Premier Items

Stock: 4721

A rare Venetian Renaissance antique fireplace mantel from the fifteenth century. This extremely rare chimneypiece is carved in Pietra d’Istria Marble from the Istrian Peninsula near Venice and is attributed to Giorgio da Sebenico, sculptor of the Duomo San Francesco, Cathedral of Ancona, which features near identical images on the portal.
Italian, circa 1460.

Scale : Large.

Link to: Antique Renaissance, Gothic Tudor Fireplace mantels and Chimneypieces: 1260 - 1600

	Width	Height	Depth
External	78 11⁄16" 200 cms	74" 188 cms	34 1⁄4" 87 cms
Internal	68 1⁄4" 173.4 cms	65 3⁄16" 165.7 cms

Stock: 14200

A magnificent and enormous pair of huge bronze Edwardian Baroque panels each in two parts made for Gillows of Lancaster, the famous furniture and furnishings company founded in 1730 who later to became Waring and Gillow. They would have been part of a grand display stand at one of the Great International Exhibitions that occurred from the mid 19th century. Gillows was one of a number of first class manufacturing companies to provide work of the highest calibre for these exhibitions. It is not clear exactly which event these panels, some parts of which are missing, would have been made for but it is likely to have been either the London Exhibition of 1908 or the one in Ghent in 1913. The panels bear medallion copies of the medals that Gillows were awarded at various exhibitions from London,1851 to Paris,1900 and Brussels.

Extraordinarily the panels were only discovered in 2015 stored away in a dock-side warehouse in Liverpool the home of Warings. It is possible that they had remained there undisturbed and forgotten for all those years from the time they were dismantled at the exhibition and transported back to Liverpool.
English, 1903 - 1914

Link to: Antique panelling and overmantels

	approx width	approx height
	26" 66 cms	114" 289.6 cms

Stock: 14355

A rare, monumental and highly ornate Louis XV style deeply carved Statuary Marble antique fireplace surround in the French Baroque Rococo manner with its original cast iron insert. The upper stop fluted coffered frieze sits above and behind an enormous and most elaborately scrolled central cartouche quite simply the flamboyant focus of the whole chimneypiece. The equally massive angled, scrolled and panelled jambs, beneath the two tiered endblocks, are embellished with large acanthus detail. Quatrefoil panels sit above the panelled side returns. The signature of a J. Molinari, and the name Menton are carved above the quatrefoil on the right return shown in the second to last image below.
French, late 19th century.

	Width	Height	Depth
External	82 1⁄4" 209 cms	66 7⁄8" 170 cms	22 13⁄16" 58 cms
Internal	48 13⁄16" 124 cms	47 5⁄8" 121 cms

Stock: 14359

A magnificent and rare Gothic Revival, Byzantine influenced antique silver plated incense burner that could easily be converted into a grand ceiling light. The highly decorative bowl, set with many coloured glass cabochon and bearing the initials I H S a symbolic monogram of Christ, is suspended from a high domed crown on six sturdy chains. Beneath the bowl is a reversed crown terminating in a reversed ring finial.
Mid 19th century, possibly French.

This incense burner can easily be converted into a chandelier or electrolier..

Link to: Antique chandeliers.

	Width	Height
	22" 56 cms	53 7⁄8" 137 cms

Stock: 8024

A large and striking Flemish dark polished fossil stone Baroque Mannerist antique chimneypiece, with double contra scrolling tapering jambs terminating in tall moulded foot blocks, supporting a later barrelled integral frieze and shelf centred by a magnificent lions mask.
Flemish part 16th century and later.

Link to: Antique Baroque Chimneypieces inc English, Italian, French, Flemish Bolection fireplace mantels.

	Width	Height	Depth
External	90" 228.6 cms	77" 195.6 cms	20" 50.8 cms
Internal	66" 167.6 cms	66" 167.6 cms

Stock: 10203

A large and fine antique Palladian style chimneypiece in the manner of William Kent (1685-1748). Carved in pure white Statuary Marble and with Breche Violette, endblocks and ingrounds, it has a prominent corniced shelf set over a beautifully scrolled foliate carved frieze, centred by a simple Breche Violette plaque, flanked by foliate endblocks above bold tapering volute jambs, topped by ribbon tied scrolls, resting on plain large footblocks.
English, mid 19th century with later restoration.

Notes: This chimneypiece, made in the 19th Century, bears a striking resemblance to the chimneypiece in the Red Dining Room at Raynham Hall in Norfolk, designed by Inigo Jones in the late 17th Century. The chimneypiece was probably designed by William Kent as the Hall was refashioned by him in 1731 in collaboration with the Master Sculptor & Carver James Richards (1718-1759) who is credited with the carving of the chimneypiece.

Link to a section showing full range of similar/related neo-classical chimneypieces

	Width	Height	Depth
External	97 1⁄2" 247.7 cms	73 1⁄8" 185.7 cms	14 3⁄16" 36 cms
Internal	42 1⁄8" 107 cms	44 11⁄16" 113.5 cms

Stock: 7739

An impressive large serpentine fronted 18th century polished iron antique fire basket in the manner of Robert Adam, with etched spandrels, paterae & endblocks, a beaded border and four urn finials. Identical to one in Soho House, Birmingham, the house designed by James Wyatt, but this firegrate was probably made by Matthew Boulton (1728 -1809) partner to James Wyatt and a leading light in the English Industrial Revolution. English, circa 1790.

