to Sir William Chambers (1723-1796), architect to the King, circa 1765-1770.
The tiered shelf with egg and dart, (symbolic of good and evil) moulding, above the frieze, which is centered with a rectangular tablet, superbly sculpted with a Bucranium mask of an ox skull. This has horns and a jeweled decoration adorns the skull above the eyes, the horns are draped with bunched, knotted ribbons, which hold swags of tied bell flowers, the other end of which are secured and fall from circular, flower decorated paterae. This is flanked by Brocatelle panels and recessed, statuary end blockings. The jambs with pilaster Brocatelle uprights, flanked by statuary out grounds with scrolling volutes decorated with sprigs of foliage. The opening with moulded edge, the whole raised on foot blocks.
The Doric Order with its boldness and robustness appealed to Chambers and his academic style, which was a sophisticated compound of French Neoclassicism and a refined English Palladianism, his chimney piece designs have a sculptural monumentality, that characterized his work. In his Treatise on Civil Architecture, published in 1759, which quickly became the standard work on the use of the Orders, superseding, Isaac Ware's Complete body of Architecture, He writes " The Doric is next in strength to the Tuscan; and, being of a grave, robust and masculine aspect, is by Scamozzi called the Herculean, it is the most ancient of orders ". He illustrates the Roman Doric Order, (though the Greeks might have been the first to give convincing form to the elements of architecture, Chambers thought that the Romans had brought the art to perfection).
Chambers used his Doric chimney pieces through out all rooms, hall, (Paksted house, with Bucranium mask), dining, (Gower house, London), bed (Milton Abbey, with five bucranium masks) of his buildings, unlike his rival Robert Adam who always used them only in entrance Halls. the only exception being one in the dining room at Osterly, which might have been designed by Chambers. We know of no extant chimney pieces with bucranium masks by Adam.
In the Victoria and Albert museum one of Chambers, Doric chimney piece designs has survived, This is pen and ink, pencil with grey and ivory washes, has an almost identical, bucranium, centre tablet (D 1260-18980) See illustration.
After Chambers return to England, from his Grand Tour, he visited Holkham Hall, Norfolk, in 1755 and sketched, and annotated a bucranium decorated chimney piece after a design by Inigo Jones, no doubt the inspiration for him later, this is now in the Victoria Albert Museum. See illustration, (Franco Italian Album VAM 5712.426 page 32)
The attractive, Violet Brocatelle marble, with it's shades of violet and yellow, came from the Tortosa quarry in Spain which was opened in Antiquity and writing in his Treatise, (page 79), Chambers reports that "chimneypieces are composed of wood, stone or marble, the last of which is to be preferred. All ornaments, figures, or profiles, are best when of the pure white sort; other parts may be made of marbles of variegated colors; such as the yellow of Sienna and the Brocatello of Spain."
Literature; Sir William Chambers, edited by J Harris, Yale, 1966, Sir William Chambers, M.
Snodin, V.A, 1966.
Condition report:
Condition Report:
- Good.
- Repaired.
- Wear consistent with age and use.
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Free collection available
Yes
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Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 24th March 2025
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