Style Napoleon III / Ref.1261
Wood mantel with lion heads and paws
Dimensions
Width 88'' ⅝ 225cm
Height 72'' ⅞ 185cm
Depth: 30'' ¾ 78cm
This wood mantel is a superb example of re-appropriation of the Neo-Renaissance style by Second Empire craftsmen, with the same emphasize on carved wood as in the Renaissance.
The scrolled jambs figure majestic lion heads at the level of the modillions and stand on lion paw feet.
The jambs support a lush entablature carved with geometrical motifs and stylized foliage: central is a red marble plate flanked by flower compositions in the manner of grotesques of the Renaissance. Above a classical cornice with a running geometrical frieze.
Far from copying the Neo-Renaissance style this mantel uses the elements of this style adapting them to the exuberant tastes of the Second Empire.