Stock No: 16273

A rare Irish chimneypiece of grand proportions in statuary marble. The generous moulded shelf rests over a wide panelled frieze which is mounted with a tablet of exceptional quality. It depicts a recumbent Poseidon, god of the sea, being drawn on a seashell chariot by hippocampi, all carved in an artful blend of high and low relief. This scene is flanked by the most glorious endblocks, each a crouching Aphrodite, situated within a scallop shell. These crouch above freestanding Doric columns. The strikingly simple elegance of the chimneypiece is a perfect foil for the beautifully carved tablet and spectacular endblocks.

Irish, c.1820.

Provenance: Raheen House, Raheen, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Southern Ireland. By repute, the chimneypiece was installed at Raheen House by the then owners of the house, the Burke family, circa 1889, when they apparently acquired it in lieu of a part payment for a warehouse. This commercial building was purchased by the Loreto Convent of Clonmel to be used as a religious school when their own school was damaged by fire.

View our section showing the full range of our neo-classical chimneypieces