ON HOLD
BEFORE I FORGET, I MUST TELL YOU THAT THE THING THAT STRUCK ME MOST ABOUT THIS FIREPLACE WHEN I SAW IT AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE ON RUE ORDENER (TREE-LINED AVENUE AT THE EDGE OF MONTMARTRE) FROM WHICH WE SNATCHED IT AT NIGHT IS THE CARE WITH WHICH ITS MARBLE SLABS WERE CHOSEN, A SELECTION THAT ALLOWED FOR A PERFECT ALIGNMENT OF THE WHITE FRETWORK AGAINST THE BLACK BACKGROUND.
NOTICE THIS: THE NUMEROUS WHITE LINES (INCIDENTALLY: THESE ARE FOSSILS OF SMALL SEDIMENTED MARINE ANIMALS) ARE ALL ORIENTED VERTICALLY.
ALMOST NEVER (AND IT WILL NOT BE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO OBSERVE THIS IN OUR WAREHOUSE AS WELL) WAS THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE FRETTING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, AND THIS IS BECAUSE IT COST TOO MUCH TO CUT THE PLATES FOLLOWING THIS AESTHETIC DIRECTIVE, IT WAS MUCH MORE CONVENIENT NOT TO PRODUCE WASTE AND TO MAKE A CHAOTIC MIXTURE OF LINES.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A SMALL DETAIL TO YOU?
WELL, KNOW THAT IT IS NOT, WHEN THE CARE REACHES THESE LEVELS, WELL, THE REST OF THE SCULPTURE IS AT ITS BEST TOO!
Having said the above to give Caesar, that is, the master sculptor, his due, let's come to our Pompadour Pied Galbé (“Pied” stands for leg and “Galbé” stands for sinuous, soft) fireplace mantel and let's say right away how much its black color of cloudy white is sought after today by architects and decorators. In short, we can say that the color of Nero Marquinia marble is going VERY much in fashion, in fast steps reaching or at least coming very close to the first place on the podium of requests in the field of antique fireplaces. In truth, the top ranking is still the Belgian Black, but here we are at least approaching parity. I am doing this “ranking” for the benefit of Genoese husbands, who will not miss the fact that being able to save almost half as much for equal female liking is no small saving, is it, gentle Parodi!
This fire surround, the provenance of which I have already mentioned above, is indeed in excellent condition, was made in an Italian sculpture workshop, and its date of birth is between 1860 and 1880.