Link to: Antique fire grates and log baskets.

	Width	Height	Depth
External	38 5⁄8" 98 cms	29 13⁄16" 75.6 cms	17 13⁄16" 45.1 cms
Back panel	23 3⁄16" 59 cms

Stock: 13874

THE ITALIAN WARS
A monumental and imposing richly carved French walnut trumeau chimneypiece. The generously moulded cornice lies above a dramatically carved arched central panel dominating the trumeau frieze and depicting a scene of battle probably relating to the eighth Italian War (1551-1559) when Henry II of France declared war against Charles V ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. The panel is flanked on either side by two large carved horned and winged mythical beasts and the whole rests on the wide and sturdy fireplace surround beneath.

The deep shelf of the fireplace surround, with its carved alternating bossed frieze, sits above a pair of robust fluted columns with Corinthian capitals and stepped footblocks and the deep set fireplace opening is topped by a finely carved and decorative border detail.
French, mid 19th century.

Notes: The 1551-1559 Italian War was also known as the Habsburg – Valois War. There were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire. Originally arising from dynastic disputes over the Duchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Naples, the wars rapidly became a general struggle for power and territory among their various participants, and were marked with an increasing number of alliances, counter-alliances and betrayals.

Link to: Antique Renaissance, Gothic Tudor Fireplace mantels and Chimneypieces: 1260 - 1600

	Width	Height	Depth
External	79 11⁄16" 202.5 cms	107 1⁄8" 272 cms	29 7⁄8" 76 cms
Internal	46 7⁄8" 119 cms	35" 89 cms

Stock: 13268

SIMPLY SPLENDID:
A magnificent and rare late 18th Century "Summer Grate".

This very important George III grate is fashioned in bright cut polished steel. It is a most generously large grate with very finely etched and engraved foliate and acanthus designs and applied beading, a skirt of lozenge cut paterae, vase shaped finials and chamfered etched legs very much in the Neo-classical style and clearly showing the influence of Robert Adam (1728-1792).

There is an identical grate in the V&A Museum, London which is believed to have been made in the late 18th century by an iron founder named Henry Jackson of Saffron Hill, Smithfield, a copy of his trade card is below.

This type of grate was called a dog grate but became more commonly known as a "Summer Grate" because the expensively etched front could be lifted off during the winter months, to protect it from damage when the fire was lit, thereby revealing behind the more simply etched second grate front. It would almost certainly have been specially commissioned to complement a grand chimneypiece.

There are two other known identical grates both in Spencer House, an 18th century mansion built in 1756-66 in St. James's, London.
English, Circa 1790.

SCALE: V. Large

Link to: Antique fire grates and log baskets.

	Width	Height	Depth
	43" 109.2 cms	38" 96.5 cms	18" 45.7 cms

Stock: 8895

A very fine English Regency six branch crystal waterfall chandelier the four tiers profusely hung with pendant and bead drops, each solid arm with vase shaped candle holders and hung with further bead and pendant drops.
English, circa 1825.

We have believe that this chandelier may have been designed by John Blades, as there is an almost identical design for a chandelier in the V&A archives.

Note: Very similar chandeliers can be seen in the Blue Room, of Castle Howard, and in the Drawing Room of Burton Agnes both in Yorkshire .

Link to: Antique chandeliers.

	Width	Height
	31 7⁄8" 81 cms	48" 122 cms

Stock: 13450

A massive, ornately detailed cast iron fire grate in the Gothic Revival manner. The arched backplate centred with a quatrefoil, the two barred grate is fronted by a pair of tall standards with quartered roundels set beneath stylised fleur de lys spire finials with smaller versions echoed on the grate.
English mid 19th century.

Link to: Antique fire grates and log baskets.

	Width	Height	Depth
External	40 3⁄16" 102 cms	34 5⁄8" 88 cms	21 1⁄4" 54 cms
Back width	25 3⁄16" 64 cms

Stock: 12127

A late Georgian neoclassical fireplace surround in the manner of Robert Adam carved in white Statuary marble with yellow Sienna marble inlay. The wide breakfront shelf set over the fluted frieze centred by a large tablet also of purple veined yellow Sienna marble flanked by circular fluted paterae endblocks above fluted jambs.
English, late 18th century with restorations.

	Width	Height	Depth
External	82 1⁄4" 209 cms	59 1⁄8" 150 cms	8 1⁄4" 21 cms
Internal	48 3⁄8" 123 cms	42 11⁄16" 108.5 cms

Stock: 11022

A large antique terracotta campana urn, possibly by Blashfield, decorated in the Greek Revival manner after Bertel Thorvaldsen and Thomas Hope. Frieze features under the anthemion motif beneath the rim show various figures of flower and fruit maidens, minstrels and an angel typical of Ancient Greek inspiration, the handles are butted by the heads of river deities. English, early 19th century.

