G390

A Very Refined 1780S Neoclassical Chimneypiece In White Statuary Marble With Tinos Inlays Of The Highest Quality.

An exquisite late 18th-century chimneypiece of Robert Adam’s design. The inverse breakfront molded shelf rests on an inlaid frieze. The central tablet depicts a classical urn with Sphynxes and garlands, while the corner blocks are carved with smaller urns. The jambs are also inlaid with Tinos marble and these terminate in Ionic pilasters.

The design is very typical of Robert Adam (1728–1792), who made numerous variants of this design to be carved in white marble with coloured marble inlays.

One example can be found on p59 of volume III in Herbert Cescinsky's "English Furniture of The Eighteenth Century". The quality of this particular chimneypiece was highly valued by the antique fireplace dealer Nigel Bartlett.