Carved Pinewood English Mantel with Floral Ornaments - wood

Description

This carved pinewood English mantel from the 19th century, is adorned with floral ornaments of remarkably refined workmanship. On the jambs, two branches of foliage curve back and forth around a central axis like a caduceus made of branches. A molding of circled rosettes frames the hearth and encloses the jambs. A rare frieze runs across the front of the entablature: the wood carver played with a balance of bare wood and elegant arabesques of leaves. On either side of the entablature, a tripod supports a vase with a gadroon top and palm leaf décor, its handles draped with a swag of leaves. The wide cornice, recessed in the center, combines two foliage friezes with various moldings.