THIS FIREPLACE MANTEL IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE.
A contradiction?
A slip of the tongue?
A joke?
Not at all. Read on and you'll understand exactly why I’ve made such a bold—and apparently strange—statement.
Let’s start with a bit of history.
In the early decades of the 19th century—during the Empire Period and right after the French Revolution—the French bourgeoisie began to gain strength. They emerged as the dominant class, taking power from the old nobility and clergy. As economic restraints were lifted, many industrious individuals started to build wealth. Perhaps not yet rivaling aristocratic fortunes, but certainly enough to want the symbols of wealth they had long been denied.
And among those symbols?
Decorative fireplaces.
Yes, it became almost mandatory for the newly wealthy to place a fireplace in every room—including entryways and bedrooms—if they wanted to emulate the nobility.
And here’s where our charming little Bombé mantelpiece comes into play.
This is the very first fireplace model to be produced in series. It was designed specifically to meet the demands of this growing, ambitious middle class—one that would grow richer year by year and eager to show its status with elegant marble mantels.
Now, this Bombé wasn’t one of those massive, carved architectural monsters that could seat a card game inside the firebox like the grand chimneys of noble palaces. It didn’t feature caryatids or sculpted allegories.
Truthfully, it was relatively modest—even humble (though not quite as humble as Geppetto’s fireplace, which was famously painted on a wall…).
But the real joy was being able to afford one for every room—yes, even the bedrooms!
In this sense, we might say that our Bombé is the father of all antique fireplaces you’ll find on the market today—because, let’s be honest, virtually all antique mantels available for sale come from bourgeois homes, not noble estates. Despite what certain “creative” dealers might claim, fireplaces from aristocratic properties are almost never sold on the open market—they're protected by strict cultural heritage laws. And rightfully so!
But history aside, let’s talk about this mantel’s own unique features:
A) It’s delightfully small—just 102 cm wide—making it easy to place just about anywhere. And let’s be real: smaller models of any fireplace design are always more charming, aren’t they?
B) It was crafted in Italy, in the Lunigiana region at the foot of the Apuan Alps, by a sculptor who paid obsessive attention to selecting perfectly matching slabs, ensuring elegant chromatic harmony.
C) Its "dress", so to speak—its marble—is among the most refined and expensive varieties, typically reserved for much grander fireplaces.
D) Despite its impressive age (about 200 years), it’s in such excellent condition that, if it could, it might even pass a military physical… though we’ll leave that to the imagination (and to certain politicians who love talking about compulsory service...).
Finally, all jokes aside, we found this little gem right in the heart of Paris—no need to steal it.