Notes: Although not stamped the texture of the clay & the design is very similar to the work produced by J M Blashfield." There was an identical urn sold at a Sotheby's Sale on 21 Sept 1999.

Weight: 110 kg.

Link to: Antique sculptures, carvings, bronzes, plaques and tablets

	Diameter	Height	Base W & H
	30 1⁄4" 77 cms	41 1⁄4" 105 cms	15 3⁄16" 38.5 cms

Stock: 8864

A very grand Italian Renaissance style antique fireplace mantel in white Statuary Marble. The stepped shelf, edged with richly carved lambs tongue detail over an egg and dart border, sits above a very fine frieze which is made from one block and carved in high relief with linked palmette motifs supported by scrolled acanthus brackets resting above intricately carved panelled jambs.
Italian, mid 19th century.

Link to: Antique Renaissance, Gothic Tudor Fireplace mantels and Chimneypieces: 1260 - 1600

	Width	Height	Depth
External	83 1⁄2" 212 cms	71 11⁄16" 182 cms	16 1⁄8" 41 cms
Internal	57 1⁄2" 146 cms	57 1⁄8" 145 cms

Stock: 11772

A splendid 20th century fossil stone and marble chimneypiece in the Palladian manner. Removed from the Banqueting Hall of The Worshipful Company of Leatherers, an ancient Guild institution in the City of London. The massive white Statuary Marble shelf is supported on a fossil stone frieze centred by a plaque of Verdi Tinos green marble and is flanked by scrolled stone and green marble brackets, over a substantial lower frieze supported on either side by large scrolled consoles. The wide low opening has Statuary Marble ingrounds behind which are a pair of concave Verdi Marble inserts.
English 1950.

Link to a section showing full range of similar/related neo-classical chimneypieces

	Width	Height	Depth
External	95 1⁄4" 242 cms	66 1⁄4" 168.4 cms	14 13⁄16" 37.6 cms
Internal	28 11⁄16" 73 cms	39 1⁄8" 99.3 cms

Stock: 13386

A very smart late 18th century Statuary and Spanish Brocatelle inlaid marble chimneypiece, the central tablet carved with exquisite crossed leaf fronds and classical urn to the highest quality. The end blocks carved with rosettes common to the period with unusual extra carved oval paterae below.
English, circa 1780 with later restoration.

Link to a section showing full range of similar/related neo-classical chimneypieces

	Width	Height	Depth
External	72 3⁄8" 184 cms	57 1⁄2" 146 cms	7 7⁄8" 20 cms
Internal	47 5⁄8" 121 cms	44 1⁄2" 113 cms

Stock: 12010

A BAROQUE RELIC
A series of five large carved stone Metope elements in the Baroque Roman Revival manner.
They form a running frieze, the elements all being the same height, depicting several hunting and animal scenes. A wild boar hunt, a lion hunt and youths feeding goats centred by putti heralds blowing horns.The heads of the youthful hunters having being removed which could indicate they date from before the 17th century Commonwealth period of Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans, 1649-1660 when the Roundhead Parliamentry troops frequently defaced human features on statues for their so-called association with idolatry.
English or Welsh, 17-18th century.

Notes: The beheading and other acts of vandalism carried out on figurative carving was a regular practice done in the name of Puritanism at the order of Oliver Cromwell after Englands 17th century short lived Revolution and establishment of a Republic / Commonwealth (1649-1660) and before the restoration of the Stuart monarchy to the throne. See also our sold stock no 2871,
a pair of 17th century carved angels. whose faces were also removed, bought in an attic and stables sale at Hatfield House.

Condition: To be expected in a relic there are missing detail elements, apart from the presumed Cromwellian destruction, which could be reinstated. But part of the charm of these huge carved elements lies in leaving them in this unrestored state.

Link to: Antique, old vintage fountains, sculptures, garden furniture and statuary

	width	height	depth
Overall running length.	400" 1016 cms	22 13⁄16" 58 cms

Stock: 10734

A massive carved Portland Stone Tableau of the reigning monarchs, William & Mary(1689-1702), granting The Bank of England Charter in 1694. Sculptor Esmond Burton (1885 – 1964).

Part of a collection of approximately 45 statues and carvings commissioned by the Bank of England to adorn it’s Annexe built in the 1950’s at One New Change in the City of London. They were removed prior to the building being demolished in 2007. This group was above the Cheapside entry to the courtyard and was flanked either side by statues of Sir John Houblon, the first Governor of the Bank and Michael Godfrey the first Deputy, please see third image below.

Notes: The building was erected to accommodate the Bank of England's Accounts Department and occupied the whole site bounded by Cheapside to the north, Watling Street to the south, Bread Street to the east, Newgate to the north west and New Change to the west. It was built on a World War II bomb site behind St Paul’s Cathedral and was sensitively designed in a graceful curve to follow the curve of the east end of Sir Christopher Wrens majestic Roman Baroque building.

English, circa 1958.

Link to: Antique, old vintage fountains, sculptures, garden furniture and statuary

	Width	Height	Depth
	53 1⁄8" 135 cms	82 11⁄16" 210 cms	27 5⁄8" 70 cms