18th-Century English Marble Mantel

This rare and monumental marble fireplace mantel is crafted from the finest Carrara marble. A masterpiece of Georgian architectural design, the mantel's flowing lines blend gracefully with its neoclassical elements. At once organic and structural, Rococo-style scrolls and flower garlands are joined with symmetrical ram's head ornaments and a central cameo plaque. Exhibiting the highest quality stonework and carving, this stunning mantel would be at home in the world's most luxurious homes and palaces. Excellent condition.

Circa 1780

88" wide 4 1/2" deep x 50 3/4" high

Originally built over a fireplace opening to catch the smoke, mantels, or the decorative framework around the fireplace, were for many centuries the most ornamental and artistic feature of a room, and the focus of custom interior decoration. A mantel traditionally offered a unique opportunity for the architect/designer to create a personal statement unique to the room they were creating. In its design, a sculptor or artisan could demonstrate expertise in carving each of the fine decorative adornments. Elements such as capitals, moldings, brackets, figures, animals, fruits and vegetation were commonly used to enhance a mantel. More than the material, it was the skillfulness of the carving that defined the quality of the mantelpiece, thus highlighting the magnificence of the room.

In the 18th century, classically-inspired architects became influenced by the French work of Louis XIV and XV. Figure sculpture was introduced, generally represented by graceful figures on each side, and assisted to carry the shelf. The over-mantel developed into an elaborate frame for the family portrait over the chimneypiece. Toward the close of the 18th century, the designs of the Adam Brothers superseded all others, and a century later they came again into fashion. The Adam mantels are made of wood enriched with ornament, cast in molds, sometimes copied from the carved wood decoration of old times.